saffron and its cultivation (teacher´s guide)

!!!Saffron and its cultivation !Teaching programme for Environmental Education activities. Primary education. !Teacher’s guide !!!!

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�1Saffron and its cultivation

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© Ana Navarro 2014 © Elena Izquierdo 2014 !!!

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!!!COST Action FA1101 “Omics technologies for crop improvement, traceability, determination of authenticity, adulteration and origin in saffron”

COST Action FA1101: El azafrán y su cultivo. Guía de educación primaria. !

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ESF Provides The COST Office through an EC contract !!!!Cost is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme

Original Idea:

Angelo Markou,

Manuel Carmona Delgado,

Omar Santana Méridas

!Contents and text:

M. Elena Izquierdo Melero

!Illustration and graphic design:

Ana Navarro

!Layout and editing:

Ana Navarro

Francesc Verdaguer

!Scientific revision:

Manuel Carmona Delgado

Omar Santana Méridas

!Production and coordination:

Francesc Verdaguer

!�3Saffron and its cultivation

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!!INTRODUCTION:

SAFFRON (Crocus sativus L.) 00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

!ACTIVITY PROGRAMME 02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MAIN OBJECTIVE 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 - GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.1 - PROPOSED ACTIVITIES 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.2 - FACILITIES 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.3 - TEACHING STAFF 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.4 - METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS 00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.5 - MATERIAL 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 - OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES BY CYCLES. 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.1 - FIRST CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION (1st / 2nd years of Primary Educ. – 6 / 7 years old) 00 ------

Objetivo Principal 00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.1.1 - First year of Primary Education (6 years old): A HOUSE FOR SAFFRON FRAN 00 -----------------

2.1.1-A - Contents 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.1-B - Specific objectives 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.1-C - Activities 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


!INDEX

2.1.1-D - Methodology 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.1.2 - 2nd year of Primary Educ. (7 years old): SAFFRON FRAN GOES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. 00 --

2.1.2-A - Specific objectives 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.2-B - Contents 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.2-C - Activities 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.2-D - Methodology 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.2 - SECOND CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

(3rd and 4th years of Primary Education – 8 and 9 years old) 00 -------------------------------------

Main objetive 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.2.1 - 3rd year of Primary Education (8 years old): FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER 00 -------------------

2.2.1-A - Specific objectives 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2.1-B - Contents 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.2.2 - 4th year of Primary Education (9 years old):

FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER GOES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE.

2.2.2-A - Specific objectives 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2.2-B - Contents 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2.3 - Activities for the 2nd cycle of Primary Education. 00 ----------------------------------------------------- 2.2.4 - Methodology for the second cycle of Primary Education 00 -------------------------------------------


2.3 - THIRD CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

(5th and 6th year of Primary Education – 10 and 11 years old) 00 ------------------------------------

Main objetive 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.3.1 - 5th year of Primary Education (10 years old): THE CULTIVATION OF SAFFRON 00 --------------

2.3.1-A - Specific objetives 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3.1-B - Contents 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3.1-C - Activities 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3.1-D - Methodology 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.3.2 - 6th year of Primary Education (11 years old): HARVEST AND PROCESSING OF SAFFRON

2.3.2-A - Specific objectives 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.3.2-B - Contents 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3.2-C - Activities 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3.2-D - Methodology 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

!ANNEX: MATERIALS 00 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATERIALS FOR THE TEACHERS 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invitations for the students: General and individual. 00 -----------------------------------------------------------------

! MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENTS: Books for each year.. 00 ---------------------------------------------------------


First cycle of Primary Education 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st year of Primary Education (6 years old): A HOUSE FOR SAFFRON FRAN 00 --------------------

2nd year of Primary Education (7 years old): SAFFRON FRAN GOES

TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second cycle of Primary Education. 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd year of Primary Education (8 years old): FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER. 00 ----------------------

4th year of Primary Education (9 years old): FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER

GOES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. 00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Third cycle of Primary Education 00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5th year of Primary Education (10 years old): CULTIVATION OF SAFFRON. 00 -----------------------

6th year of Primary Education (11 years old): HARVEST AND PROCESSING OF SAFFRON. 00 --

MATERIALS FOR THE TEACHING STAFF THAT DEVELOP THE ACTIVITIES

Material for printing and cutting out to be used during

the game of the second cycle of Primary Education 00 ----------------------------------------------------

Materials needed for carrying out the activities in the countryside (for each year) 00 ---------------!!!

