Sugar Changed The World: A Student Research Experience • Amelia Yoder • February 2025

Amelia Yoder, February 2025

Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos was the book that started my research paper assignment.

We just finished reading it in my Global 9 class, and our teacher allowed us to choose any topic to research, as long as it was related to history. My brain erupted with ideas.

The book mentioned that sugar played a role in many religious ceremonies, which intrigued me, but once I started searching for references, I struggled to find legitimate sources. I used several resources, and nothing more than a couple sentences showed up. I became frustrated, and upset that my peers easily found plenty of information to begin their outlines.

Curious, I discussed the topic with my teacher and switched my research topic to abortion in ancient civilizations, because we learned about modern abortion law, a topic that fascinates me. I am interested in understanding the opinions, methods, and theories of individuals from thousands of years ago and how they helped develop modern law. I searched for sources using both the Hudson Valley Community College library and Google, then winnowed. Along the way, I made several pages of notes and I outlined a logical order. I kept adding more information and facts until I was content with the length and flow of the piece. The last touch was editing and revising.

This assignment showed me I have a strong interest in ancient civilizations and their understanding of science and medicine, as well as how people perceive science in a religious context. Discovering how people think based on their background, and upbringing is fascinating, as is the ongoing experiment of culture and people’s development. If you know of any books about this subject, feel free to share them in the comments!

Amelia Yoder is a rising sophomore at Questar III & Hudson Valley Community College STEM High School. In her free time, she rock climbs, reads, and plays soccer.

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