School Projects About Tea Production

Tea can be used as an herbal remedy.

Teas can have healing and soothing effects and can also have a similar energy impact as coffee does. The types of ingredients put into the tea, such as the types of tea leaves used, impact the flavor as well as usefulness of the tea. Learning about the production process of growing tea helps the class understand the different effects different herbs and plants have on the body. It also educates them on the process involved in how the tea leaves end up in the tea bags.

Tea Production Time Line

The growing and harvesting of tea plants, the drying of tea leaves and the packaging of the leaves into tea bags is an extensive process that must be precise and organized. Have students choose certain types of tea, such as black tea or green tea, and construct a step-by-step timetable of their production, from growing the leaves to packaging them. This will help them to understand the commercial side of the tea production.

Herb Garden

Choose several herbs that can be used to make teas, such as basil, thyme, rosemary, mint and oregano, and grow them in a planter in the classroom. The listed herbs are commonly used and easily grown, as they are very adaptable to temperature, sunlight and soil conditions. Grow the herbs from seed form and have students keep logs and draw pictures to mark the seeds' progress into full grown herbs.

Yard Supplies

Ask the students to gather a variety of plant life from their home yard or the yard outside the school. Display and present each commonly found plant material. This could include flowers, tree branches, twigs, leaves and grass. Educate the class on which items are edible, which are not, and which can be used to make teas. Pine needles and birch tree leaves can be used in teas, as can honeysuckle flowers, gardenias and dandelions. This activity helps illustrate the vast availability of free supplies for making tea. Remind them to always verify the plant life they come across before using it for consumption, as some plant life is not edible.

Brewing Techniques

Brewing tea takes finesse and careful attention. The brewing of the tea or tea leaves greatly impacts the overall taste of the tea. There are a variety of methods for brewing tea, depending on your preference for the tea itself. Place tea bags into a clear glass pitcher filled with water and secure a lid on top. Leave in the sun all day to brew and, by evening, you will have sun-brewed tea. Wrap the tea leaves in satchels or in paper-clothed tea bags, and immerse in hot water to brew. Place tea leaves in a metal steeper and immerse in hot water to brew. Have the students experiment with the variety of methods and hold taste tests to see which methods work best with which tea blends. The amount of time the tea is steeped also has an impact on the flavor, so soak the tea bags for a variety of lengths of time in addition to using a variety of methods.

References

• Jay Tea: Know Common Tea Production Techniques
• Web MD: Homemade Herbal Tea Continued
• Web MD: Homemade Herbal Tea