India! Spices—Spice Trade, Monsoon, Ayurveda, Spice Dabba Craft, Gr 2-8

Indian spices are part of Ayurveda, India's ancient medicinal system that is still widely observed. Spices are used in everyday cooking to keep disease away. Have an upset stomach? Add ginger root to your tea. Want to make sure your tummy digests its food properly? Cook with cumin seed. Want to keep inflammation at bay and decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease? Include turmeric, the powerhouse of Indian spices.

Part 1 looks at the history of Indian spices and how these spices opened India up to the world through the Spice Trade and the monsoon. Part 2 looks at why Indians view cooking with spices as an integral way to stay healthy.

This resource covers the following:

Part 1 -

1. The Spice Trade - how the European quest for spices led to the Spice Trade, opening up India to the rest of the world
2. The Monsoon - how wooden boats were able to make great voyages across the seas to reach India by using the winds of the monsoon
3. Black Pepper - how the most commonly used spice today was once the most sought after of all Indian spices, termed "black gold" because of the prices it would command

Part 2 -

1. Ayurveda and Spices - how spices are viewed as an important part of India's ancient medicinal traditions which are still followed
2. A Look at Traditional Indian Spices Commonly Used Today - and why they are good for you

Art Project/Craft -

1. My Spice Dabba - a craft that highlights the spices studied, featured in a representation of a spice box that Indians use to store their spices

Files included with this product are (all as Adobe files):

• Two images files in slideshow formats with lessons embedded. You can read lessons directly from your computer while projecting images onto classroom Promethean board to show students. There is no printing of lessons needed.
• Art project instructions - 2 versions (one features actual Indian spices; the other does not and is a no-prep option).
• Templates - 2 choices (one with descriptive text, one without).
• Crossword puzzle - recommended for grades 3 and up with 2 levels of difficulty and answer keys for each.

For the no-prep version, materials needed to make one craft include a sheet of white card stock, a sheet of construction paper for backing, and colored pencils/crayons/fine tip colored markers.

For the prep version (which includes Indian spices), you will need additionally for one craft 1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, two types of lentils, rice, and liquid glue. We recommend purchasing spices and lentils at your local Indian grocery store where they should be very inexpensive.

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