Writing spice-themed poetry for COVID-19 prevention campaign for Indonesian children

Indonesian spices offer an avenue into a broad spectrum of knowledge covering history, geography, sciences, humanities, and medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, spices have been revisited for potentials to boost the immune system. However, this knowledge is often inaccessible to children, which leads to the risk of the nation losing local wisdoms related to its endemic plants. Therefore, this study aims to explore the writing of poetry on spices to educate elementary schools student about COVID-19 prevention. We reviewed literature and wisdom on Indonesian spices and proposed the formula of writing spice-themed poetry. Building on Sam Illingworth’s concept of poetry as a dialogue, we stipulated four guiding elements in writing spice-themed poetry for children, namely (1) facilitation-purpose, (2) science exposure, (3) communicative interaction, and (4) transformation based on Indonesian knowledge and culture. We argue that writing poetry on spices potentially strengthens children’s spice-related knowledge of natural sciences and Indonesian local wisdom.

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