Spice+Merchant+Camp

**YEAR 2: University of Marco Polo’s School for International Spice Merchants**
//To study history from 1 AD to about 1400 AD, I knew I wanted to look at how cultures reacted with each other, from the Roman Empire to the medieval spice trade. We have a mom in our group who was interested in working with the kids on economics and who was willing to include a lesson on economics during the camp, so I wanted to also include practical information and also historical information about economics.//

To plan for camp, I did extensive research using the links below. I was looking for activities to do during camp and for background information about spices, trade networks and merchant life during the Middle Ages. I found tons of information!
 * Preparation:**

//Lesson Ideas and Resources:// Spice Up Your Life WebQuest: http://wwwgen.bham.wednet.edu/exhome.htm 42Explore Spices: http://www.42explore.com/spices.htm Spices in Your Favorite Foods: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g35/favfoods.html Indian Ocean Trade, A Simulation: http://www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/materials/handouts/indian.html Moving with Trade: http://www.hawaii.edu/hga/GAW97/trade.html Monsoon Winds, To the Land of Gold: http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/Spice/textobjects/overview.htm

//Background Reading:// Along the Silk Road Background: http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/sum-inst/links/silkunit.htm World Trading Systems: http://humanities.cqu.edu.au/history/52148/modules/world_trade.html Spices of the Middle East: http://www.fareshare.net/spice-history.html Middle Ages: Vegetarianism: http://www.ivu.org/history/renaissance/middle-ages.html 14th Century Venetian Names: http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/ The Rise of Trade: http://www.nobleednews.com/later_middle_ages.htm Medieval Sourcebook-Medieval Prices: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/medievalprices.html Merchants in the Middle Ages: http://www2.lhric.org/irvington/ims/6th/merchant.htm Trade in Anglo-Saxon England: http://www.regia.org/trade.htm Spice Chests: Who Used What When? http://www.silk.net/sirene/spiceche.htm Spices and the Spice Routes: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/9000/spices/indexSpices.html Spices and the Spice Islands: http://www.duyfken.com/original/spice-islands.html The Consumption of Spices: [|http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~munro5/SPICES1.htm] Spices: Dispelling the Myth: http://www.rencentral.com/jul_aug_vol1/spices.shtml Spices, Or the Dawn of the Modern Age: http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/excerpt2.html The Spice Routes: http://asiapacificuniverse.com/pkm/spiceroutes.htm The Spice Trade, A Taste of Adventure: http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/spicetrd.html The Spices of Paradise: http://www.gourmed.gr/greek-food/show.asp?gid=9&nodeid=78&arid=3770 Lecture: Spices and History: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture26/lec26.html

//Spices data:// Spice Archive: http://www.oldetimecooking.com/Spice_Archive.htm A Modern Herbal: http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html Epicentre’s Encyclopedia of Spices: http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/spiceref.html Spice Rack: http://www.fareshare.net/spice-book.html The Many Benefits of Salt: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1994/1094AP.html Salt-A World History: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_2_111/ai_83553547 Peppercorns and Pepper: http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa091100a.htm Katzer’s Spice Pages: [|http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/index.html] 42Explore’s Herbs and Spices: http://www.42explore.com/spices2.htm UCLA Spices: http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?displayID=6 McCormicks’ History of Spices: http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?ID=10109 Schreiber’s Spices: http://www.rlschreiber.com/shop/catalog_category.asp?loc=3 Spice Encylopedia: http://www.spiceadvice.com/encyclopedia/index.html Spice Finder: http://www.silk.net/sirene/spicefin.htm The Spice House (I ordered some spices from here): http://www.thespicehouse.com/

· For the camp, I sent a “recruitment flyer” to the kids ([|welcomeletter.pdf]). I gathered a lot of spices from various places (had to order a couple of hard-to-find ones from The Spice House linked above). I decided that we would have a couple of projects that the kids could take home at the end of camp, and that would allow them to work in various groups. We had 14 kids this year and I wanted to see how they would work together.

· I asked the kids to pick out an Italian name, using a list I’d adapted from off the Web ([|Italian Names to choose from.doc]). I created “Welcome” nametags for them to have so we could use their Italian names.

· I adapted a map of the world (the Medieval world) and printed them on cardstock ([|Asiamapwithicons.jpg]). I created displays for each of the spices that I’d decided to use ([|list of spices to use.doc], [|Spices by area.doc], [|spice station labels.pdf]) and an "official" guidebook with consistent information so the kids could quickly read it ([|cover.pdf], [|catalog.pdf]). Then I created their research journal pages in which they were to write information for each spice ([|Magical Uses.doc], [|Medicinal Uses.doc]).

