College of Micronesia-FSM
PO Box 159
Pohnpei, FM 96941
Course Title: Ethnobotany
Department & Number: SC/SS 115
Course Description:
Students will be able to identify, compare, and contrast the distinguishing morphological and
reproductive characteristics of plants used by Micronesians; observe, describe, communicate,
and experience the uses of plants in their cultural context.
Course Prepared by: Dana Lee Ling
Hours per week
State: National campus
No. of week
Lecture
3
Laboratory __________
Workshop __________
x
x
x
16
_______
_______
Total Hours
x
16
x ________
x ________
Semester Credits
=
=
=
3
___________
___________
Total Credit Hours =
Divisors:
Lecture:
Lect./Lab:
/16
/16
Workshop:
Internship:
/48
/48
Practicum:
Field Study:
/48
/48
Co-op Ed.
/30
Studio:
/48
Lab:
/48
Total Credit Hours =
3
3
Purpose of Course: Degree Requirement
Degree Elective
X
Certificate
___________
Other
___________
 This course also meets PLO #(s) 3.4, and 4.2 of the general education program and PLO 2
of the Micronesian Studies Program.
Prerequisite Courses:
ESL 089 Reading V.
__________________________________________________
__________________
Signature, Chairperson, Curriculum and Assessment Committee
Date Approved by Committee
________________________________________
__________________
Signature, President, COM-FSM
Date Approved by President
Appendix B
College of Micronesia-FSM
COURSE OUTLINE FORMAT
A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOS):
1. GE 3.4 Define and explain the concepts, principles, and theories of a field of
science.
2. GE 4.2 Demonstrate knowledge of the major cultural issues of a person's own
culture as well as other cultures.
3. MSP 2 Demonstrate proficiency in the geographical, historical, and cultural
literacy of the Micronesian region.
GE - General Education, MSP = Micronesian Studies Program
B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) -GENERAL:
The student will be able to:
1. Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.
2. Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as food, as
raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.
GENERAL SLO
PLO GE 3.4
1
I,D
2
PLO GE 4.2
PLO MSP 2
I
I,D
I,D
C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) - SPECIFIC:
The student will be able to:
General SLO1. Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.
Student learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
Oral question and answer during field
1.1 Identify local plants by local and
experiences. Tests during the term. Final
scientific names.
examination.
1.2 Compare and contrast the distinguishing
reproductive characteristics of different
Identification of reproductive parts during
phyla of plants including mosses, seedless
field experiences, tests during the term.
vascular plants, gymnosperms, and
angiosperms.
1.3 Label the key morphological features of
the different phyla of plants including
mosses, seedless vascular plants,
Tests.
gymnosperms, and angiosperms including
the morphology of the reproductive
structures.
General SLO2. Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as
food, as raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.
Student learning outcomes
Assessment strategies
2.1 Communicate and describe the healing
uses of local plants and the cultural
contexts in which that healing occurs.
Individual presentations on a healing plant
from their culture.
2.2 Communicate and describe the food
uses of local plants and describe the
production process.
Student presentation including the food,
local name of the plant(s) used, local name
of the food, cultural and social meaning of
the food.
2.3 Communicate and describe the use of
Students perform individual presentations
plants for transportation, for shelter, and in
using a plant based material culture item.
other material culture applications.
2.4 Describe the use, role, and importance
of psychoactive plants within their
traditional ceremonial cultural contexts.
Students engage in a field experience to
observe the use of a plant in a traditional
ceremonial cultural context.
D. COURSE CONTENT
1. Cyanophyta, mosses, lycophyta, and monilophyta
2. Healing plants
3. Gymnosperms
4. Food plants
5. Angiosperms: vegetative morphology
6. Material culture plants
7. Angiosperms: floral morphology
8. Psychoactive plants
E. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
This course emphasizes participation via presentations by students, hikes on which
students learn to field identify plants, the preparation of local foods to share with other
students, field trips to botanic gardens and ethnobotanically relevant ceremonies.
Students engage in group work, hikes, field trips, presentations. Other methods include
lectures and guest speakers.
F. REQUIRED TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALS
1. Lee Ling, D. (2011). Micronesian ethnobotany: a course companion (2nd ed.).
Pohnpei, FM: College of Micronesia-FSM. Or latest edition.
2. Balick, M. J. (2009). Ethnobotany of Pohnpei: plants, people, and island culture.,
Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press. Or latest edition.
G. REFERENCE MATERIALS None.
H. INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS Field trips or hikes to a local botanic garden where possible.
Materials for activities. Each term the course on Pohnpei also observes a kava ceremony
with associated costs.
I. EVALUATION None.
J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION None.