A story about the journey of cultivated plants. The Voyage of Christopher Columbus. A story for children. Terms and conditions of publication

That was a long time ago. In 1451, a son named Christopher was born in Genoa to the weaver Columbus. In his youth, he studied well, knew a lot, and strived for a lot.

Christopher Columbus acquired knowledge of geography from an early age and made several sea voyages.

One day the idea came to his mind to travel to India; but he needed a small fleet. Columbus addressed this question to the governments of England and Portugal. But he was refused.

After much ordeal, he made a request to the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and they gave their consent. Three ships and one hundred and twenty crew - and Columbus’s small fleet set off to seek his fortune. This happened in 1492, on August 3.

Ten days later the fleet found itself off the Canary Islands. Although Columbus's crew consisted of brave people, all movements on the open sea for the first time and, moreover, in a direction unknown to them, were dangerous. This whole event seemed almost like a crazy step.

After some calm, a fair wind blew, and now, passing the heights of the island of Ferrat, the fleet found itself in the night ocean. For four days the travelers saw nothing but water and sky, but on the fifth day birds appeared: a white and crested heron and a wagtail. The sailors were glad that the land was close, although they did not know how far from the land these birds could fly.

But this was a false hope.

The weather was very favorable for the journey, but there was no land in the distance, and the crew was already ready to disobey Columbus.

The superstitious travelers decided that they were being led nowhere by a hostile force that constantly deceived them with false phenomena, and they began to talk loudly. Finally, several more days passed, and sea grasses appeared in such abundance that they were afraid that they might end up on an underwater rock.

Columbus consoled those who grumbled by promising the one who would be the first to see the land a generous reward.

But again several days passed, and the sea grass disappeared. There was an uproar on the ships and the entire crew began to demand that Klumb turn back. Columbus might have decided to abandon his enterprise; but fortunately, the next day after the request, they began to notice signs of the earth and its proximity, for example, they found either a floating light branch or a stick and began observing again.

But Columbus, without taking his eyes off the West, began to notice in the evening, about ten o’clock, two bright lights in the distance, and not believing the sign himself, he called one of his companions. The latter saw this himself, then Columbus did not take his eyes off these lights until two o’clock in the morning, until a cannon shot announced the actual appearance of this land that Columbus was looking for in his dreams; it was October 12, 1492.

In front of him lay a beautiful island, covered with the most pleasant greenery and luxurious trees, so that in the eyes of the Spaniards it was like a continuous garden. As they approached, they clearly saw people running there.

Columbus dropped anchor, ordered the boats to be lowered, and dressed in a purple dress with a Spanish banner in his hand, surrounded by warriors, went ashore.

In joy that he had discovered a new world, justified his hopes and was saved from ridicule and persecution, he kissed the ground upon reaching the shore, and, hoisting a banner, named this island San Salvador, which means “Savior.”

Columbus, drawing his sword, demanded from his crew an oath as Viceroy and Admiral.

Everyone sincerely expressed their gratitude and love to Columbus; everyone rushed to congratulate him on the opening; and the perpetrators asked him for forgiveness.

As for the inhabitants of the island, they mistook the ships with sails for a monster with wings or for huge seabirds.

When the Spaniards approached the inhabitants of the island on boats in shiny clothes and white skins, after the first fright, they became emboldened, and slowly approaching the Spaniards, expressed their reverence, falling to their knees... As one can judge, they mistook the newcomers for some kind of higher beings. The people the Spaniards met were copper-red in color, their bodies were almost naked, and they were tattooed (speckled with paints). The hair on his head was smooth, but there was no beard, and his facial features were not disgusting.

Columbus believed that this island belonged to India, and therefore called these savages Indians. The inhabitants of this island (Columbus called this island San Salvador) were armed with spears, the tips of which consisted of stones and the teeth of various animals. They had no idea about iron at all, so they looked strangely at the shiny swords of the Spaniards.

It is clear that, valuing what they did not have, the simple-minded savages enthusiastically accepted glass beads or colored stones from the Spaniards, giving in return parrots, bales of cotton paper or tasty fruits.

But what most struck the Spaniards was the gold jewelry that some had threaded through their noses and the savages exchanged these items for beads and bells, apparently marveling at the simplicity of the Indians, since they explained to Columbus that they had whole mountains of this metal to the West and therefore, in the eyes of local residents, gold was too cheap.

Christopher Columbus, having examined the island, went further, stocking up on fresh water. On the way, he met many more islands, but he was not content with this, and seeing one large island on November 28, he landed on it - it was the island of Cuba. Here he dropped anchor at the mouth of a large river.