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INTRODUCTION!The cultivation, processing and marketing of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) are activities that are deeply rooted in different countries and regions of the Mediterranean area of Europe. The unique characteristics of this plant and its cultivation have mean that there is little room for mechanized procedures for the related agricultural tasks. Throughout history activities related to saffron have been transmitted from generation to generation with very few changes - centuries of tradition.

As a result, in many cases, has lost the popular tradition and family related to this crop, so that during the last decade, it has been revealed a growing need to develop educational and outreach programs, about this plant and its use. Programs should be directed mainly to the new generations.!!Faced with this situation, environmental education can be considered a very useful tool. Compared with the cultivation of saffron – a practice in regression in Europe - this is a relatively new discipline and growing in stature. However, some defining issues, such as sustainability, respect and care for the environment, along with the combination of tradition and progress, mean that saffron and its cultivation easily fit in the mosaic of environmental education.

Therefore, this guide, directed at children of 6 to 12 years of age, intends to disseminate scientific knowledge about saffron and its cultural heritage among students through an activity programme of Environmental Education.

!!This project is based on the premise that only that which is known and valued is respected and cared for. This approach comes from a clear intention: to cross the border of information, whether written, audiovisual or interactive, in order to enter the field of knowledge, direct contact and experimentation with the children. The fact that the children will see, touch, and, particularly, plant and harvest saffron with their own hands, will help them understand and learn more easily about all aspects concerning this plant, its cultivation, the spice obtained from it and its uses and properties.

This publication is financed by COST


!Saffron, Crocus sativus L. Botanical characteristics

Saffron is a spice obtained from the dry stigmas of Crocus sativus flowers, a monocot plant belonging to the Iridaceae family, originating in west Asia, whose taxonomic classification is as follows:Phylum: Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae)Class: Liliopsida (Monocot)Order: lilialesFamily: IridaceaeSubfamily: CrocoideaeTribe: CroceaeGenus: CrocusSpecies: Crocus sativus Linneaus - Saffron!Saffron is a herbaceous, perennial plant. It is a geophyte, which means that it spends the time least favourable for its growth underground. To do this it forms an underground stem called a corm. This has a whitish colour and a brownish outer layer which is rough and stringy, called a tunic, which protects it from bangs and disease, and also prevents water loss. The corm is itself a body for storage (in its base there’s a ring of thin straight roots that absorb nutrients and water) and a structure for vegetative reproduction (several buds on the top part). The buds start to develop at the end of summer and, as a result, stems, with a whitish pod wrapped around their base begin to sprout. After this the leaves appear, long and thin and

of a very intense green colour. Flowering occurs in autumn, during October and November. During winter, between December and April, each shoot of the main corm, swells at the base and forms new corms. These smaller corms have bigger, contractile roots, capable of pulling each new corm from the main corm so it can develop independently. During spring and part of summer, the corms remain underground in a latency phase until a new cycle of growth begins.

Crocus sativus flowers do not have a differentiated chalice with sepals and a corolla with petals; they have 6 violet tepals, which surround and protect the reproductive organs: three bright yellow stamens and a long reddish-orange stigma, whose end splits into three stigmas. Although they produce


pollen, saffron flowers are infertile and do not form germinable seeds - C. sativus only undergoes vegetative reproduction by means of its corms. Saffron’s’ infertility could be due to it being a hybrid of other species of the Crocus genus and its domestication process (adaptation of the species for culivation).

Once the stigmas of C.sativus are separated from the rest of the flower, they become the strands of saffron (spice). They are dried to help their preservation and enhance their smell and taste.

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Chemical composition, properties and uses.

