New Ethnobotany Program From Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and the New York Botanical Garden Engages Students

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, the leading provider of print and digital educational materials for middle and secondary students, today announced a co-publishing agreement with The New York Botanical Garden for Ethnobotany Explorers, a new ethnobotany program for Grades 9-12.

Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants. Ethnobotany Explorers, a supplemental short-term program designed to work with high school life science curricula, engages students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning through innovative lessons, lab work, and real-world applications. Students participate in a variety of projects from exploring the traditional uses of plants (such as dye making and cooking) to researching the medicinal properties of plants.

Designed to engage and motivate high school students, Ethnobotany Explorers can be used as a valuable introduction to scientific methods for further studies in traditional science topics and interdisciplinary themes such as social studies.

Ethnobotany Explorers includes a DVD that serves as a window to the world of ethnobotany research and gives students a look at ethnobotany in action. The DVD is about students traveling with ethnobotany teams in Belize and the United States collecting plants, visiting traditional healers, and taking their data back to the lab.

Ethnobotany Explorers projects require readily available equipment and supplies, and lesson plans can be adapted to limited resources and class periods. The program also meets national science, math, and technology standards.

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill collaborated on the curriculum design and will market and distribute the program, available in September 2008. "We are proud to partner with The New York Botanical Garden on this unique project," said Dr. Charlotte K. Frank, senior vice president of research and development at McGraw-Hill Education. "Providing students with real-world, hands-on applications is critical to bringing science to life. Ethnobotany Explorers enables students to investigate global implications such as the need for conservation and forest reserves."

Christina P. Colon, Ph.D., The New York Botanical Garden's curator of curriculum development and evaluation, spearheaded Ethnobotany Explorers. The program was developed in collaboration with Educational Development Center, Inc. (EDC), a global nonprofit organization that advances solutions in education, health, and economic development.

"Collaborating with these outstanding partners has created an exceptional experience for students," said Dr. Colon.

Initially designed for a high school level audience, the program also has been successfully implemented by middle school science teachers in pilot tests. The program can also be used in informal education settings such as after-school science clubs, botanical gardens, and nature centers.

About Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill is part of McGraw-Hill School Solutions Group (MHSSG). The group combines Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, which focuses on Grades PreK-6, and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, which serves Grades 6-12. MHSSG is the only major educational publishing business to provide a comprehensive approach to the development of print and digital instructional materials from pre-kindergarten through high school. Additional information is available at http://www.glencoe.com/.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

About The New York Botanical Garden

Founded in 1891, The New York Botanical Garden is one of the world's great collections of plants, the region's leading educational center for gardening and horticulture, and an international center for plant research. The Garden is alive with opportunities for discovery, from an "ecotour" of the world in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to an innovative indoor/outdoor science museum for kids to 50 exquisite gardens and plant collections, all on a 250-acre National Historic Landmark site in New York City's Bronx borough. For more information, please visit: www.nybg.org.

  Contact:

  Tom Stanton
  McGraw-Hill Education
  (212) 904-3214
  tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

  Yvonne Pentz
  Paul Werth Associates
  (614) 224-8114
  ypentz@paulwerth.com

SOURCE: Glencoe/Mcgraw-Hill

CONTACT: Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-3214
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com
or
Yvonne Pentz
Paul Werth Associates
(614) 224-8114
ypentz@paulwerth.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/
http://www.glencoe.com/
http://www.nybg.org/