Columbian Exchange Activity



Columbian Exchange Activity:

DO THE Maps first then answer the questions

SSWH10: The student will analyze the impact of the age of discovery and expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The Columbian Exchange has been one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. The term is used to describe the enormous widespread exchange of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including slaves), communicable diseases, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres that occurred after 1492. In that year, Christopher Columbus' first voyage launched an era of large-scale contact between the Old and the New Worlds that resulted in this ecological revolution: hence the name "Columbian" Exchange.

The Columbian Exchange greatly affected almost every society on earth, bringing destructive diseases that depopulated many cultures. By some estimates, nearly 80 percent of the native population of the Americas was wiped out from the introduction of European diseases. The contact between the two areas also circulated a wide variety of new crops and livestock. Maize and potatoes became very important crops in Eurasia by the 18th century. Manioc and the peanut flourished in tropical Southeast Asian and West African soils that otherwise would not produce large yields or support large populations. This exchange of plants and animals transformed European, American, African, and Asian ways of life. Of the world's top 26 crops, measured by weight of production, eight originated in the Americas. One third of the crop value within the United States depends on foods that were first grown in the Americas. Cultures also mixed and blended as evidenced by the slave trade.

PART 1: DISEASE DIFFUSION

For each of these activities, you will be creating a detailed map that shows the exchange of all things via the “Columbian Exchange”. Be sure to put in as much detail as possible.

DIRECTIONS

1. Draw the general diffusion routes for the following diseases on the world map provided. THE WIDTH OF THE ARROWS SHOULD REFLECT THE NUMBER OF DISEASES DIFFUSED!! (For example, the arrow showing the diffusion of disease from Europe to the Americas should be the width of 6 lines because 6 diseases traveled from Europe to the Americas. The arrow showing the diffusion of disease from the Americas to Europe should be the width of 2 lines because 2 diseases traveled from the Americas to Europe.

2. Make a color-key that shows the disease. For example, the red lines on your map within the arrows could represent small pox.

3. Title your map, “Disease Diffusion in the Columbian Exchange”

- DISEASES AND THEIR DESTINATION –

Europe to Americas Americas to Europe Europe to Africa Africa to Americas

small pox syphilis syphilis malaria

measles hepatitis yellow fever

diphtheria

typhus

the flu

tuberculosis

Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper. Answers must be done in complete sentences AND in pen or typed. Go into as much detail as possible:

1. Who is the “loser” in the “Disease Diffusion” game? Why?

2. Why do you think the Americas had so many diseases transmitted to them? (Hint: Think about Dr. Jared Diamond’s theory in ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel’.

PART 2: PRODUCT DIFFUSION

For each of these activities, you will be creating a detailed map that shows the exchange of all things via the “Columbian Exchange”. Be sure to put in as much detail as possible.

DIRECTIONS

1. On a NEW map, draw the general diffusion routes for the following products (animals and crops). This is very similar to the first map, only it is with products, not diseases

2. Make symbols for the products exchanged and include these on your map. Make a key that tells what those symbols mean.

3. Title your map, “Product Diffusion in the Columbian Exchange”

- PRODUCTS AND THEIR DESTINATION -

Europe to Americas Americas to Europe Europe to Africa Africa to Americas

horses sugar clothing slaves

cows tobacco guns ivory

pigs molasses cloth okra

bee rice beer

cat indigo (blue dye) iron

goat lumber

sheep potatoes

earthworms cocoa

corn (maize)

wheat

grapes

cotton

turkey

bell peppers

peanut

tomato

vanilla

Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper. Answers must be done in complete sentences AND in pen or typed. Go into as much detail as possible:

1. What impact did the horse have on the “New World” and on the history of the world in general?

2. Why do you think so few animals “diffused” from the Americas to Europe?

3. Why do you think planting wheat, grapes, and tobacco in the “New World” was so important to Europeans?

4. In your opinion, what are the two most important crops “diffused” from the Americas to Europe? Describe in detail WHY.