Saffron spice has a complex chemical composition, which includes volatile substances, vitamins, pigments, minerals, amino acids, proteins, fatty acids, etc. The most important compounds are those responsible for tits main characteristics and properties.- Crocin acts as a bright yellow dye.- Picrocrocin is responsible for the bitter taste.- Safranal gives saffron it its characteristic smell.!Saffron possesses a large quantity of medicinal and pharmacological properties. It has digestive, relaxing and antidepressant properties; its antioxidant properties prevent cellular aging and favours memory. It has an anti-inflammatory effect; it regulates blood pressure and has beneficial effects in the treatment of asthma. Its anticancer and anti tumour activity has also been demonstrated and, recently, it has been seen to have positive effects on macular regeneration.

From ancient times, saffron has been used as a:

- spice, for adding smell, colour and taste to foods and drinks.

- medicine and cosmetic.

- dye for clothing and I paints.

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Cultivation of saffron and production of the spice.

!The beginnings of cultivation and use of saffron date from between 2000 and 1500 B.C. and its use has been documented in many different ancient cultures (Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome…etc.). It’s very likely that it was introduced into Europe through Greece. In the Iberian Peninsula this spice was most important during the Arabic period, where the name “azafrán” (saffron in Spanish) comes from the Arabic word “záfaran”, which means yellow. During the Middle Ages the cultivation of saffron extended to Switzerland, France, Italy and Great Britain.

!Saffron is well adapted to continental Mediterranean and mild continental climates and can be cultivated as both dry land and irrigated crop. The cycle of production, from the planting of the corms in the field until they are taken out to be replanted, varies from 3 to 4 years in Spain and Italy to 7 to 9 years in Greece. Most of the tasks needed for its cultivation need little or no mechanization at all and have hardly changed throughout the ages, while the harvesting of the flowers and later extraction of the stigmas is done manually. It’s therefore a traditional artisanal crop that requires a lot of manpower, which, together with variable outputs depending on environmental conditions, has led to it gradually being abandoned by European farmers.

!

However, the growing demand for this spice, the recuperation of some of its traditional uses as, for example, a textile and woodwork dye, and its incorporation in cosmetics, is favouring the return of saffron cultivation and it use as a spice.

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!Programme of activities


!MAIN OBJECTIVEIntroduce and familiarize primary school pupils with the plant, the cultivation and processing of saffron, as a traditional crop of their home regions.

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1 - General Considerations. !1.1 - PROPOSED ACTIVITIES.

In this programme aimed at primary school pupils, the following Environmental Education activities on saffron are proposed:

!First cycle of Primary Education.

-1st year of Primary Education: cultivation of saffron corms in a pot. -2nd year of Primary Education: cultivation of saffron corms in soil. !Second cycle of Primary Education

-3rd year of Primary Education: saffron-themed game. -4th year of Primary Education: cultivation of saffron-themed game. !Third cycle of Primary Education..

-5th year of Primary Education: cultivation of saffron corms in soil. -6th year of Primary Education: harvest, extraction and drying of saffron flowers.

1.2 - FACILITIES

The most adequate place for this activity programme would be somewhere where the activities related with saffron cultivation could take place. This could be a nature classroom, or an environmental education centre, an investigation centre, a farm, greenhouse, a field, etc.

The activities are designed to take place in the open air, but they can also be done in a greenhouse or shaded place that could be divided into plots.!• Cultivation in a pot (1st year of Primary Education) can be done on the floor or on a table. • For cultivation in soil (2nd and 5th years of Primary Education) a small plot is needed where students can work with the hoe and other tools. • In the case of games (3rd and 4th years of Primary Education) the ideal location would be a saffron field. For gathering the information, we suggest four spaces: a shed, a place in the shade, a greenhouse and a saffron field. If any of these places is not available, the activity can be adapted to whatever is available. • For the harvesting of flowers (6th year of Primary Education) a small plot with flowering saffron is needed


so the students can work. As regards the subsequent activities (weighing the flowers, extracting the stigmas, drying, etc.), the ideal would be a closed space with tables to work on (shed, greenhouse…etc.).!1.3 - TEACHING STAFF

These activities are more dynamic and motivating for the children if they are helped by environmental education teachers/monitors. This would permit the class teacher can take to take part alongside their students and carry out the tasks with them.

