A Lesson Plan from the Chrysler Museum of Art
Science & Social Science
Sachets and Nosgays
Send questions and comments concerning this lesson to Anna Holloway, Chrysler Museum of Art & Historic Houses, Norfolk, VA.
Grade Levels:
2 - 5
Objectives:
To teach students history through hands-on creation of herbal sachets. This workshop will teach students the historical uses of flowers and herbs by allowing the students to create a sweet-smelling mixture of dried flowers and herbs which they will tie up in a muslin sack. This program will give students a greater appreciation of the uses of herbs and flowers during the colonial and Federal periods. Students will learn that gardens were not merely ornamental during the 17th and 18th centuries and that people of that time would have depended on their garden for a number of things. The workshop also explains how archaeology, environment, documents, and oral and folk traditions combine to help us understand history and times past. This approach to history is known as Heritage Education. Heritage Education teaches critical thinking skills and visual literacy, and instills in students a love of their own community by teaching them skills that will enable them to draw meaning from their community.
Standards of Learning:
| History and Social Science |
| 4.3 | The student will explain the economic, social, and political life of the Virginia colony... |
| 4.4 | The student will describe the social and political life of Virginians between the Revolutionary War and the end of the Civil War... |
| 5.3 | The student will describe colonial America... |
| Oral Language |
| 2.3 | The student will use oral communication skills. |
| 3.1 | The student will use effective communication skills in group activities. |
| 4.1 | The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings. |
| 5.1 | The student will listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in subject-related group learning activities. |
| Science |
| 2.8 |
The student will investigate and understand that plants. . . are a source of useful products, and provide benefits in nature. |
Procedure:
This workshop works well in conjunction with a tour of either the Moses Myers or Willoughby-Baylor Houses in downtown Norfolk, the Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach, or many other area historic sites.
Instructors should set up the following:
1 bowl of dried rose petals
1 bowl of rosemary (fresh or dried)
1 bowl of southernwood (fresh or dried)
(Other sweet-smelling herbs and flowers may be added or substituted)
Orris root powder (optional)
20 11" x 11" muslin squares
20 cut ribbons of various colors
A sprig of lambŐs ear
The instructor should ask the students if any of them have a garden at home - or know someone who does. The instructor should then ask the students if any of them (or their friends or neighbors) depends on that garden for things that are important to their lives. What are some things that come from a garden? How do we use these things?
| Vegetables |
| Herbs |
- for cooking
- for medicine
- for scent
|
| Flowers |
- for cooking
- for medicine
- for scent
|
Why might these things be important to people who lived in the 18th century? Do we need to maintain a garden in order to obtain these things in the 20th century? Why or why not?
As an example of the usefulness of plants, the instructor may wish to display a piece of lambŐs ear. The instructor may allow the students to touch it and feel it and have them guess what it could be used for (Answer: a Band-Aid!).
The instructor should emphasize the importance of scents from the garden. Why would sweet-smelling herbs and flowers be an important part of life in the 18th century?
- as a room deodorizer
- as a bug repellant
- as a personal deodorizer
- to cover up the smell of the streets
- to ward off "bad air"
The instructor should explain that until running water was readily available, bathing was an infrequent occurrence for many. Unless one lived near a river or stream, or had the servants (or the wherewithal) to lug enough water from the well, bathing could be a difficult proposition. Furthermore, there were many superstitions and ill-founded beliefs about bathing. Many people believed that it was unhealthy. Therefore, many people simply smelled bad. Deodorant as we know it today did not exist, but perfume distilled from flowers and herbs covered up a world of smells. Flower petals or herbs strewn on a dance floor would become crushed underfoot, releasing their scents which in turn covered up the odor of a party of unwashed people. Ask the students to imagine the smells of a big city at a time when there was no city-controlled trash pickup, no plumbing, lots of horses and open sewers. Nosegays, posies and pomanders could all be carried around and employed whenever an offensive odor was encountered.
Insects were another problem that could be cured with judicious use of herbs. Lavender, Rosemary and Southernwood all have insect-repellant properties. These herbs could be sprinkled between layers of clothing in chests, dressers or clothes-presses in order to keep insects from munching away at precious clothing.
The instructor should ask students how we know about what herbs and flowers people used long ago. How can we find this information?
- through books
- archaeology
- anthropology
- ethnobotany
- drawings, engravings
- oral tradition
The Project:
The students will assemble a sachet that combines sweet-smelling rose petals with rosemary and southernwood. Thus they have a sachet that not only gives off a pleasant odor, but will repel insects as well.
The students will take some dried rose petals, some rosemary and some southernwood and combine them on a square of muslin. The student will then fold up the corners of the muslin and tie a ribbon about it to contain the herbs and petals. When the sachet begins to lose its smell, the student need only crush it a bit to release more of the scent. The instructor may wish to add a dash of orris root powder to each bag to help the sachet retain scent longer.
Extensions:
- Students can cultivate their own herb garden, either at home or in the classroom.
- Students can visit a natural foods store and find out how herbs and flowers are being used by many people today.
- Students may choose an herb or flower and write a brief report on the uses of such a plant.
- Students can use herbs in a classroom cooking project.
Assessment:
Students can be given a creative writing assignment that will assess their grasp of the objectives set up for this lesson. Have the students imagine that they are living in 18th century Virginia. A friend has written to them asking their advice on what should be planted in their new garden. Have each student write a reply. In the reply, the student should name at least one herb or flower and explain why he or she made that choice.
Web Sites:
Historical References:
Nicholas Culpeper's "The English Physitian" (1652)
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/historical/culpeper/culpeper.htm
The Garden Shop at Monticello
http://www.monticello.org/cgi-local/shop.pl/page=archives_toc.html
Mrs. M. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" (1931)
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
Commercial Resources:
Mother Nature's General Store
http://www.mothernature.com/herb.htm
HerbNet
http://www.HerbNet.com
Contact Person:
Anna Gibson Holloway, Education Specialist
The Chrysler Museum of Art
Department of Education and Public Programs
245 West Olney Road
Norfolk, VA 23510-1587
(757) 664- 6239
E-MAIL:aholloway@widomaker.com
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