Residents fled here too. This island seemed like an earthly paradise to Columbus. And indeed, the Spaniards here met a beautiful hummingbird (bee) that flew in the air in a swarm. We also saw many other birds, such as flamingos (bright red); Everywhere the greenery and freshness of the flowers amazed them. The beautiful palm trees were bent with a multitude of fruits. Fish with golden scales flooded the rivers. The Antilles Sea itself surprised with the wealth of pearls. When Columbus visited two or three huts, he found them very poor - all the wealth consisted of nets made from palm fibers, hooks made from bones and two or three dogs, remarkable for the fact that they never bark.

Then Columbus discovered several more islands, and he named one of them Hispaniola or little Spain, where he built a fortress and founded the first Spanish colony.

Thus, wanting to get to eastern India, Columbus discovered the New World, later called America.

And the first person to write a description of the New World was Amerigo Vespucci. From this name the New World got its name - America.

Original taken from vova_91 in Things brought to Europe from America

In December 1586, potatoes were first brought to England from Colombia. Potatoes were first adopted in Europe as an ornamental plant. For a long time it was considered a poisonous plant. The agronomist who discovered that potatoes have high taste and nutritional qualities, and are not at all poisonous, is Antoine-Auguste Parmentier.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

TOMATOES

After the world-famous expedition of the Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus, who discovered the New World, various things were brought to Europe, mainly various vegetables, grains and plants. One of the vegetables brought from America to Europe was the tomato. At first, when the Spaniards did not yet know the properties of tomatoes, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Only much later did it become clear that they are not only edible, but also have many beneficial properties. In general, in different European countries they treated tomatoes differently: the French called them the apple of love for their scarlet color and shape, the Italians called them the golden apple. The Spaniards were attracted by the appearance of the plant: dark green carved leaves, delicate flowers and bright fruits, so they decided to bring them to Europe.

POTATO

Potatoes are still considered one of the most useful and unusual vegetables in the world, having a particularly positive effect on the human body. Potatoes were first cultivated by Indians 12 thousand years ago. The Spaniards were the first Europeans to see potatoes. The first biographer of Columbus even made notes about potatoes: “Colon discovered an island of Hispaniola, whose inhabitants eat a special root bread. On a small bush grow tubers the size of a pear or a small pumpkin; when they ripen, they are dug out of the ground in the same way as we do with turnips or radishes, dried in the sun, chopped, ground into flour and baked from it into bread ... "

Photo: Global Look

TOBACCO

Tobacco became a great discovery for Europe when the Spaniards, led by Columbus, brought it from the lands of the New World to Europe. The Indians who lived on American soil were familiar with tobacco for a very long time. There is a version that Native Americans grew tobacco as early as the 6th millennium BC. e. However, the Indians did not use tobacco for smoking, but to carry out their religious rituals and to treat dental disease, for which the Indians chewed tobacco leaves. The first European to try smoking tobacco was a Spaniard from Columbus's team, Rodrigo de Jerez, for which he was later imprisoned by order of the Inquisition. But soon the new product began to rapidly win the sympathy of the Old World, and since people quickly got used to tobacco, serious demand arose for it.

Photo: Global Look

COCOA

Christopher Columbus brought cocoa beans from his fourth voyage, however, due to too much attention to the gold brought from the lands of the New World, little attention was paid to cocoa. But later in Europe a recipe for making chocolate using cocoa beans was discovered. And after that, sweet chocolate became Europe's second addiction after tobacco. Cocoa beans can be considered one of the most valuable gifts brought by the Spaniards to Europe from the land of the New World. When cocoa beans learned to cook properly, an unprecedented excitement arose around them, and soon chocolate became one of Europe’s favorite sweets.

CORN

Corn or maize is also considered one of the healthiest foods for humans. The original homeland of corn is America. It was from there that Christopher Columbus was the first to bring corn to Europe. Then the Spaniards called corn maize, because that is how the name of the cereal sounded in the American Indian language. Corn was also called Indian wheat. When corn seeds arrived in Spain, they began to grow it in garden patios as a strange plant. And only later it was discovered that corn can not only be eaten, but also cooked in a variety of ways. Like other healthy foods, corn quickly became popular in Europe.

Photo: Global Look

Capsicum pepper

Capsicums became a new discovery for Spanish and European cooking. The fact is that having learned the properties of capsicum, Columbus brought it from the lands of the New World to Europe as a substitute for black pepper. Immediately after this, in Italy and Spain it began to be called Spanish pepper. Through the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, it came to Eastern Europe, and then to East Asia. Capsicums, due to their beneficial properties and taste, have become very popular among Europeans in the preparation of various dishes.

SUNFLOWER

In America, the sunflower was not just a plant, but a sacred flower, which was called the sun flower by the Indians. The sunflower inflorescence was cast in gold and worn at celebrations, and also decorated religious places. Spanish sailors from Columbus's expedition became very interested in the unusual and beautiful flower and brought it to Europe, where it was planted in the botanical garden in Madrid. In Europe, sunflower has long been bred as an ornamental plant. But later other properties of this beautiful plant became known, which began to be used in other areas - for making oil, seeds and other things.