!1.4 - METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

To stimulate the children’s interest in the activities, the teacher should read the general invitation from Saffron Fran, Franny Saffron Flower or the team in charge of the activities a few days before. The method of receiving the invitation is up to the teachers - it could be received by ordinary post, a messenger, in an email…etc.!This invitation can be downloaded and printed from this guide (Annex. Pages__,__,__,__,__,__); in the same annex individual invitations can be found, so each child can take home the information as to where and when these

activities will take place and what materials they need for that day. (Annex. Pages. __,__,__,__,__,__).From the content of the invitations and the information in the student workbooks, in the introduction “Saffron, Crocus sativus L.” (pp …..-….), the teacher can teach some basic concepts related to this activity, as well as go over the clothes and materials needed to enjoy the day out and work in the field.Once in the field or greenhouse, the monitor or monitors will introduce themselves and the work to be done: they can talk about the surroundings the students find themselves in (field, greenhouse, nursery and will also ask if they know who works in these kinds of places (farmers/growers and gardeners) and if they know what kind of work they do. They will also talk about what kind of plants are grown there and what products they can get from them.! • First cycle: vegetables for human and animal consumption. • Second and third cycle: vegetables, cereals, sunflowers…etc. for human and animal consumption, obtaining oil, biofuel...etc. !


After that, hand out the workbooks (annex. Page.__) and participants then proceed to work on the activities following the cards inside, as needed for each year. The students will be introduced to saffron by handling corms and plants in different stages of development and will be able to see, touch and smell saffron spice. All students will take home corms to plant or saffron spice as a little present. The activities will end with encouragement and congratulations on how well they know and grow plants, how well they work as a team and inviting them the next year to learn more about saffron.In all the activities, students will use an empty carton brought from home that would otherwise have ended in the bin (milk carton, plastic tub, glass jar); this will emphasise the importance of the three “Rs” of recycling and keeping a clean environment: reduce, reuse and recycle, all our daily rubbish. In the watering activities, they will be reminded how valuable and scarce water is and the importance of not wasting it, when watering plants, at home or at school.!1.5 - MATERIALS

•Materials to provide by the students

- The students should at least take a rubber and pencil and depending on what year they are in, scissors and/or

glue. They will also need an empty and clean carton brought from home (milk carton plastic tub, jar). The detailed list for each year is in the general and individual invitations.

• Materials available with this guide (Annex, page __)

Materials for the teachers: Printable invitations for the students of each year and activity.Depending on the cycle they are in, they are sent from a different character (Saffron Fran, Franny Saffron Flower) or the team in charge of undertaking the activity. (Annex, pages__ to __)There are different ones for each year, a general invitation for the whole class; individual invitations, for each student.!!


Materials addressed to the students:

Individual workbooks, specific for each year and activity, with the information and tasks that the students will carry out.

!First cycle of Primary Education

• 1st year of Primary Education (6 years old), “A house for Saffron Fran”. (Annex, page.__) • 2nd year of Primary Education (7 years old) “Saffron Fran goes to the countryside”. (Annex, page.__) Second cycle of Primary Education

• 3rd year of Primary Education (8 years old), “Franny Saffron Flower”. (Annex, page__) • 4th year of Primary Education, (9 years old), “ Franny Saffron Flower goes to the countryside”. (Annex, page.__) Third cycle of Primary Education

• 5th year of Primary Education (10 years old), “Cultivation of saffron”. (Annex, page.__) • 6th year of Primary Education (11 years old), “Harvest and processing of saffron”. (Annex, page.___) !

Materials for the teaching staff who will supervise the activities:

Printable and cut out material: Cards and posters with the instructions and information that the students will need for the undertaking of the games of the second cycle of Primary Education.

!Materials needed for each activity in the field: these are detailed for each year in the Annex (page.__).


2 - Objectives and activities for each cycle !2.1 - FIRST CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION (1st and 2nd year of Primary Education / 6-7 years old) !MAIN OBJECTIVE

Introduce the saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.), its cultivation and saffron spice as something typical of their region.

!