· I decided to use the “Monsoon Winds” game linked above so I printed out all the relevant materials for that. I also created rubrics for the Business Partnerships projects they would be doing on the second day ([|project rubrics.doc]).

· Because I thought that it would be helpful for them to “see” some of the places we would be “visiting,” I created a travelogue video from clips I pulled from travel shows (we get cable, thank heavens!). I included India, northern Africa, China, Indonesia and any other place I could find!

· I worked with our economic-savvy mom to develop a lesson that the kids would use in their other work, and her husband agreed to help the kids learn to use a compass through a short orienteering lesson. I also gathered materials for “treasure chests” (inexpensive little wooden boxes, jewels and studs, markers). I also made some fake “money coins” from bakeable clay.

· When the kids arrived, I gave them their name tags ([|Biorgiorno name tags2.doc]) and we did a short overview of the development of trade and especially of the spice trade ([|Brief Overview of the Spice Trade.doc]). We also talked about our schedule ([|Class Schedule.doc]).
 * Schedule:**

· Then we split into our first set of teams (7 teams at 2 per). The teams were each given a University of Marco Polo Official Guide to Spices From the Known World, a map of where the various groups of spices could be found around our house, a cardstock map for each member on which they were to tape samples of each spice they explored, two forms that were to be filled out, and a schedule for each team to use to rotate through the spices (so not everyone was at the same station at once). (All these are linked in the Preparations section above.)

· Each station had a group of spices from the same place (with a separate area for herbs). The station had a sample of the spice, sometimes something to taste, sometimes other things to look at. They consulted the Guide to Spices for information while sampling the spices. They only had fifteen minutes at each station before moving on to the next. At each station they needed to tape (plant part) or glue (powder) a sample of the spices near the place where they were generally found.

· After this activity, we had a lunch of pizza (we were in Italy after all!) During lunch, we talked about what they had discovered with the spices. I wanted to make sure they noticed that there were no “new world” spices among those we explored.

· We then watched the “travelogues” I’d created before working on the Accounting lesson. Their lesson involved learning about money (we gave them their fake coins in a pouch), how much things might cost, and how to fill out an accounting ledger—something that was very new in medieval times.

· A snack break gave them energy for the next activity—a trading simulation game based on Monsoon Winds ([|http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/spice/textobjects/tradegame.htm).] I set up new teams (another 7 teams with 2 per), gave them each a map of the house for where each of the teams’ home base was located, and then all the materials from the simulation. I created printed playing pieces for the trading part rather than trying to gather the artifacts—though that would have been fun!

· The game was fun but they were ready for swimming after that and then we had dinner. The moms had brought various plain meats and some neat medieval sauces ([|Sauces to make.doc]) made of some of our spices for the kids to try. Most tried just a little of each.

· After dinner, The kids then got a chance to learn a little bit about using a compass through a short orienteering exercise led by one of the dads. Later, I led a quick lesson in fencing (using a clip from “The Princess Bride” to show a fancy bit of swordplay). I had tried to find a local fencing instructor or Renaissance re-creator to help me with this but was unable to get anyone interested. Luckily, I’d had fencing back in college and remembered enough to give them the very basics! We used wrapping paper rolls collected from all the families as our swords.

· Next was more fun time--flashlight tag, of course. After a snack, they also created their own secure spice chests using the craft supplies I had on hand.

· The next day, we had a big breakfast, then I put them in new groups (4 teams with 3-4 members each). With this group, they needed to create a business partnership (again, new in the middle ages), create a business plan, determine where they would go on a map and how long it would take, create a marketing brochure, and be ready to present their plan to the potential funders (the moms). They had all morning until lunch to work on their ideas. They had a list of the spice values (completely made up by me--[|Value.doc]), a timetable for travel (also completely made up by me--[|travel times.doc]) and two rubrics (see preparations above) to guide them, along with any of the other resources they had used at camp, like the Official Guidebook to Spices.

· After lunch (sandwiches), this kids presented their plans and brochures to the moms who determined if we thought we should fun them. Everyone did a great job! So of course, then they got some more time in the pool before having to pack up. I scored their rubrics so they could have some immediate feedback. I also asked them to fill out a groupwork rubric so they could see how they had worked as a team ([|groupworkrubric.pdf]) We also had a graduation ceremony where they received their diplomas from UMP ([|][|SpiceDiploma.doc])!









For more pictures, see this page.