E. Linnik

A small coral island, lost in the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. A narrow strip of land surrounds a small lagoon with clear greenish water. Foamy waves envelop the island in clouds of water dust.
There are several coconut trees on the island. How did the seeds get to an abandoned piece of land, separated by the ocean from other islands and the mainland by hundreds of kilometers? Where is their homeland?
Spreading across the globe, plant seeds swim across oceans, fly thousands of kilometers through the air, and overcome high mountain ranges and arid deserts.
We will talk about such trips in our article.

BY AIR AND WATER

Mid May. Leaves are blooming on trees and bushes. The bird cherry blossoms. The delicate bristles of young grass become thicker and greener every day.
What is this? Where are the clouds of white fluff coming from?
Let's take one of them. Inside is a seed. He is surrounded by the lightest fluff.

Willow seeds

Such fluffy gliders are formed in poplar, willow, alder, aspen and some other woody and herbaceous plants. Sometimes their seeds fly several hundred meters until they fall to the ground. And if the conditions are right, new plants will grow from them.
Several years ago in France, seeds of some African plants from the Asteraceae family were discovered in the air at an altitude of 1,500 meters.
For such gliders, neither seas nor mountain ranges are really scary!..

SPINE FRUITS. Tribulus is an annual creeping plant with a creeping branched stem and yellow single flowers. Tribulus fruits are equipped with extremely sharp and strong thorns. Their homeland is Central Asia. From here they spread to warm countries almost all over the world.
The spines become entangled in sheep's wool, and the plant spreads to new places.
Once in the USA, Tribulus were transported around the country on tires. This harmful plant causes great damage to motor vehicles. The thorns puncture and damage car tires. In the USA it was even announced that a prize would be given to someone who found an effective means of combating Tribulus on the roads.

Other plant species disperse using water. Spring floods carry seeds of field weeds sometimes over considerable distances. Of course, during long voyages along streams and rivers, some seeds lose their viability and die, but many, once in favorable conditions, begin to germinate.
Plants found in damp and marshy areas are spread primarily by water. Veronica fruit boxes are tightly closed in dry weather and open only when they fall into a damp place. Water washes away the seeds and carries them into swampy lowlands.
One day, the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus was walking along a small sandbank in a remote corner of Northern Norway. The tide was low, and the large pebbles were left with slippery, rusty-brown, knotty algae. Linnaeus began to examine them carefully.
Dark balls were visible in the pile of algae. The scientist picked up one of them. Why, these are sea beans! This plant is found in the tropics, on the shores of the Antilles. How did sea beans get to Scandinavia? Linnaeus realized that they were brought here by the warm sea current of the Gulf Stream. The beans traveled thousands of kilometers on the ocean waves until the surf washed them onto the shores of Norway.

Rhizophora

In bays, river mouths, lagoons, fenced off from the ocean by coral reefs and sandbanks, there are mangroves, adapted to life on unstable muddy soil.
A dense wall of trees sways above the water - rhizophora with shiny leathery leaves. Some kind of clubs are visible in the foliage, hanging with their thick ends down. These are nothing more than sprouts. Rhizophora is a viviparous tree. Its seeds begin to germinate while still in the fruits hanging on the tree. The seed develops into a long (up to a meter) heavy stick that hangs until the fruit opens. Then the seedling breaks off and falls with its thick end into the mud. Having stuck into the viscous soil, it quickly grows into a new tree. It is not always possible for a seedling to gain a foothold in the mud. Sometimes the current picks him up and carries him away many hundreds of kilometers. For many months he rushes along the waves until he gets caught somewhere in a protected corner.


Coconut fruits

Ripe fruits of coconut palms that fall into the sea remain viable for up to six months. The water-impermeable leathery layer reliably protects the seeds hidden inside the nut, and the fibrous air layer gives the fruit buoyancy.
When a hurricane hits, the wind blows the nuts off the tree. They fall into the water, and the waves carry them to distant shores.
The seeds of some plants, such as the tropical morinda tree, even have special swim bladders.

LIVE SEEDERS

Strawberries and raspberries ripen in the hot July sun, fill with sweet cherry juice, and on clear September days, orange-red clusters of tart fruits appear among the feathery leaves of rowan trees.
Bright edible fruits attract birds. They eat the berries, but the seeds pass through the digestive system undamaged, as they are protected by a strong covering.


Jay with acorn

Flying from place to place, birds sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers. Seeds also travel through the air with them.
Starlings were introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century. It was assumed that this useful bird would destroy pests of fields and vegetable gardens. But starlings carried blackberry seeds to New Zealand, and dense thickets of this thorny bush covered the pastures in many places. Livestock farming began to suffer as a result.
Seeds travel not only in the stomachs of birds. They are found in lumps of dirt, which birds often carry on their paws.