2.1.1 - 1st PRIMARY EDUCATION – 6 years old. A HOUSE FOR SAFFRON FRAN

.2.1.1-A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Identify corms and saffron plants.• Teach students things needed for growing plants in

a pot.• Put one of the three “Rs” into practice: Reuse.• Promote respect for the rest of the team, material

and the environment.• Enjoy learning and sharing with classmates.

!2.1.1-B - CONTENTS

• Saffron plant (Crocus sat ivus L. ) . Parts, development and use.

• Plants and their needs. Soil, light and water.• Proliferation of plants in the field. Fruits, seeds,

bulbs and corms.• Materials and tools needed for pot cultivation.• Reusing waste.

!!!

!2.1.1-C - ACTIVITIES

• See, touch and smell bulbs, plants and saffron spice.

• Make a pot from an empty carton.• Pick out saffron corms from a variety of fruits,

bulbs and seeds of other vegetable species.• Mix soil with hands and fill up two thirds of the pot/

carton using a trowel.• Plant corms in the pot/carton and cover with earth.• Water using a watering can.

!2.1.1-D - METHODOLOGY

Once the activity has been introduced (“General considerations: methodological aspects”, page__), hand out the student workbooks and, by reference to corms and saffron plants in their different stages of development, introduce the plant to the children, and the spice obtained from it and its use as seasoning (Cards “I’m saffron”, “Saffron Flowers” and “I’m going to the kitchen!” pages ___ to ___ of the student workbook).

!


Since Fran has asked the students to help plant him and his friends, ask them to find in their workbooks (Card “Look for everything” page.___) and around them, all the things that plants need to live and what’s needed to plant them. They will find everything (soil, light, water, trowels, and watering cans) except pots, which are shown in their workbooks but are nowhere to be seen around them. The solution will be to make their own pots with the empty and clean cartons that Fran asked them to bring from home. Students should be able to do so easily following the workbook instructions (card “Pot with R for reuse” page.___) with the help of the monitors and the teacher.As they have already been introduced to saffron corms, it will be easy to recognize one and pick it out from a collection of fruits, seeds and bulbs of other plants, such as cucumbers, paprika, garlic, onion, corn…etc, a task that will also be useful for commenting on plant proliferation (Card “Which is the saffron)” page.__).Lastly, students mix soil with their hands and each child will three quarters fill his pot-carton using a trowel before planting their saffron corm and covering it with soil, pressing down with their hands and finally using the watering can to provide water (Card “Let’s plant” page.___) Each student will take a planted saffron corm back home.


2.1.2 - 2nd YEAR OF PRIMARY EDUCATION – 7 years old.

SAFFRON FRAN GOES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

!2.1.2-A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Identify a saffron plant and the most suitable corms for planting.

• Identify the tasks that are necessary for cultivating saffron in the field.

• Correct use of basic farming tools in the country.• Encourage respect for team mates, material and

the environment.• Enjoy learning and sharing with class mates.

!2.1.2-B - CONTENTS

• The saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.). Parts, development and use.

• Plants and their needs. Soil, light and water.• Saffron plant proliferation: corms.• Materials and tools needed to cultivate in the field.• Cultivation of saffron in the field. Tasks and

seasons.

!

!2.1.2-C - ACTIVITIES

• Look, touch and smell corms, plants, flowers and spice.

• Fertilize and mix the soil in a plot using a hoe.• Make grooves in the soil using a hoe.• Pick the most suitable saffron corms for planting

based on aspect and size.• Plant corms in the grooves and cover them with

soil using hands and trowel.• Water using the watering can.

!!


2.1.2-D - METODOLOGY

Once the activities have been introduced (“General considerations: Methodological aspects”), hand out the workbooks (page__), introduce the saffron plant to the children, its cultivation cycle throughout the year, the spice obtained from it and how it can be used as a seasoning (cards “Corm, plant, and saffron cultivation” and “I’m a seasoner” pages.__ and __).Since Fran has asked the students to help plant him and his friends, the students will be told what plants need to live (Card “We plants need…” page.__) and what tools are needed for planting them in the field (card “Do you know the tools?” page___). The next step will be to prepare the soil in which the saffron plants will be planted: tell the students what tasks they have to undertake, emphasizing the correct and safe way of using each of the tools. (“We prepare the soil” page__). The students will have to mix the soil, fill in and transport the mulch, add it to the soil and make grooves. Once this has been explained, the children in groups of 3 to 6 people will carry out the tasks in turn. !!!!

