A Lesson on Vietnamese Medicinal Plants of the Muong Ethnic Group in Hoa Binh Province

Since ancient times, when the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh got sick, the first thing that came to their mind was the plants available in the garden. Those are the Vietnamese medicinal plants that are very close to the daily life of the people here. To help students better understand the culture of the Muong ethnic group of Hoa Binh province, the teachers of Nguyen Tat Thanh school introduced them to these medicinal plants through an interesting lesson.

First, the teacher introduced Vietnamese medicinal plants, some pictures of them as well as some ways to prepare and use medicinal plants. Then the teacher divided the students into groups to practice their knowledge through the following activities: Activity #1: Who is the fastest? Within 5 minutes, the groups competed to identify as many as possible names of medicinal plants they had just learnt in the previous lesson. Activity #2: Picture matching. The groups matched pictures of medicinal plants with their names. Activity #3: Super memory. The groups matched cards describing medicinal plants with their names and pictures. Activity #4: Practice in the garden. The groups put up signs with the names and information of medicinal plants on the corresponding plant positions in the garden.

Through the above activities, students were able to identify some types of Vietnamese medicinal plants as well as their application. They could also build a summary table of information about medicinal plants in the school garden.

The students participated in competitive activities between groups, stimulating the spirit of solidarity, group cooperation, and creating a comfortable atmosphere in the experiential session. More notably, these activities helped students improve communication, develop teamwork, leadership, consolidate their understanding through discussion and explanation, observation, and develop motor skills. 

Activities are conducted with only materials available that are easy to find in school.