The Secret life of Plants

Grade 6 Individuals and Societies
The Secret life of
Plants
This research journal was created in collaboration with the Academic Council from Qatar
Museum and the generous support of the GSL Hummingbird team in grade 8. We also owe a big
thank you to the Quranic Gardens and our support staff who taught us how to grow moringa
and lemongrass alongside our miswak. Lastly, we thank our parent experts for volunteering to
be interviewed.

Shh! We’re in a library and the
books are 900 years old!
You might not realize this but not
everything can be found on google.
Some knowledge is so ancient that we
can only find it in the heads of ancient
people -that’s why we need museums!
When grade 6 first started learning about Qatar’s green
heritage, we really struggled to find anything. That’s
because the older generation transmitted their
knowledge orally and the younger generation never
wrote it down.
This meant that all this valuable knowledge could
be lost but luckily Qatar National Museum was here
to save the day!
They not only allowed teachers like me into their
archives, but they also helped me with translations and
checked my lessons so my grade 6s could celebrate
Qatar’s green heritage - and record the green
heritage of their own cultures. Cultures like
Palestine, Syria, India, France and Sudan.

Bedouin Beauty
Making soap and body scrubs
Many of our students were horrified
to discover how many chemicals we
used in modern skin care. Once again,
the museum stepped in to show us
how to make soaps and scrubs with
natural products that our ancestors
would use.
Sidra is one of the most loved trees
in our garden. Like the prophet
Muhammad (Pbuph) we made
shampoo and body wash with dried
leaves and hot water. Nothing else.
No pollution or chemicals. No animal
testing. 100% halal.

Note before reading
It takes a village to raise a child and
children to build a garden. For those
who don’t know much about Islam, it is
believed that heaven is, in fact, a
garden. Our grade 6s agree! Their
class work was not just about learning
but a chance for all cultures to practice
sadaqa or good deeds during Ramadan
as we prepared the garden for summer
and planted fruit trees. For children too
young to fast, this was very important.
As many students chose to research
about plants that we were growing
ourselves, I have highlighted these plants
in their articles by putting them in bold
font. When you see the bold font, you will
know that we are cultivating these plants
as part of our SISQ living classroom.
Est, vel elit, congue wisi enim nunc

ADHD: Digging and planting a treatment -
Salsabeel
Imagine being a kid who can't sit still and can't focus well. Imagine sitting in
a green environment that is lush and comfortable and is to your liking. In
this magazine you will learn about ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder) and how plants can help calm people with ADHD
in many ways. For thousands of years, people have been using plants to treat
all different types of diseases. ADHD is a neurological disorder that can
Affect the child's life and mind in many ways such as learning and socializing.
I have a few family members that grew up with ADHD and their life was affected negatively by this
disorder. They had a lot of problems in school and had difficulties making and keeping friends. It was
also very hard for their parents to deal with them because they were hyperactive and always getting
into trouble.

Around 5.3 million children in the world have ADHD.
Children with ADHD often struggle with school, are
often injured more than normal kids and are socially
isolated. The medications that doctors use to help
these children have side effects. I strongly believe
that plants can help children with ADHD through
either the calming effects of planting or the
medicinal benefits of herbs themselves.(Marketing
Marketing)
What is ADHD?
ADHD is one of the most common neurological
disorders in children. It affects up to 8.7% of children
and often continues into adulthood. It is usually
diagnosed in early childhood. Now, you may be asking
“what does neurological mean” - well let me tell you
that I didn't know either but now I do because my
mom, who is a neurologist, explained to me that
anything neurological has to do with the nervous
system like the brain, spinal cord or nerves. (CDC)
ADHD is serious. It has many symptoms and two of them are:
Inattentiveness & Hyperactivity.
These can lead to many things; let's start with Inattentiveness:
● Having limited focus and getting frequently distracted
● Making careless mistakes, such as in homework
● Being unable to stick with difficult or time-consuming tasks
● Being unable to listen or follow instructions
● Having difficulty arranging tasks
Now let's move onto hyperactivity and impulsiveness:
● being unable to sit still, particularly in peaceful or quiet settings
● unable to focus on work because of common fidgeting
● too much moving around,
● too much chatting
● not being able to wait their turn
● behaving quickly
● interrupting conversations
● no or little awareness of danger