!The students must pick the healthiest and best sized corms (Card “Choose me well” page__). After choosing them, each child will keep one and take it home the plastic pot they will have brought from home.Then, with the help of a trowel, the students should put them in grooves (a small distance apart) and cover them with their hands. Finally, they will water them with a watering can.


2.2 - SECOND CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION (3rd and 4th year of Primary Education / 8 and 9 years old) !MAIN OBJECTIVE

Increase students’ knowledge of the saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.) its cultivation and how to obtain saffron spice, as an activity belonging to their own region.

!!


2.2.1 - 3rd YEAR OF PRIMARY EDUCATION (8 years old)

FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER

2.2.1-A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Identify correctly different parts of a plant.

• Learn the functions and uses of each part of the saffron plant.

• Use a digital camera correctly.

• Encourage respect for class mates, material

and environment.

• Enjoy learning and sharing with classmates.

!!

2.2.1-B - CONTENTS

• Saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.). Parts, development and uses.

• Parts of a plant: root, stem, leaves, and flowers. Functions.

• Reproduction and proliferation of plants. Proliferation of saffron: corms.

• Use of a digital camera.


2.2.2 - 4th YEAR OF PRIMARY EDUCATION - 9 years old FRANNY SAFFRON FLOWER GOES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

!2.2.2-A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Proper identification of all the tasks concerning cultivation of saffron.

• Introduce students to the tools and elements used in the cultivation and processing of saffron.

• Correct use of a digital camera.

• Encourage respect for class mates, material and the environment.

• Enjoy learning and sharing with class mates.

!2.2.2-B - CONTENTS

• Saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.). Corm, stem, leaves and flowers.

• Cultivation of saffron. Different tasks throughout the year. Tools used in each task.

• Harvest of saffron.

• Obtaining saffron spice: drying the stigmas.

• Use of a digital camera.

!

!2.2.3 - ACTIVIDADES FOR SECOND CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Group game, in which they will touch and smell, corms, plants, flowers and saffron spice, and take pictures using a digital camera and:

• 3rd year of Primary Education3º E.P. (Franny Saffron Flower). They will find information about the different parts of the plant, their functions and their uses.

• 4th year of Primary Educationº (Franny Saffron Flower goes to the countryside). Students find the tools and elements that are needed for cultivation and harvesting of saffron; tell them about these tools and the specific tasks each is used for.

With all the information gathered, students fill in the cards from their workbooks. During the search, the groups will collect all the pieces of a panel which they will assemble together; this panel will include everything that has been talked about during the activity.

!!


2.2.4 - METHODOLOGY FOR THE 2ND CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION.

!Once the activity has been introduced (“General considerations: Methodological aspects”, page.__) hand out the student workbooks out (pages.__ and __) and, given that Franny has asked for the children’s help, they make a big panel about:

• Saffron plants (3rd year of Primary Education. Franny Saffron Flower); ask if they recognise it, if they know the different parts, each part’s function and uses (Card “I’m a saffron flower” page.__).

• Cultivation of saffron (4th year of Primary Education. Franny Saffron Flower goes to the countryside); ask if they know about it, if they know the tasks to be done and if they know about its cultivation in their region or other parts of their country (Card “Cultivation of saffron”, page.__).

!After this, invite students to discover everything in a gymkana, in groups, where they will have to follow the clues and instructions that they find and copy all the information into their workbooks. Form students into four groups of 4 to 6 students and give a digital camera to

each group, explaining to them briefly and clearly how to use it (Card “Digital camera”, annex.page__); put special emphasis on tits correct use and that it is the shared responsibility of all the group members, to avoid it getting broken.