GOOSE BERRY. A wide variety of trees, shrubs and vines with tasty, nutritious fruits grow in tropical countries. In the Antilles and Florida there is a low evergreen tree known botanically as Phyllanthus acidus. The local population calls this tree "goose berry".
Juicy yellow gooseberry fruits are collected in dense clusters. These small fruits are pecked by birds, taken away and scattered by monkeys.

Sometimes seeds make very complex journeys. Freshwater fish eat the seeds of some aquatic plants. The fish, in turn, are eaten by birds, and the seeds travel under water and through the air and sometimes end up in an area very remote from their homeland.
The South African steppes were once covered with lush vegetation. Numerous herds of antelope grazed on them. Gradually, Europeans exterminated most of these animals, and the steppes began to turn into desert. It turned out that antelopes, by eating grass, contributed to the dispersal of its seeds over vast areas.
South Africans have found a way to save their pastures. They began to add grass seeds to the sheep's feed.
These "living seeders" have been used to restore grassland to the South African grasslands.

UNINVITED GUESTS

A flotilla of heavily laden Spanish caravels enters Montevideo harbor. The long, tiring voyage across the vast ocean is over. The ships drop anchors and, one after another, moor to the wooden pier. The colonists look with hope at the deserted shores and the blue range of mountains in the distance. What awaits them here?
Unloading begins. On creaking blocks, kegs of gunpowder and heavy boxes with muskets, knives, and nails are lowered onto the log deck of the pier. They drag bags of wheat, barley, and oats.
Cattle are being unloaded from one of the ships. Frightened, mooing cows are led down rickety walkways. The huddled sheep are simply picked up by the legs and carried on their shoulders like sacks of flour.
Heaps of straw and hay remained in the stalls on the ships. Yunga scoops them up and throws them overboard, and soon the surf carries the hay ashore. Along with it, seeds also fall to the new land.
So, along with the colonists, many wild European plants sailed to America. The common thistle has become so accustomed to its new homeland that it has begun to crowd out local plants.

Shiritsa

The hall of a large airport is filled with the excitement that usually occurs after the arrival of an international airline. One by one, passengers approach the customs inspector's desk and present their luggage for inspection. The inspector quickly looks through suitcases and travel bags and puts labels on them.
One of the arriving women is holding a small bouquet in her hands.
The inspector looks through her suitcase and stamps her passport. But then flowers attract his attention. He examines the bouquet and finds weeds with seeds that accidentally got there.
Many countries have organized a quarantine service for weed control. It is not easy to protect borders from such “violators.” Small weed seeds are hidden in wood piles, hidden in bales of cotton and even in postal parcels.


Elodea canadensis

It is especially easy for seeds equipped with hooks, spikes or hooks to “cross the boundaries”.
In the 19th century, the noxious weed agarica arrived in Russia “illegally” through the Black Sea ports. This short grass with panicle flowers is extremely prolific. One copy of agarica produces up to half a million seeds per year. Fighting him is very difficult.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Canadian Elodea appeared in Europe. It is often bred in aquariums. Conditions for the development of elodea in the waters of Europe turned out to be extremely favorable. It spread so quickly that it was nicknamed the "water plague." With a loose, greenish cloud, it covers the transparent depths of lakes and sometimes multiplies so much that it even impedes the movement of ships.

* * *
We talked about some natural ways of spreading plants. However, while transforming nature, man cannot help but interfere in this sphere of its life. He makes plants travel and, at his discretion, moves them from one area to another in accordance with his economic needs and goals.

Good afternoon, dear readers!

Before organizing a vacation, each person collects information about the place where he plans to go. And it doesn’t matter whether he’s going there for the first time or whether he visits there regularly. Because life moves forward, prices, schedules, opening hours, etc. change. And what was true six months ago may not be true today.

I suggest you write a travel story. I will tell you in detail on this page about why your review is very important, how best to write it and how to publish it on my blog.

People read articles on information or news portals, sometimes they take knowledge from personal blogs of travelers. But the material there is mainly focused on obtaining general information. Therefore, many people prefer to study stories, reviews and testimonials from eyewitnesses - ordinary people who describe practical information in more detail, from the series - which cafe is better, which exchange office has a higher rate, which beach has fewer people and cheaper sunbeds, etc.

Literally everyone goes looking for such information before a trip. You agree with me? I'm sure so.

But here’s the paradox: everyone reads, but only a few share their impressions. There are many reasons here, from the banal – I don’t want to, I don’t have time, to the simple – I don’t know how and I’m afraid that it will turn out badly. And if nothing can be done with the first category - as they say, you won’t be nice by force, then the second category, I would like to say a few words.

Writing a story, review or detailed review of a trip is very simple. To do this, you don’t have to be a shark of the pen, you don’t have to use all the rules of style, even spelling errors are now easy to correct using certain programs. Look at this process from a different point of view.