What calms people with ADHD?
According to my research, the things that help children the
most with ADHD are walking, running and activities like yoga or
meditation. These activities contain deep breathing and
mindfulness and they are helpful to calm kids with ADHD. Even
though there is no evidence that says that planting or gardening
can help children with ADHD, I think that activities such as
digging, planting, watering, and picking fruits and vegetables can
help these kids burn out their excessive energy. (addrc)
Do plants help with ADHD?
Plants have been used for thousands of years for treating
different illnesses. Plants can be used to manage ADHD in two
main ways.
Firstly, there are a number of herbs that have been shown that
they can reduce symptoms of ADHD. For example: Ginkgo Biloba
can help with improving memory and attention. A study was
done in 2014 that showed that children who took Ginkgo Biloba
for 3 - 5 weeks improved their symptoms. Other herbs that have
also been used to treat ADHD include Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)
and Pine bark extract.(Story second way in which plants can
help with ADHD is related to activities like planting and
gardening. All kids love playing in the dirt and love the outside
weather. A study done in the University of Illinois found that a
A study was done in 2014 on Gingko Biloba as an ADHD
treatment.
green
environment helps kids with ADHD to concentrate better and
improve their attention. Another study also showed that
houseplants can help children with ADHD to focus. Gardening
and caring for plants can teach children with ADHD to be
organized and responsible. In addition, planting and doing fun
activities in the garden with other children can help make
friends and get them to learn how to socialize.(Platt Hill
Nursery) (“Dig In!”)
Salsabeel’s big sister,
Soundus, also deserves a
shout out for setting the
budget and helping to plant
our original medical garden
at SISQ. What a great legacy
to leave her little sister.
Salsabeel’s mom: Dr Ruba
Benini

Can you calm kids with ADHD by
using a naturalistic technique?
In my personal experience, gardening
(physically) helps me a lot with
concentrating and calming
down when I am frustrated or
hyperactive. Children who are
diagnosed with ADHD have lighter
symptoms if they play in a green
setting than if they play in built-up
indoors or outdoor settings.
(Armstrong)
Overall, I think this topic was very fun and interesting
to learn about. Plants can have a healing effect on
children and especially on children with ADHD. This is
why at SISQ the gardening team's goal is to have a
very big garden where students and teachers can go
and cool off and reflect about their actions anytime.
Every morning I come to school, my classmates and I
go to the garden to check on the plants and make sure
they are all healthy. Taking care of the garden gives
students an opportunity to learn how to be
responsible, how to pay attention and socialize.

Bibliography:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html#:~:text=ADHD%20is%20one%20of%20the https://chadd.org/adhd-news/
adhd-news-caregivers/green-time-for-adhd/#:~:text=Being%2
0in%20nature%2C%20these%20researchers,not%20necessarily%20ADHD%2Drelated).
https://www.addrc.org/how-to-create-a-calm-home-for-people-with-adhd/#:~:text=Restless
ness%20and%20fidgety%20behavior%20associated,and%20induce%20relaxation%20an d%20calm
https://platthillnursery.com/how-houseplants-can-help-you-study/#:~:text=Houseplants%2
0Enhance%20Focus%20and%20Concentration&text=Researchers%20have%20been%20
experimenting%20with,counterparts%20with%20no%20indoor%20plants
https://www.institute4learning.com/2018/04/25/7-ways-to-use-nature-to-calm-and-focus-kid s-with-adhd/
#:~:text=One%20study%20revealed%20that%20a,up%20indoors%20or%20 outdoor%20settings
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/symptoms/
https://www.texasinstituteforneurologicaldisorders.com/blog/common-symptoms-of-adhd-i n-children/
https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/herbal-remedies https://www.additudemag.com/dig-in/

Is it better to treat
illnesses with herbal
remedies or
pharmaceutical
approaches? - Zaid
Are you aware of the benefits you
can get from using more herbal
remedies?
In today's modern and
technologically driven world, our
trust in pharmaceuticals for
treating health conditions has
become the norm. However, there is
a great movement that wants to
retry the healing power of nature by
using herbal remedies.

I chose my research question because in my household we
commonly use these remedies, and I felt it was a good
choice of topic because I was closely related to herbal
remedies and I feel they have potential to change the world
because three quarters of the world population do not
have basic access to pharmaceuticals therefore can not
treat themselves from even basic diseases like the
common cold, so imagine people that have a problem like
cancer, so they have a higher probability of death by 69%.
I am also Qatari and I want to show my heritage and
I'm very proud of it because this shows who we are
and I want the world to know about my traditions,
culture, and religion.
This magazine article aims to explore the very interesting
fight between herbal remedies and pharmaceuticals,
highlighting their unique benefits, and potential impact on
our overall health. By looking into this topic, I want to try
and reinstate more herbal medicine and push towards the
debate about its place in modern medicine. I was lucky that
my grandfather is a western trained doctor who also
knows local herbal plants so I interviewed him.
Coming from somebody who uses a lot of herbs on a daily
basis I can strongly suggest that herbal medicine is one of
the best ways to treat many illnesses by far. Just saying
that is not enough, so let's compare herbs vs
pharmaceuticals and I will do my best to meet every
aspect to determine which of these two treatments will
win but let's start with pharmaceuticals
What's in the making process of drugs?
Pharmaceuticals are often produced in laboratories or
factories using APIs this means active pharmaceutical
ingredients. For example, one of these chemicals is called
cisplatin, this destroys mitochondrial, this is a gene group
found in cells and they are responsible for generating some
energy in the cell but if they are damaged this could lead to
some problems for example the cells could start to work
slow or less efficient but natural remedies do not have any
of these chemicals that harm the mitochondria.
What are the differences between herbal remedies and
pharmaceuticals?