!During the gymkana, each group will take pictures with the digital camera; all the activities will take place in the open air. Since it is not common to have access to a computer or a printer in an agricultural zone, all the pictures taken by the groups will later be sent to the teacher by e-mail, who will revise them and print them for the children to stick in their workbooks, or send them to the children so they can do this at home...etc.

!The gymkana will take place in the rooms of the centre and there will be clues and arrows to take the students from place to place. At each stop there will be 4 workplaces, one for each group, with the materials and elements needed for each card in their workbooks; there will also be posters with brief, clear and simple instructions regarding what they have to do (Annex. page.__), so if possible, each group will work alone. As the students will be filling in their workbooks in the open air, standing up and moving around the cards will be


plastified. Each card will have information about each part of the plant; there will also be printed sheets with this information to cut out and stick in the workbooks (Annex. Pages__and__). This will make the activity more dynamic, avoiding possible difficulties with writing. With every card, each group will have obtained another piece of the final panel.

!The following trails are recommended for the students from each year:

• 3rd year of Primary Education (Franny Saffron Flower):

1st clue (Card “I’m a saffron flower”, page__); from the beginning to the storehouse.

2nd clue (Card “Corm”, page__); from the storehouse to the shady part.

3rd clue (Card “Stem”, page__); from the shady part to the greenhouse.

4th clue (Card “Leaves”, page.__); from the greenhouse to the field.

5th clue (Card”Flowers”, page.__); from the field back to the beginning.

!

• 4th year of Primary Education (Franny Saffron Flower goes to the countryside)

1st clue (Card “Saffron cultivation”, page__); from the beginning to the field.

2nd clue (Card “Tasks for cultivation of saffron”, page__); from the field to the shady part.

3rd clue (Card “Tasks for cultivation of saffron II), page.__); from the shady part to the greenhouse.

4th clue (Card “Saffron cultivation”, page.__) from the greenhouse to the storehouse.

5th clue (Card “Drying and packing of saffron”, page.__) from the storeroom to the beginning.

!!!!!!!!!


!The gymkana will end back at the start to assemble the final panel, on the saffron plant (3rd year of primary school) or its cultivation (4th year of primary school). The groups will put together the pieces they have obtained and the information on them will be revised (Card “Final Panel”, pages___and__).

Depending on how the activity is going, this card can be filled in whilst the panel is being assembled or left to be filled in later at school or home.

Lastly, saffron spice and its uses will be discussed; each child will take corms home as a present to plant at home or at school, taking them in the plastic containers they will have brought from home.


!2.3 - THIRD CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION (5TH AND 6TH YEAR OF PRIMARY EDUCATION / 10 and 11 years old) !MAIN OBJECTIVE

!Increase the student’s knowledge of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and how saffron spice is obtained, as an activity typical of their region.


2.3.1 - 5th YEAR OF PRIMARY SCHOOL – 10 years old.

SAFFRON CULTIVATION

!2.3.1 - A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Understand how to cultivate saffron.

• Use farming tools correctly.

• Using a measuring tape.

• Become familiar with the use of a word processor.

• Encourage respect for class mates, material and the environment.

• Enjoy learning and sharing with classmates.

!2.3.1 - B- CONTENTS

• Saffron plants (Crocus sativus).

• Saffron corm. Reserve structure and vegetative reproduction.

• Saffron spice. Uses and properties.

• Saffron cultivation. Tasks and tools.

• Measuring tape and its use.

• Word processors. Basic operations.

!!2.3.1 - C - ACTIVITIES

• Prepare guides to make grooves/furrows in the soil with sticks and strings, using a hammer and scissors.

• Make grooves with a hoe.

• Choose the corms that are to be planted.

• Plant corms in the grooves, 10 cm apart, with the help of a measuring tape.

• Cover the grooves by hand and with help of a trowel.

• Water using a watering can.

• Write a report on saffron and its cultivation, using a word processor (To be done at school after the daytrip).

!!


2.3.1 - D - METHODOLOGY

Once the activity has been introduced, (“General considerations”: methodology aspects”, page.__) hand o u t t h e s t u d e n t w o r k b o o k s “ C u l t i v a t i o n o f saffron” (page__) and revise the parts of the plant, its cultivation cycle throughout the year, the spice obtained from it, its use as a seasoning and teach some of its properties (cards “Saffron plant and its cultivation cycle” and “Uses and properties of saffron” pages.__). Give students a small amount of saffron spice as a present, which they should take home in a clean glass container they will have brought to school.

