Tasting "White Gold" in Social Studies
In 8th grade social studies, students discussed the physical difficulties of growing certain crops, especially sugarcane, in the colonial period. As they learned about slavery in the colonies, they discussed how sugar was considered "white gold" and required backbreaking labor in the Caribbean. A student added depth to the topic by sharing real sugarcane obtained from a local farmer's market. Students discovered how to extract the sugary sap by breaking open the cane, offering an insight into historical practices.