Mr. Brook at AHCSpice Project
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To my World Studies students:
The objective of this assignment is to discover the uses of a spice 1,000 years ago. You will research the historical uses of the spice. For example, find out whether the spice was used for cooking and, if so, for what foods. Some spices were used for packing and preserving food. If your spice was used for that purpose, figure out which foods were preserved with that spice.
This project counts the same as a test (approximately 100 points). It is tentatively due the week of December 10, the last week of the quarter.
You will:
1. Prepare a food that uses the spice. The food can be either an ancient or a modern use of the spice.
The food must meet the following qualifications:
A. You must have prepared the food in some fashion (cooked, baked, mixed, etc). Bringing in a bag of Nacho chips and a jar of salsa will not meet the objective.
B. There must be enough for all members of the class (25 students plus Mr. Brook) to at least sample the food.
C. We must be able to clearly taste the spice.
2. Prepare a short two to three minute presentation in which you describe your food and the historical uses of the spice.
I have high expectations for your presentations. We’ll discuss them further in class, and I’m happy to help you practice, work on overcoming nervousness, think about the best way to prepare, etc. One of my objectives is to help you learn how to be confident, articulate young people, and learning to speak in public with clarity and concision is essential to that goal. Here are some of my expectations:
A. Concise: you complete your presentation in the allotted time.
B. Clear: your presentation has clear structure that makes it easy to follow.
C. Confident: you speak without written notes other than a simple outline, with volume (reach the back of the room), without filler words (“um,” “like,” etc.), with eye contact, and without fidgeting/rocking/leaning against the wall/etc.
Don’t be scared! Two to three minutes is very brief. If you prepare and practice, the time will fly by, and then we’ll all be sampling each other’s food instead of watching you speak.
Here is the complete list of spices:
Salt • Pepper • Oregano • Sugar • Paprika • Cinnamon • Allspice • Anise • Bay leaf • Mustard • Caraway • Carob • Chicory • Chives • Licorice • Cumin • Dill • Fennel • Garlic • Ginger • Horseradish • Juniper • Nutmeg • Onion • Parsley • Pomegranate • Molasses • Peppermint • Rosemary • Saffron • Sage • Sassafras • Spearmint • Thyme • Sumac • Vanilla
Your spices, which I have assigned randomly using Excel magic, are listed in the Word document. No two people in the same section have the same spice, and at least one of my students has each spice.
Once again, here’s a Word document of this post. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes for a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!