Why precautions must be taken
Excessive and consistent testing is the first step before
releasing a drug so the testing is done out in labs and on
experimental animals so that is one bad thing testing
defenseless animals. Researchers put in a lot of research to
find medication options and test their effectiveness, safety
to ensure that only the safest drugs are released and are
able to move on to the next stage. This stage needs heavy
experimentation, analysis, and careful inspection. These are
the basis for more studies and give important information
about the benefits and dangers of a medicine.
The chemicals are also something that have to be carefully
looked at before any drug is released not just because
“chemicals are bad” but also out of safety, for example you
have two patients and both have different health problems
for example the people both have diabetic problems and one
has high blood sugar and one low, you are tasked with giving
the daily medication to the people you give the man with low
blood sugar insulin and this will put a spike in his blood
sugar, this is a common effect of insulin, and you use the
same syringe to give the man with high blood pressure a
beta-blocker and this will lower his blood sugar but using
the same syringe the remnants of the insulin can also kick
up the blood sugar enough to be a problem.
Ensuring Safe Use and getting rid of deadly disadvantages:
Prescription medications have an important purpose of
bringing us many health advantages when taken exactly as
prescribed. However, excessive intake could lead to
negative impacts like organ damage, toxicity or even deadly
allergic reactions. so, restricting excessive drug intake
becomes critical as it prevents potentially unsafe sideeffects
due to the amount of chemicals being consumed.
For example if you give someone an overdose of any pill and
anything 5 or above is then considered polypharmacy and
this basically means an overdose of a prescription on any
medication but in numbers the overdose is considered 5
pills or above.
Why must we limit the amount of medication we take?

What is the growing process of herbs?
Good news HERBS ARE COMPLETELY NATURAL! But
there is just one catch and it is modern farming so with
confidence I can say it is no secret that modern farming
has adopted intensive practices characterized by heavy
dependence on chemical inputs such as synthetic
fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides aimed at maximizing
herbs grown.
However these practices are the environmental costs that
have so far been enormous ranging from contamination via
chemicals being put into lots of water leading to excessive
ecosystem destruction affecting wildlife plus general
pollution impacts on every environment. Besides,
fertilizers can lead to severe loss of nutrients and destroy
quality and this leads to the soils drying up and making this
style of farming unsustainable.
without the use of artificial pesticides or herbicides, and
this is lowering the likelihood that consumers would eat
harmful chemicals through what they eat.
Higher exposure to important minerals, antitoxins, and
other chemicals from organic crops ensures better
nutrition and improved health for those who eat them. In
the same way, livestock producers follow humane farming
methods, taking into consideration the wellbeing of the
animals and banning the use of routine antibiotics and
growth hormones to produce products that are chemical
free and encourage the consumption of wholesome foods
by people.
But unlike drugs we can avoid this type of farming and
change to organic farming. Organic farming is founded
upon the basic and natural principles of embracing
different natural systems in search of ecological balance
whilst promoting biodiversity in the food they grow. But
organic farming shows the potential of mother nature. The
benefits of organic farming are a huge improvement in
human health, which has been regularly noted by
researchers over the years. Also organic foods are grown

What are precautions we must
take before using herbs?
It is important to first consult a knowledgeable
doctor before adding any type of herbal medicine to
your daily or regular healthcare routine. These
experts perform important assessments while
taking into account things like past medical records,
present medical conditions, and prescription
medications that are currently being used.
This method confirms the effectiveness of
recommended treatments in avoiding an increase of
herb-drug interactions, which could have a negative
impact on a person's overall health. You can also
help your case by learning about each herb you want
to use, you can ensure a safe path. It is important to
conduct deep studies on these treatments, such as
learning about their uses, side effects, and
suggested dosages from reliable sources.
The likeliness of negative effects can be reduced
while achieving the benefits that come with
alternative treatments by making sensible choices
that are based on evidence rather than general
assumptions about alternative treatments.

Herbal Digestive Tea
Use dried mint leaves chamomile
flowers and dried fennel seeds.
Directions:
The herbs should be combined in
a teapot or mug.
Over the herbs, pour boiling
water.
Qatari Herbal Candy
Add raisins, dates, apricots, and walnuts in a food processor then stir in the coconut
shavings honey and carob powder and add in the nut butter of your choice, then roll
the mix into balls and freeze