The people reading your story are a specific audience who are not looking for a work of fiction in the spirit of A.S. Pushkin, they have a different goal. They need up-to-date information and your impressions in order to formulate their picture of the holiday and better prepare for it. Therefore, it does not matter how correctly in a stylistic sense you express your thoughts.

There is no need to be afraid. Think that your efforts are not in vain; they will definitely benefit someone else. And this someone will be grateful to you!

Appeal to readers

Even at the stage of creating a blog, I dreamed of opening a “Readers Travel” section, in which I planned to publish stories, reviews and reviews of people about their vacations. Moreover, they do not have to be positive and enthusiastic. One negative experience sometimes gives more food for thought than a positive one.

However, you can dream as much as you like, but I am unable to realize this idea without the participation of you, dear readers. Therefore, I appeal to everyone with a request.

Dear friends!

If you have something to tell, if you have your own travel experience, even a single, week-long package tour, share it with everyone, write an interesting story, a review of a place (country, city, hotel, beach, attraction), or a review of days spent, where your impressions will be reflected.

Believe me, in this way you will help others organize the vacation of their dreams, do another good deed, and benefit people.

And any kindness will definitely return to you a hundredfold!

Terms and conditions of publication

• The review should not consist of a couple of sentences. From the series: We vacationed there and then, it was great! There are a lot of resources with such reviews, but they do not carry any information, they contain nothing except emotions. People should benefit from what they read, so be sure to try to write why it was “cool”, what exactly made you so delighted.
• The story must be 100% unique. Written by you personally. According to certain search engine rules, I do not have the right to post on blog pages text that has already been published on other resources. That is, if you send me your impressions, you must guarantee that the text has not been published online before, has not been sent to different forums or other sites, and that when writing it has not been copied even partially from other resources. I ask you to be honest with me, because I can easily check this using special Yandex and Google tools. After publication, the story becomes the property of the blog, that is, mine, so you also do not have the right to reproduce it subsequently.
• The text should not contain profanity or insults to anyone. Write correctly, even if you are very outraged.
• The text must have a title, which must include a keyword - the name of the area (country, city), service (air tickets, excursions) or item (product brand, if you are doing a review). First of all, this is for the readers. This will make it easier for them to find the material they need.
• In exceptional cases, minor changes to the content of the story may be made after publication. However, I reserve the decision on these actions to myself.
• Any story, review or feedback cannot be published anonymously. At the end there should be the name of the author, and not a nickname or a fictitious nickname. City of residence is welcome, but not a requirement. Of course, I will not require passport data to confirm information, but I hope for your decency.
• Readers may have questions about the information presented in the text. This is not a forum, so you are not obligated to respond to them. But if you so desire, you can leave your email at the end of the story, or answer the comments yourself.
• It is prohibited to insert links to any site into the story without my consent. Any link will be regarded as unauthorized advertising. Comments with links to another resource will also be deleted.
• Stories, reviews or testimonials must be strictly on the topic of the blog. The only exception may be useful information on related categories - reviews of equipment, technology, thoughts about health while traveling, etc.
• Another mandatory condition. You must subscribe to blog updates. I think that you yourself will be interested in reading the comments and questions, if any.

I want to say right away that many of these rules are not my whim. Most of them are strict requirements of search engines that I have to take into account. Therefore, I cannot change them, or break them a little. I hope for your understanding.

How to write and publish?

Story, review or review - what's the difference?

Writing a story, review or review is very easy. But first, I want to explain to you the difference between these concepts as it applies to this topic, because decoding genres in the generally accepted sense will be slightly different.

• A story is a detailed reflection about your vacation, where you consistently describe events in a free style and share your impressions.
• Review – analysis of an object (country, resort, hotel), service or product. As a rule, this is clear information about an object or service that you have visited in person or tried on yourself.
• A review is a point of view about a particular place or some action. Your opinion based on your own experience and personal beliefs.

In fact, you and I have a common task - to provide useful information to people. All these genres are interconnected and therefore quite conventional. I have listed them only for general information, because mixing styles can rarely be avoided even by professionals. In our case, strict adherence to style is not a fundamental issue. Write as best you can, the most important thing is the truth and from the heart. Then any story will be interesting and useful to people.

How to present information?

• Whenever possible, when describing a particular event during a trip, include practical information - prices, opening hours, schedules, etc. Don’t forget that your impressions are of course also important, but still people come for specific, fresh data, and they are less interested in emotions.
• Be sure to give recommendations, very often the advice and parting words of “experienced” people help newcomers understand the situation faster than all the information portals.
• Don't write something from the words of others. Try to provide information that has been verified and tested on yourself. Do not retell other people's gossip and speculation. All this may turn out to be lies and will only harm people.
• Divide the text into small paragraphs. It is difficult to read even the most interesting and useful review if it is written in bulk.
• Information is perceived better when the text is accompanied by pictures. It is not necessary to reveal your face; you can send neutral photos with nature or views of hotels. During technical processing I will have to compress them a little, so choose good quality photos.