The monitors who invited the students and asked for their help to plant saffron corms, will talk about them, along with their structure and functions (Card “The corm of Crocus sativus L. Page.__) and also about the tools needed to plant them in the country or plot (Cards “The tools” page.__). The next step will be to prepare the soil in which the saffron plants are to be planted, explaining to the students what tasks have to be undertaken, with special emphasis on the correct and safe way of handling each tool. The students turn stir the soil with a hoe, prepare the guides to make the grooves with the sticks and string and make the grooves. (Card “How to prepare the soil, guides and grooves” page.__). Once these tasks

have been explained, the children, in groups of 3 to 6 undertake the activities.

!To plant, the students have to pick the healthiest and best looking corms; using the trowel, they will plant the corms in the grooves 10 cm apart with the help of a measuring tape. Then, they must cover them with soil using their hands. Finally, students water everything with watering cans (Cards “Let’s plant saffron corms!” page.__).

Encourage the children to write a short report using the computer and a word processor (School report, page.__), in which they should write everything they have learnt about saffron and its cultivation.


2.3.2 - 6TH YEAR OF PRIMARY EDUCATION – 11 years old. HARVEST AND PROCESSING OF SAFFRON

2.3.2. A - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Learn how saffron is harvested.

• Describe the saffron drying process.

• Introduce the properties and uses of saffron.

• Use a precision balance correctly.

• Initiate students in the use of a spreadsheet.

• Promote respect for others, by the material and the environment.

• Enjoy learning and sharing with class mates.

!!!!!!!!

2.3.2. B - CONTENTS

• Saffron plant (Crocus sativus).

• Saffron spice. Chemical composition. Uses and properties.

• Saffron harvest. Tasks and tools.

• Precision scale and its use.

• Oven or stove and its use.

• Spreadsheets. Basic use.

2.3.2. C - ACTIVITIES

• Harvest the saffron flowers from the fields.

• Weigh the saffron flowers that have been picked.

• Peel the flowers.

• Weigh the stigmas that have been obtained from the flowers.

• Prepare the saffron stigmas for drying.

• Using the set of scales, weigh 0.5 or 1 gram of saffron (depending on the total obtained during the activity) and pack it in marked containers.

!!


2.3.2. D - METHODOLOGY

Once the activity has been introduced (“General considerations: methodological aspects”, page.__), hand out the student workbooks “Harvest and processing of saffron” (page.__). Revise saffron plant with the students, its cultivation cycle throughout the year, the spice obtained from it and tell students about its use as a seasoning, about the chemical components that are responsible for the special colour, smell and taste of saffron and some of its properties and uses (cards “Saffron Crocus sativus L. Cultivation cycle” and “Uses and properties of saffron” page.__).

Because the monitors have invited the students and asked for their help in harvesting saffron flowers, they will talk about what is needed to harvest them and how to do it (Card “Saffron harvest” page.__) After this, teams of 3 to 6 children will start picking the flowers.

The next step will be to weigh the flowers that each team has picked, for which a set of precision scales will be used. Explain to the students what they are and what they are used for (Card “How to use precision scales” page.___). The teams will work at tables to extract the stigmas and, once they have finished peeling the flowers, they will weigh the stigmas (Card “Peeling of saffron” page.__).

!


!Lastly, the students dry the stigmas in an oven or a stove (Card “Process of drying or “toasting” saffron” page.__) and then they will weigh the stigmas again. Apart from showing them this way of drying saffron, talk about the traditional drying method of their region. Once the strands of saffron have been dried, the students will use the scales to weigh small amounts, for example between 0.5 and 1 gram which they will take home in the glass container they brought from home.

As a follow up activity, suggest the students use a spreadsheet with the weight of the flowers, the fresh stigmas and the dry stigmas and calculate the difference between them all (School report, page.___).


saffron and its cultivation (teacher´s guide)

Documents

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