Modern medications and traditional herbal remedies continue to be compared, with each side putting out strong
arguments in favor of its use. Pharmaceuticals definitely contributed to the development of medicine by saving
many lives and creating advanced breakthroughs in medical treatment that are unmatched in history. However,
alternative doctors promote herbal abilities toward healing and general health issues because they don't have the
same complex methods or side effects as chemicals.
This article's goal isn't to convince readers one way or another but it wants to evaluate the pros and cons of
different options for treatment in considering the ongoing debate over best practices in our unique healthcare
system. Ancient herbal treatments give plenty of safe natural options for restoring health while avoiding the
negative side effects sometimes linked to medications created in a lab.
Bibliography
Newman, Tim. "What Are Mitochondria?" Medicalnewstoday, 8 Feb. 2018, i0.wp.com/cdnprod.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/320/32
0875/a-basic-diagram-of-a-mitochondrion.jpg?
w=1155&h=1747. Accessed 27 May 2023.
La Corsaria. "Rosemary." Https://Lacorsaria.Com/Rosemary/, lacorsaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/lacorsaria-fresh-rosemary.png
. Accessed 27 May 2023.
Shalchi, Homa . "The Benefits of Exercise in a Pill? Science Is Closer to That Goal." Baylor College of Medicine, 15
June. 2022, cdn.bcm.edu/sites/default/files/styles/two_thirds_width_component_image/public/2022- 06/pill.jpg?
h=26ecbb49&itok=3vDb-vou. Accessed 25 May 2023.
Deeksha Kumar . "6 Basic Methods of Organic Farming." NDTV Food, 18 Feb. 2017, i.ndtvimg.com/i/2017-02/
soil_620x350_81487334083.jpg. Accessed 26 May. 2023.
Godman , Brain . "Consumption and Lack of Access to Medicines and Associated Factors in the Brazilian Amazon:
A Cross-Sectional Study, 2019." National Library of Medicine, 6 Oct. 2020,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7573467/#:~:text=Nearly%202%20 billion%20
people%20have,deaths%20(Chan%2C%202017). Accessed 23 May 2023.
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Petrovska BB. Historical review of medicinal plants' usage. Pharmacogn Rev. 2012 Jan;6(11):1-5. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.95849.
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Al Dweik, Nazeeh Dr. "Herbal Remedies." Herbal Remedies, 6 May 2023. Interview.
Rang, H P., et al. Rang and Dale's Pharmacology. 8th ed., vol. 8.5 x 1.25 x 10.75, Churchill Livingstone, 2015, https://doi.org/-13
978-0702053627. p. 776 pages

Could Football Stadiums
Feed the Hungry? - Hubert?
Football stadiums and pitches are
very expensive, you can’t transport
them, and are not good for the
environment. Some football pitches
use artificial turf that is made from
polyethylene plastic grass and tires.
The black tires in the grass can heat
up quickly and rapidly, in places like
the Middle East the weather in the
summer is very hot and it is almost
impossible to play football on
artificial turf in those countries.
During the Arab Cup Agrico
composted waste from the
stadiums to reduce waste and
produce organic food. Hubert
thinks we could take this a step
further…

Football in the Middle East is very popular, the 2022 World
Cup, and football superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo joining
Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia made almost everyone know
Middle Eastern football. Also natural turf (grass) almost
can’t survive in these hot places, and if it survives it is very
hard to keep it alive. Fans are also a problem. Some fans
are going too far and are throwing things at players, caps,
bottles, firecrackers, heads of animals, etc... When
Barcelona won the Spanish ligue, La Liga Santander the
opposition teams fans went on the pitch and attacked the
Barcelona players, no Barcelona players were injured but it
was close! Fights also happen, fans vs fans. Some fans get
hurt or even worse! Food waste is also a big problem, the
Wembley stadium is the largest stadium in the Uk and the
second largest in Europe. It alone generates around 30
tonnes of waste per year! Now imagine a stadium that
solves all of these problems and is transportable! This
essay is about exactly that!
The Tottenham Hotspur stadium in England takes the food
waste and gives it to the animals on the farm. Also
Liverpool has their own garden and uses it at the stadium.
Imagine if the food waste from the stadiums was given to
the farm animals, then the poop of the animals could be
used for the garden and for the grass on the pitch. Then
the stadium could also include a farm and you could visit
the farm if you paid for example 5 riyals. The same could
be done for the garden!
In a survey that I did with people from my class, 50% said
that they would go to a zoo before a match and the other
50% said that they would go to a garden. The average
price for a visit was 79 riyals. Everyone liked the 974
stadium's feature, that it is transportable. 2 People said
that Lusail stadium is their favorite, and 1 person said that
Al Janoub stadium is their favorite, and one person said
that they don’t have a favorite. 2 People said that a
stadium needs to have recycled materials to be Eco
friendly, one person said that it needs to be reusable, and 2
people said that nature should be in it. For the pillars I
could use magnesium as it is one of the lightest metals,
and is cheap. (Lee) For the stands I could use magnesium
alloy, and on top carbon fiber because it is durable. For the
seats I could make them from Polypropylene fiber (PPF),
because it is very durable, and is lightweight so it is perfect
for the stadium. Now that the stands are done we need to
move on the protection for the fans and players.
Sometimes fans clash in the stadium and have big fights so
we need to eradicate that. Also when fans are happy or too
excited they storm the pitch, which is very dangerous for
the players. We can also make a section that is quieter for
the families. Gerbera Daisies help with breathing so they
can boost the players on the pitch (“Top 9 Plants That
Provide Oxygen - Ferns N Petals”), also the color orange
and yellow makes you happier (Stanton) and green makes
you calmer (“Color Your World to Relieve Stress”).