In fact, in terms of content, I can only advise one thing - put yourself in the shoes of the person who is reading you. Ask a series of questions: Why did I come to this page? What useful did I learn from it? Then you will immediately understand how much people need your work. It will become clear what readers expect from you, what you should write about first, and how to help them understand the issue you are talking about.

What to do when the story is written?

Hooray, you managed to write a story, review or review about your trip! I'm sure it will benefit people!

The most important thing was done, only technical issues remained. Now you need to match the text with photographs, if, of course, they exist (this is not necessary). There shouldn't be many pictures. The allowed quantity depends on the length of the text, maximum 15 pieces, minimum resolution 850/550 ph.

Ready? Then feel free to send your work to me by email. [email protected], attach text and photographs to the letter as separate files. The text must be in Word format. In the purpose of the letter, be sure to mark “To the section “Readers' Travels” from - your first and last name.”

In the accompanying text, write your wishes, indicate some other form of communication besides email - Skype, telephone. I value every visitor, I promise that this data will not go anywhere further than me.

How does editing and publishing work?

After receiving the letter, I study the contents, this may take a couple of days. Next, I decide on the possibility of posting the material on the blog and send you a response.

If the decision is positive, I run the text through special tools that allow you to check its uniqueness and correct spelling errors. I want to reassure you right away that I am not making any additions or changes to the text. If such actions are required, then I will definitely agree on them with you.

If the services show me that the text is not unique, of course I will not publish it, which I will inform you about immediately.

Then it will take some time to process the photos and technically post them on the blog. Your participation is not required during this process.

When everything is ready, I will inform you about the publication in a separate letter.

That's all, as you can see, there is nothing complicated. I am always ready to help you, so if you suddenly have questions, feel free to contact me.

And I say goodbye to you, subscribe to blog updates, new readers are always welcome.

Tatiana Solomatina

Lesson objectives:

• expanding and deepening students' knowledge of biology;
• develop the ability to speak in front of an audience, the ability to listen to others;
• develop children's ability to work in groups.

Equipment:

• “Map of the Hemispheres”,
• drawings,
• photographs of cultivated plants,
• ears of cereals, ears of corn,
• dummies of vegetables, fruits,
• real vegetables and fruits,
• various spices.

A week before the lesson, the whole class is divided into 4 groups, which should represent travelers from different countries. The guys are preparing reports about the cultivated plants that were brought to Europe by these travelers. Each group can prepare appropriate clothing and props.

Teacher's opening remarks:

We cannot imagine a dinner table without white and black bread; our daily diet includes cereals, pasta, potatoes, vegetables and fruits. We get all these various products from cultivated plants. Meanwhile, in the history of mankind, there was a time when neither cultivated plants nor domestic animals existed. Our distant ancestors had to be content only with what they found in the surrounding nature: they collected fruits, berries, tubers, bulbs, and seeds. They did not disdain small animals - lizards, mice, snails.

People noticed that seeds accidentally dropped into loose soil sprouted. And many seeds or fruits appeared on the grown plants. Over time, the man realized that he could create this miracle himself. Before people discovered new lands and countries, they cultivated and grew only those plants that grew in their area. From their distant lands, people brought new plants previously unknown in Europe.

On this map you can see where the plants that have become common on our table were born. Today we will make, mentally of course, an unusual journey to the homeland of the ancestors of cultivated plants. Travelers who once brought these plants to Europe during the Age of Discovery will help us with this.

Our first travelers arrived from the west coast of South America - these were the Spanish conquerors - the conquistadors. What kind of plants did they bring us? What will they tell you?

White brushes –
Vain outfit
Green brushes –
Dangerous poison
But under my feet -
The treasure is expensive.

A group of students dressed as travelers enters. In their hands they have a dish with potatoes, drawings depicting a plant - a potato.

First traveler:

Was there are many miracles with him,
Finally he came to us.
The path was long and far -
From the west and to the east.
By the power of magical, wondrous mountains,
I'll show you that long way!

What other plant can be used to prepare as many healthy and tasty dishes as potatoes! Potatoes always take one of the first places on our table - boiled and fried, with butter and sour cream. Potatoes are an excellent side dish for meat and fish. The soup wouldn't be the same without it. Alcohol is produced from potatoes, and synthetic rubber and much more are made from alcohol.

But potatoes became such a universal product not so long ago.

Europeans first learned the taste of potatoes only about four hundred years ago. The homeland of the potato is South America (Chile, Peru), where it still grows wild in mountainous areas. In the Andes, at altitudes from 500 to 4500 m, you can find almost all known species of this plant.

