The Activity

WWW Links

All About Marco Polo
Spices in the Middle East: A History
Encyclopedia of Spices
Spices of History
How Far is It?

You are a poor Italian trader; you live in Rome, Italy. You have heard about riches, and spices that an unusual explorer named, Marco Polo found in the Far East and have decided that you will start trading for spices. You will need to select the spice that will be the easiest to harvest, and that is located in a land that you can reach from Italy.

Step 1: Think about Questions

Where is the Far East?
What is so important about spices?
How can I find out more about the spices?
How will I decide which spice I will trade

Step 2: Organize your Team

Step 4: Make a Decision

Decide how your team will work together.

Who will do each job?

How you will share the work? What will you do if there is a problem?

Look at the notes you gathered. Rate each of the areas. Ask the following questions.
Type of plant: Is this plant easy to find?
Part of the plant: Is this plant easy to harvest?
How far: Is the country close to Italy?
Look at the rating for each spice. Which spice is the one you will gather?

Step 3: Gathering Information

Step 5: Create the Project

Using the web links gather and record your information to the following questions.

What type of plant is the spice from?
From what part of the plant is the spice harvested?
In what countries is the spice located?
How far is it to that country?

Use the activity page to record their answers. Spice Information Sheet

Write an announcement that will be posted at the docks looking for a sailing crew to travel and trade the spice. In your announcement be sure to tell facts about the spice you selected, tell why you selected the spice, and why you didn't select the other spices.

Assess your Learning

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