Now noise cancellation, headphones that are designed to
make your environment quieter can help but not everyone
has them. So noise barriers will help, in 2010 a noise
barrier cost 32 dollars per foot (“Noise Barrier
Construction Average Unit Cost by Year - Summary -
Inventory - Noise Barriers - Noise - Environment - FHWA”),
these could be helpful as some people have sensitive ears
or are very young. For the pitch I could use Platinum Te, as
it is very durable, shade tolerant, and can regenerate
fastly. (Holmes)
The outside of the stadium needs to be nice, and
lightweight. The design of the stadium was decided by my
personal studies class. The shape of the stadium is a tree
(the sides), the bark is from the oak tree (the texture of
the sides), and the leaves are from the birch tree (it’s the
texture of the dome on top of the stadium). The tree would
be made out of aluminum and it would be bent and
scratched to look like tree bark, the leaves will get the
same treatment. I could use the design of the tree and
that it is higher than the inside stadium, and make it so
that the rainwater could be given to the animals or plants
in the stadium. Also, the garden and zoo have to be in the
stadium so I could use reused containers like the 974
stadium with some oak wood embedded in the containers.
For the boxes at the top of the stadium (for
commentaries, VIPs, match officials), I could do something
like a design from the movie Jurassic World, from the t-rex
enclosure (27:00 min). For the animals I could have small
reptiles (lizards, snakes, chameleons, tortoises, and
turtles), insects (beetles, bees, ants, spiders), or small
mammals (possums, mice, rats).
The weight of a 45,000 seater stadium is around
15,000-20,000 using Lusail stadium (“Lusail Stadium –
StadiumDB.com”), but Lusail stadium doesn’t use
magnesium alloy but steel (“Steel Used in 2022 FIFA World
Cup Qatar”). That means that the stadium would be
lighter. I will make a model of the stadium with the feature
that it can open inside and you can take everything out and
put it on a boat. The end stadium is equipped with light
metals, hard floors, cheap but durable seats, very durable
and fastly growing grass, a mini zoo and garden for income
and food, and a spectacular design that catches the
rainwater and reuses it to save money from water bills.

The Medical Treasures of
Pakistan - Alishba
Like her classmate, Zade, Alishba
focused on natural medicines as so
many people around the world do not
access pharmacies or cannot take
medication because they have no food.
What made her research so touching
was that we have many of the plants
she mentions in our garden.
Malaria is the most common disease in Pakistan and the
medical plants help more than the traditional medicine
to treat it. The most common medicinal plants used as
traditional antimalarial medicine are Alstonia scholaris
(blackboard tree), Papaya, and Andrographis paniculata
(Green chiretta), they can be easier to use for
treatment and don’t have side effects like nausea,
vomiting, and headache, dizziness, fatigue, malaise
(feeling of discomfort), muscular pain (Myalgia), diarrhea
or coughs.

I chose this topic because I want to learn more about the
medical plants in Pakistan because I’m from there and
nowadays there are problems where people are getting
injured and they don’t know what plants to use and they
can’t afford treatment, so they can’t heal and with this,
they’ll know how to use medicinal plants to heal
themselves.
This will help people who are at war so that they can heal
themselves and their families because up to 4 billion
people rely on herbal medicine so
they need to know which ones to use and what it’s used for.
Also, medical plants are more healthy than manufactured
drugs because they don’t have many side effects.
Medical plants are also better for the environment
because they don’t have the poisonous and deadly
toxicants of synthetic drugs which can’t be reused or used
for anything else, so they have to get thrown out and then
start to pollute the environment.
Also, eating medical herbs can help prevent you from
having heart diseases and lower cholesterol levels, like
garlic, linseed, fenugreek and lemongrass.
50% of all the people in Pakistan can’t get proper health
care, because of poverty, and 42% of them don’t have
health insurance so they can barely afford treatment
sometimes if money is even a bit low they don’t go to the
hospital because it might put them in debt and because of
overpopulation the drinking water can be dirty and
unsanitary, there is also very low health awareness.
Note from teacher: when I fact checked Alishba, I saw
that her treatments were also used for Dengue.
Mango is also used and we have two Pakistani mango
trees.
Citations:
Hassan, Ovais. “Memon Medical Institute Hospital.”
Memon Medical Institute Hospital, 5 June 2022,
mmi.edu.pk/blog/health-issues-in-pakistan/
#:~:text=Because%20of%20overpopulation%2C%20unsa
fe%20drinking,
epidemics%20due%20to%20communicable%20diseases.
Accessed 20 May 2023.
Hassan, Ovais. “Memon Medical Institute Hospital.”
Memon Medical Institute Hospital, 7 Mar. 2022,
mmi.edu.pk/blog/access-to-primary-health-care-inpakistan/#:~:text=50%25%20of%20the%20popul
ation%20in,does%20not%20have%20health%20insuran
ce. Accessed 19 May 2023.