Second traveler:

Spanish conquerors at the end of the 15th century. discovered on the west coast of South America a food product completely unfamiliar to them, which the locals called “chuño.” These were dried tubers of some types of potatoes. They did not yet know how to store raw potatoes, so the Indians scattered the washed tubers in the sun and then left them in the cold overnight (it must be said that in the mountainous regions of the Andes the nights are usually frosty). Freezing helped remove moisture and reduced the bitterness of the tubers. After drying, the resulting white starchy product was perfectly stored and saved the Andean inhabitants from hunger in winter and in lean years.

Third traveler:

The first printed report about potatoes was made by the Spanish traveler Pedro Cieza de Leon in 1553, and the botanical name for this plant was given by the Swiss botanist Caspar Bochen, he called it Solanum tuberosum - ordinary potato.

This name remains to this day. For a long time, potatoes were planted in botanical gardens and pharmaceutical gardens. Only 200 years later it appeared in peasant gardens and fields.

At first, potatoes were not eaten: the ladies of the court decorated their hair with flowers. In Germany, potato beds were laid out in front of the palaces of kings. It was only much later that potatoes became a food product.

Fourth traveler:

“Earth apples” (as potatoes were called in France at that time) were received very unfriendly. Even in the famous “Great Encyclopedia,” which was published in 1765 by the most prominent scientists of France, it was written: “Potatoes are rough food, suitable only for undemanding stomachs.” A suspicious attitude towards potatoes was maintained by the clergy, who called them “the devil’s apple.” They claimed that this plant spread leprosy and caused stupor. It must be said that the potato varieties known at that time contained a lot of solanine - a substance that gives the tubers a bitter taste and causes poisoning in large doses.

Over time, the reputation of potatoes as a valuable product was established, although they were grown in very small quantities. Potatoes were very rare and considered a delicacy. It was served only in rich houses.

Fifth traveler:

At the end of the 16th century. this plant was brought to Russia. Peter I, being in Holland at that time, sent Field Marshal B. Sheremetev a bag of potatoes

In 1736, potatoes were already listed in the plant catalog of the St. Petersburg Apothecary Garden.

The spread of potatoes in our country was very slow at first. The bad attitude towards the new crop was caused by the fact that the potato had powerful tops and small bitter tubers.

The population did not yet know how to grow this crop; they sown thickly, the plants shaded each other and produced even smaller and less tasty tubers.

The path of potatoes through European countries was difficult, but, in the end, this agricultural crop gained universal recognition and has now become the “second bread”.

Teacher:

The fruit was green - it didn’t want to be eaten.
They put him in a bed - he changed his clothes,
I put on the red one - it was ripe for food.
- What kind of plant is this? (Tomato)

A group of students who were preparing a story about tomatoes comes out. They are holding a dish with dummies or real tomatoes.

First traveler:

Most researchers believe that the birthplace of this plant is the mountainous regions of Peru and Ecuador. From here, the wild predecessor of the tomato, like a weed, penetrated into other tropical regions of South America. In Mexico, tomatoes were first cultivated as a cultivated plant. Wild relatives of the tomato are still found in the tropical forests of South America.

The appearance of the tomato in Europe occurred during the era of great geographical discoveries. On the ships of the conquerors, heavily laden with gold looted from the Indians, seeds of strange plants also sailed to the Old World. The chronicles say that tomatoes were brought to our continent by Hernan Cortez in 1523, shortly after the conquest of Mexico.

The appearance of the tomato in Great Britain was recorded in 1579. In this country they were called the “apple of love.”

Tomatoes appeared in Russia in the second half of the 18th century. The tomato was first bred in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai. From Crimea, the plant began to spread throughout the south of our country. The name of the tomato, which is more well-known in our everyday life - tomato - comes from the Italian “pomo doro”, “golden apple” and is explained by the fact that the first tomatoes were yellow-fruited.

Third traveler:

The fruits of the new plant in European countries, with the exception of Italy, were not immediately eaten. It was believed that tomato fruits were poisonous, since its close relatives in the nightshade family are belladonna and mandrake - poisonous plants. They say that George Washington's enemies even tried to poison him with tomato fruits. Spy chef James Bailey prepared a dish with sliced ​​tomatoes. George Washington, contrary to the expectations of the conspirators, began to praise the new dish.

Fourth traveler:

In the 17th century In Europe, the tomato was an inhabitant only of botanical gardens and apothecary gardens. Tomato flowers were in particular demand among European fashionistas. Showing up at a social event with a tomato blossom attached to your bodice was considered the height of chic.

Currently, tomato is distributed throughout the world.

Teacher - Thank you, gentlemen travelers. Take your seats and let's continue our journey.

Guys come out with sunflowers and ears of corn in their hands.