5. Who are the losers in the “Product Diffusion” game? Explain your answer.

PART 3: SILVER DIFFUSION

For each of these activities, you will be creating a detailed map that shows the exchange of all things via the “Columbian Exchange”. Be sure to put in as much detail as possible.

DIRECTIONS

1. On a NEW map, draw the general diffusion routes for silver. This is very similar to the first maps, only it’s with silver, not products or diseases.

2. Make a symbol for silver and include this on your map. Make a key that tell what this symbol means.

3. There are two routes that silver takes: the Eastern Route and the Western Route. Use two different colors for these lines.

4. Title your map, “Silver Diffusion in the Columbian Exchange”

- SILVER AND ITS DESTINATION -

Eastern Route Western Route

Mexico to Spain Mexico to Manila (Philippines)

Spain to the Cape of Good Hope Manila to China

The Cape of Good Hope to India

India to China

Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper. Answers must be done in complete sentences AND in pen or typed. Go into as much detail as possible:

1. What does the movement or diffusion of silver from each of the above areas to another tell you? It is time to use your critical thinking and investigative brain cells to come up with 2 hypotheses or theories.

PART 4: DIFFUSION OF PEOPLE

For each of these activities, you will be creating a detailed map that shows the exchange of all things via the “Columbian Exchange”. Be sure to put in as much detail as possible.

DIRECTIONS

1. On a NEW map, draw the general diffusion of slaves to the different parts of the New World. There are various destinations for these slaves, so be sure to use a different color for each.

2. Make TWO symbols for a slave and include this on your map. NOTE: FOR THIS ACTIVITY, MAKE 2 symbols: ONE SLAVE “SYMBOL” EQUAL TO 1,000,000 SLAVES and another SLAVE “SYMBOL” EQUAL 100,000. THEREFORE, MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE AS MANY SYMBOLS AS NEEDED TO SHOW HOW MANY SLAVES ACTUALLY WENT TO THESE DESTINATIONS. Also consider using thicker arrows for larger numbers of slaves, and smaller arrows for lesser numbers – this is an easy, yet effective way to convey information to the viewer of the map.

- SLAVES AND THEIR DESTINATION -

Africa to South America Africa to Mesoamerica/Caribbean Africa to Europe/N.Afr Africa to Asia Africa to Mid East

(see below) (12,000,000) (1,500,000) (1,500,000) (500,000)

Buenos Aires (200,000) Jamaica Spain India Saudi Arabia

Rio de Janeiro (200,000) Puerto Rico Portugal Egypt

Salvador da Bahia (3.9 mil) Dominican Republic Morocco

Mexico City

Yucatan Peninsula

Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper. Answers must be done in complete sentences AND in pen or typed. Go into as much detail as possible:

1. Do some quick math: what percentage of all slaves went to Mesoamerica? What percentage went to South America?

2. Based on the number of slaves diffused, what areas of the world do you think grew the fastest, in terms of economics, etc.? Why? Explain!

Summary Questions:

1. Why is the Columbian Exchange called a "tsunami of biological exchange”?

2. Would you include religion in the Colombian Exchange? How or why not? Be specific and GIVE EXAMPLES

3. Give two examples of how the Columbian exchange has affected your life?

4. How did the introduction of slaves from Africa, into North America, affect Native American and Caucasian cultures in your opinion? How did Caucasian and Native American cultures affect on the slaves brought in From Africa?

|Category | |Total Points |

|Maps |Maps must follow the directions, have a key, be in |20 points (5 points for each map) |

| |color, and be geographically accurate. | |

|Questions |Questions answered in complete sentences, |15 points (1 per question) |

| |grammatically correct, and written in pen or typed. | |

|Neatness |All maps and question responses must be neat, legible,|15 points |

| |and thoughtful. (Potential extra points for creativity| |

| |here!) | |

|Total Possible Points: | |50 Points |

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