Plant Cosmetics in
Arab Culture and
Islam by Majda and
Muneera
In this article, two friends, Majda
and Muneera will take you on a
journey. Majda will teach you
about Kohl and Henna and
Muneera will teach you about
the artistic benefits.
We do have our own HENNA trees
and we did try to make the tattoo
paste but we failed miserably
because we didn’t follow Majda’s
recipe. Please follow the recipe.

What is Kohl?
Kohl is an ancient eye cosmetic, it is
traditionally made by grinding stibnite that
makes use of charcoal mascara. It’s commonly
used in the Middle East, Caucasus, North Africa,
South Asia, West Africa and the Horn of Africa.
It’s mostly worn by women, but as well as some
men and children. Sadly, several studies have
questioned the safety of Kohl and due to the
dangers of lead poisoning.
Kohl is Sunnah in Islam since the Prophet wore
kohl made from antimony and said it is good for
the eyes. But some Kohl today are not good for
the eyes because it is made of poisonous lead
instead of antimony, so wearing it may not be
sunnah
Kohl comes from a plant called
Brassica which grows with cabbages.
Brassica produces Kohlrabi which is
the Kohl. It is a plant that doesn’t need
deep soil so we can grow it at school..

Henna is a dye from a plant called Lawsonia inermis, Henna
is made of dried leaves of the Henna shrub. Henna is used
in many countries such as....
Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria,
Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Eritrea, Tunisia, Morocco,
Spain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain,
Kuwait, Crimea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria.What is Henna
in Islam?
Henna is believed to bring good luck f to marriage nuptials.
It contains barakat which means an unseen flow of positive
energy. The reason why henna is not haram is because it
has been detailed in some hadith that the women were
encouraged to wear it. It was narrated by Abu Dawood.
How to make it? Buy the seeds, keep the seeds in a moist
paper towel, put the seeds in a ziplock and keep them in
the refrigerator. Then, after 3 or 4 days, take them out
then plant them well.
Add 25 grams of henna powder in a bowl then 13 grams of
sugar, then 7.5 ml essential oil and finally 1⁄4 cup of water.
Cover with cling wrap then lastly check if the henna is
ready!

As you can see, Henna is a traditional Arab and Indian
culture art that is fashionable and stylish unique design to
have on your hands that can have little hidden meanings in
it can also be used as medicine for example when you have
a henna on your hand and have a wound it protects it from
germs and bacteria it avoids it from being infected. Also its
leaves are safe to use for killing fungus however it is not
safe for pregnant women ,or in the case of sensitive skin,
it is best not to use it or if you have sensitive hair as it can
cause hair loss and dandruff.
Henna can be used for your face because it blocks your
dark spots and makes you face more clear and younger
which can also used as a cosmetic and reduces scars
henna. She said :”I think it is really satisfying and cool but
it's also unique. I like how smooth the strokes are”.
This is why I picked henna art. It has fashionable unique
way of expressing your style and showing different ways of
wearing it also helps with stress and trauma and people
find it relaxing and satisfying to draw on henna hands even
henna artist find it satisfying and in Pakistan, India, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia they make their henna different and in
different ways.
Personally, I look forward to adding to this art’s history
that extends for more than 5000 years.
I (Muneera) interviewed Ms Nolan, our design teacher, to
see how art can help with mental illness. I asked her how
art helps us mentally and physically, “Art can express
emotion when you don't feel safe saying it or feel
comfortable for example trauma from a car accident etc ...
And it helps you make you feel safer and helps you comfort
yourself. It expresses your personality and helps with
mental issues for example autism and is unique and art
expresses your style in fashion which shows different
unique styles”
There are so many different types of art, henna art,
sketching, tattoos etc .... I asked her what she thinks about

https://www.thelotusroomnashville.com/living-ayurveda/2017/9/25/healing-benefits-of-henna#:~:text=Traditional medicinal
uses for henna,bacterial skin infections, including ringworm.&text=Henna helps to improve hair health.
https://www.stu.ca/lnap/henna-its-history-and-cultural-significance/#:~:text=Henna: Its History and Cultural,living in hot
desert climates.
https://jariboti.pk/shop/herbal-tea/henna-leaves-tea/
https://www.rxlist.com/henna/supplements.htm

Beauty without Cruelty- Anas
and Hana
It’s hard to imagine the ugly truth
behind our beauty products. Anas and
Hana look behind the scenes at the
cost to animals.
Did you know that some man made cosmetics can be
harmful to the environment and cause habitat loss and
affect animals, it can also cause necrosis and other
problems. There are also healthy and eco friendly options
that are good for the environment cheap and can be made
at home. This is what I will be talking about in this
magazine article. Regardless if you use cosmetics or not I
hope that you will enjoy reading this article.
I am researching cosmetics and medicines. Did you know
that some man made cosmetics like deodorant contain
aluminum salts which can cause necrosis and uric acid
production? Instead you can make a natural deodorant
with Coconut oil, cornstarch baking soda and any essential
oil for scent.This is also cheaper than man made
deodorant and can be easily made at home.