Although I am not a khan by rank,
There is a sultan on the head,
And little bottles of gold
Hidden under the arms! (Corn)

The house hangs upside down:
Seven hundred closets - and all without locks.
And each resident wears a black vest. (Sunflower)

What plants are we talking about in these riddles? Let's listen to the third team of travelers led by Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus:

Corn (maize) is a very important grain crop. Homeland - Mexico. Corn has been cultivated in America for more than 5 thousand years. The Indians considered maize a wonderful gift from the gods; they deified him and believed that their well-being depended on him. Corn was cultivated by various Indian tribes. How many myths and legends can you hear about corn!

Sailor from the team:

One of them says that the god Mais was the son of the sun god and the moon goddess. But there were deities who were jealous of the beauty and strength of the young man and killed him, cutting his body into pieces. The Indians believe that pieces of Maize's body turned into grains. How many holidays are dedicated to him! Don't count it!

The northern Mayan tribe had a cult of the corn god Cinteotl.

And in the Inca capital of Cusco, rituals related to corn were held in the Temple of the Sun.

Second sailor from the team:

Corn arrived on other continents in the 15th century. - after the discovery of America. In 1492, Columbus brought corn to Europe.

If earlier at home corn was grown mainly for food, now it is used in a much more diverse way. Starch, alcohol, glucose, sugar, oil, vitamins and much more are obtained from grains. And dry leaves, stems, rods and cob wrappers are processed into paper, viscose, linoleum, plastic, activated carbon, etc.

Christopher Columbus:

The sunflower, too, was once considered a sacred plant. Isn't this a miracle! The sun is in the east - and the inflorescences look the same way, the sun is in the west and the inflorescences point to the west. The golden image of the “sun flower” was worn at ceremonies.

When the conquerors landed on the shores of southern North America, they saw unusual yellow flowers in the fields. Columbus wrote in his diaries: “I saw a grain called maize.” And one of his companions described the maize in more detail: “Plants more than a meter high grew in the fields. It seemed as if they were made of pure gold, and their leaves were made of silver.” The Spaniards began to rake the land: they thought that the plants were growing on gold placers.

Sailor from the team:

The homeland of sunflower is Mexico. The first achenes were brought to Europe by the Spaniards in 1510 and sown in the Madrid Botanical Garden.

Sunflower came to Russia under Peter I from Holland and remained a garden and ornamental plant for a long time. In 1829, Bokarev, a serf peasant of Count Sheremetev, discovered a new property of the “sun flower”.

Using a primitive hand press, he extracted golden, delicious oil from sunflower seeds. In Russia, sunflower has transformed from an ornamental plant into an oilseed crop. Therefore, Russia is rightfully considered the second homeland of sunflowers. From here he began a new journey around the world.

Teacher:

Thanks to the Christopher Columbus team. It was very pleasant to learn a lot about such a famous vegetable - the tomato.

A group of students dressed in oriental clothing enters. In my hands are bags, boxes on which are written the names of various spices: cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, pepper, etc. Oriental music sounds.

Teacher:

Eastern and overseas merchants came to us. What did the gentlemen come with? What will you tell us about?

First merchant:

We brought you various fragrant spices. Let's talk about them now.

Spices are various parts of plants that have a persistent, specific aroma and varying degrees of pungency. These were the first substances that man began to add to food, perhaps even before salt. In the East, spices were used already 5 thousand years ago.

Second merchant:

In the early Middle Ages, the center of the spice trade was in Constantinople, and even later in the 15th century. The maritime power Venice became a monopolist. Prices for spices rose incredibly at this time and were therefore used only by very rich people.

In the Middle Ages, spices often replaced gold in payments and even served as a measure of weight.

So 1000 grains of good black pepper should weigh exactly 460 g.

Third merchant:

Due to the fabulous profits from the spice trade, there were attempts to counterfeit them. This required serious measures to suppress them.

Thus, in France, for the first attempt to falsify ground pepper, there is a gigantic fine; for the second, there is an arrest with complete confiscation of property and a ban on trade.

In Germany, for counterfeiting the most expensive spice - saffron - the culprit was burned or buried alive in the ground

Fourth merchant:

The great geographical discoveries of the late 15th and early 16th centuries opened up a sea route to India around Africa, America...

Vasco da Gama also brought pepper, cinnamon, cloves and ginger from his voyage.

The Spaniards brought vanilla and capsicum, unknown in the East, from America.

The center of the world spice trade moved to Portugal and Spain and therefore, spices began to be widely introduced into culture and became more affordable.

Teacher:

This is where our journey ends. Many thanks to all the sailors and merchants for choosing the time and telling us about the places they visited and the plants they brought with them.

Today we learned a lot of interesting things about plants that have become familiar on our table and without which we cannot imagine our diet. Of course, these are not all plants whose homelands are other countries and continents. In the next lessons we will definitely learn where pineapples and oranges, cocoa and peanuts, melons and watermelons and many other plants came from, and now it’s time for us to say goodbye to our guests. The journey lesson is over. See you again!