Context

Sugar originated in Southeast Asia and, by the time of Alexander the Great, sugar had arrived in Persia. In the 600's AD, Muslims began to conquer Persia to the east and to spread across Africa. They would ultimately arrive in Spain. As they conquered these different areas, they adopted and adapted new technologies, foods, and forms of knowledge. They also introduced these things to their new homes. Through trade and conquest, cultures came in contact with each other providing opportunities for peoples to learn from each other and to generate new knowledge and technologies.

• New York State Standards:
  • NYS Social Studies Standard 2 Elementary, Key idea 2: Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.
• Purpose:
  • Performance Indicator H17: develop timelines that display important events and eras from world history
• Materials:
  • Blank map of world for each student (http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/world_cont.pdf)
  • Wall map of the world (preferably one that can be written on)
  • Illustrated timeline of the story of sugar
  • Large timeline on the classroom wall that covers 8000 years. This time line should be somewhere that it can stay up for the whole unit. The scale should be such that it allows for dates to be added as the class continues the study. Indicate 6000 BC at one end of the time line, the year "0", and 2000 AD at the other end.
• Number of class periods needed: 1

Connection

This series of lessons launches a study of the history of sugar and how it contributed to history. Typically, we think of historical events in isolation. In reality, many historical events are linked in ways that can challenge how we view the unfolding of history. For example, on his way back to the "Indies" on his second voyage in 1493, Columbus stopped off in the Canary Islands where he procured some stalks of sugar cane from a plantation. This plantation was developed by Muslims. Sugar, which was to become a powerful economic force, would enrich many lives and cause unimaginable deprivation and misery for others.

Procedure

Have students respond in writing or with partners to the guiding question:

Where does sugar come from? What do you think you could learn about the history of people by studying the history of sugar?

Mapping the voyage of sugar.

• Each student, or small group of students, should receive one segment of the illustrated time line of sugar (date, description, and image).
• Each student should receive a blank world map.
• As the class creates the time line and identifies key places on a world map in the classroom, individuals should take notes on their blank maps. They can use arrows to indicate the spread of sugar and code events in the margins. They should indicate: Key dates of the story of sugar; Important stories or events relating to sugar in a certain place; and Key place names related to the history of sugar.
• Have the student(s) who have the earliest event (6000 BC, sugar cane used in Papua New Guinea) add the date to the time line and locate Papua New Guinea on the classroom world map. Put a #1 and the date on PNG. Model how they should do this on their maps with a key for the event number.
• Continue having students come up to add their information to the timeline and world maps in order. Have them indicate with arrows, the spread of sugar. They should continue to take notes in their notebooks and on their maps as well.
• As the class constructs this time line together, have them discuss observations and raise questions about how knowledge is spread and to think about how events across time and place influence each other.
• Upon completion of the time line, have students reflect on the following prompt:
• Go back to your thinking about where sugar comes from that we wrote at the beginning of this project. Given what we have learned, write a new response to these questions. Where does sugar come from? What do you think you could learn about the history of people by studying the history of sugar? How has what we have learned changed your thinking?

Assessment

Look closely at student work for evidence of:

• Sequencing
• Question asking
• Curiosity
• Use of evidence to support thinking