Some man made cosmetics can affect animals and destroy
their habitats because factories wipe out forests for palm
oil to make cosmetics. It is one of the most used
ingredients in our cosmetics. Also they end up in the ocean
and have opposite effects on fish and shellfish and can
cause severe genetic mutations to the fish and shellfish.
because trees give us oxygen and we need it to breath and
stay alive.
I found out that some natural and non harmful cosmetics
like sugar scrub can be made out of three natural
ingredients: Olive oil,sugar and essential oils of any sort for
scent.
This works because I gave it to my classmates Meriem,
Shouq, Karma, Noura and myself and at the end of the
experiment, all of our hands were as soft as a baby's hand
and were really smooth. My hand was extremely soft and
smooth after testing the product and it worked perfectly.
All of my classmates said that it worked really well and
made their hands smooth and soft.
However some ingredients in natural cosmetics may cause
allergic reactions like burns or skin redness.
The Palm oils which are used most in cosmetics are taken
from forests and are needing to be wiped down Which
destroys habitats of animals such as, Asian Elephants
Tigers and Orangutans This can lead to the extinction of
several species which is bad for the environment and for us
Overall there are way more negative sides to man made
cosmetics than natural cosmetics, this is why everyone
should consider making or using natural cosmetics instead
of man made cosmetics . This will ensure that animals and
their habitats in nature are safe and unharmed.
my research colleague, Hana, will give even more
compelling reasons why we should choose ethical skin care.

Toxic cosmetics are a really big problem in the world. They
have impacted so many people and animals. Hidden
chemicals in cosmetics take lives and cause alot of cancer.
About a year ago, I switched to using only vegan cosmetics
because I wanted to stop killing and do the right thing for
others. This is our planet and we need to take care of it.
Harmful toxins cause so much damage to animals and
people alike. WE alone can stop this issue by stopping the
usage of these chemicals. Instead, animals are used to test
these chemicals, but even if they seem safe on animals
they still are dangerous for humans.
Toxic!
Most popular makeup brands contain a chemical called
phthalates. This chemical is very dangerous and causes
cancer and hormone disruptors. 1oo,ooo people die from
hormone disruptors in the USA alone. Around 1o million
people died from cancer in 2020 and it's getting
worse.Every 6th person who dies, dies of cancer and it
hurts to realize how many people are dying from this. An
average woman in the USA uses 12 different chemicals per
day containing 168 toxic chemicals inside. We are
voluntarily putting cancer causing chemicals in the body.
One of the main reasons people use makeup is to look
better than they actually are. Social media filters are the
same problem. People use toxic makeup to look good on
social media, but this is very bad for your mental and
physical health. It's natural for people to want to present
themselves in the best light, but 94 % of people feel
pressured to look better than they are on social media.
For over half of those people, the pressure is enormous.
Social media lies about our appearance but also our life.
70% percent of people feel pressured to showcase a
better life they actually have and 86% of people's lives are
different than described on social media. Filters can make
you depressed, lower your respect for yourself and
confuse your body image.
Filters

Why do we still do Animal testing?
But we aren't the ones suffering the most
here. Animals have nothing to
do with this and yet they go through so much
pain for our products. Brands that have
toxins test on animals ẗo ensure product
safety . ̈ The thing is, you don't need to test on
animals unless you are using harmful
chemicals or products that didn't come from
natural sources. From the 50 largest
cosmetics brands in the world, only 22% are
cruelty free- they don't test on animals. 88%
still do animal testing, so 44/50 are toxic. 21%
of the countries in the world have successfully
banned animal testing. The USA and Brazil
have some laws against it and China is the
only country requiring it. The problem is, even
if a brand is from a country where animal
testing is banned, they are still required to do
it in China otherwise they cant sell their
products in China. China has one of the best
economies in the world, so most brands cant
refuse.

How much does it really hurt them?
The pain from testing is more than you could ever imagine.
Yearly, 75o,ooo animals die from just one experiment.
Animals aren't given pain relief medicine, just dumped back
into their cage. More than 11o,ooo animals die yearly in the
USA alone. Imagine how many that is in the whole world!
And it's getting worse every year. 95 % of drugs that
worked on animals and were believed to be successful
actually failed on humans so the animals went through all
that pain for nothing. Only 3 % of animals actually survived
animal testing and finished their lives happily. That's
roughly 6,286 animals. 893 cows, 750 fish and 45 bats
were released back. The rest are killed after the
experiment so their tissues and organs can be examined, if
they make it.
their spinal cords (one of the most important bones in the
body) damaged and then forced to run on treadmills so
humans can study nerves. Meanwhile, sheep are exposed
to high pressure (like the type you feel in your ears deep
underwater) and then quickly to normal pressure to see
their reactions. So many suffer for nothing, so many for
our satisfaction with ourselves.
Individuals Suffer
Different species of animals are used for experiments. For
example, dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, mice, monkeys,
ferrets and even pigs are used for testing. Dogs have their
organs removed or permanently damaged so people can
study how this would affect humans. Monkeys are taken
from their mommas as infants to study how major stress
can impact the human body. Ferrets, mice, and rats are
force fed and forced to inhale chemicals used in cosmetics
to see what happens if they get inside the body. Cats have

In conclusion, so many animals are hurt for nothing just to
test chemicals that hurt so many people. YOU DON'T
HAVE TO FALL IN THIS TRAP! There are ways you can
help fight this problem, in your own house or in your
community. First, avoid using these brands:
● L óreal Paris
● MAC cosmetics
● ● Avon
● COVERGIRL ● Maybelline
● L óreal
● Garnier
● Lush
● Dior
● Too faced
● Revlon
● Neutrogena
● Clinique
● Chanel
● The Body Shop ● Bobbi Brown
● Unilever
● Canvin Klein
● All these brands were caught or admitted to animal
testing and have had toxic chemicals inside. Instead, you
can support cruelty free brands or buy products with
the cruelty free label. You can also spread awareness
about this issue in the community. Or you can make your
own natural cosmetics!
●
● How to make your own soap Equipment needed:
● 1. Silicone soap molds 2. Spatula
● 3. Thermometer
● 4. Baking pan
● 5. Stick or blender Ingredients:

Ingredients:
1. 2⁄3 cup of Coconut oil
2. 2⁄3 cup of Olive oil
3. 2⁄3 cup of Almond oil
4. 1⁄4 cup of Sidra
7. Pour into silicone molds and smoothe out with a spatula
is needed
8. Cover with plastic wrap and wrap the whole thing in a
towel
9. Let it sit for 12-24 hours
10. Enjoy your organic soap!
5. 3⁄4 cup of cool water Steps
1. Add your sidra into the water
2. Place your oils into a separate container and heat them
in the
microwave or pan until they reach 120 celsius
3. Both of the substances should be around 95 to 100
celsius.
4. Slowly add the lye into the oil mixture
5. Keep stirring for 5 minutes
6. Add any additions like herbs (optional)

Bibliography
Deaths Linked to ‘Hormone Disruptor’ Chemical Costs Billions in Lost U.S. Productivity | NYU Langone News
Are Harmful Chemicals Hiding in Your Cosmetics?
Cancer Deaths worldwide
Living on Earth: Phthalates Linked to 100,000 Yearly Deaths
Do You Use a Filter Every Time You Post?
How Face Filters on Instagram, Facetune Affect Mental Health
Yes, animal testing is still a reality for cosmetics in 2023
Countries That Have Banned or Require Animal Testing {2022 Updated}
Animal Testing Statistics - Eye-Opening Facts You Must Know! Only 3 Percent of Animals Survive Lab Experiments -
Haaretz Com
Animal testing and experiments FAQ
How To Make Soap: Homemade Soap Recipe for Hand and Body Try These 8 DIY Shampoo Recipes for Healthy Hair
Animal Testing Is Wrong: An Evaluation Argument
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

Bibliography
Top 10 Most Toxic Ingredients Hiding in Your Deodorant. (n.d.). Swansonvitamins.Com. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from https://
www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/articles/top-10-most-toxic-ingredients-hidi ng-in-your-deodorant.html
How do cosmetics impact the environment? (n.d.). Kitenest.Co.Uk. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from
https://kitenest.co.uk/blogs/news/how-do-cosmetics-impact-the-environment
Health Daily Advice. (2019, May 6). Is Makeup Bad For You? Health Daily Advice. https://www.healthdailyadvice.com/beauty/ismakeup-bad-for-you/
Guo, C., Manjili, M. H., Subjeck, J. R., Sarkar, D., Fisher, P. B., & Wang, X.-Y. (2013). Therapeutic cancer vaccines: past, present, and
future. Advances in Cancer Research, 119, 421–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407190-2.00007-1
Use Orgânico News. (2018, May 5). Cosmético orgânico: como identificar esses produtos e evitar fazer compras erradas! Use
Orgânico. https://blog.useorganico.com.br/cosmetico-organico-como-identificar-esses-prod utos-e-evitar-fazer-compras-erradas/
Sign the Petition. (n.d.). Change.Org. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from https://www.change.org/p/the-world-stopping-deforestation-forpalm-oil
Candillier, C. (2021, November 24). Environmental Impacts of Chemicals in Cosmetics. Gaea Health.
https://gaeahealth.co/blogs/news/cosmetics-and-environmental-impacts
Raw Sugar Scrubs. (n.d.). The All Natural Face. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from https://theallnaturalface.com/raw-sugar-scrubs/
Liz Ritter, E. E. (2017, October 4). The “Dark Side” of Natural Ingredients You Need to Know About. NewBeauty.

Coming in August
Luckily, we aren’t finished telling
you all about our exciting research!
In August’s edition, you can read
about war medicine, Sudan’s
importance to global food security,
why chickens are so fat and which
plants are good for dogs, horses
and chickens.
You might even go into a Syrian
forest or a Pakistani spa…
Once again, we extend our
enormous gratitude to the National
Museum Academic Committee for
their generosity. We are also deeply
grateful to the GSL Hummingbirds.