The Columbian Exchange

Introduction

Hello Class! Today we will learn about the Columbian Exchange. We will learn about about how people, plants, and animals have impacts on the environments the inhabit. 

Task

You will learn about the different people, places, and events and why they are important to the world you live in today and how they shaped the landscape. You will learn about what the land was like before they arrived and the drastic differences from before their arrival to now. 

You will learn about Christopher Columbus and why he made his voyage.

You will learn about maps and how they distort reality to make it fit into an agenda. 

You will learn about Cortez and why and how he convinced and king to allow him to attack the Azteks. 

Process

Split into groups

Read the chapters assigned in the book, Geography History and Concepts

Come up with explanations for why or how a region changed 

Explain the impact on diseases and why and how they afflicted one group of people and not another

Explain why certain plants succumbed to a blight while others were unfazed

Explain Christopher Columbus's impact on the Americas

Evaluation

I will evaluate the students based on their ability to analyze and form proper arguments on the topic using a grading scale of 1-10. 1 the student did not properly analyze the topic given and could not form a proper argument that fit the topic and 10 the student formed a well thought out argument and properly backed it up using sources.

I will evaluate the students on their participation a grading scale of 1-10. 1 being the student never participated and had no input on the lesson while 10 the student constantly participated and had much input.

I will evaluate the students on their writing ability on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the student had constant spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors to 10 the student had no grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. 

Conclusion

It was good having you all along for this discussion about the Columbian Exchange. I hope you gained some valuable insight on how the landscape and ecosystems have changed since the Europeans first came across the Atlantic. 

Credits

Holt-Jensen, Arild. Geography History and Concepts

Teacher Page

SSP.04 Construct and communicate arguments citing supporting evidence to:

Demonstrate and defend an understanding of ideas

Illustrate cause and effect

SSP.05 Develop historical awareness by:

Recognizing how and why historical accounts change over time 

Perceiving and presenting past events and issues as they might have been experienced by the people of the time, with historical empathy rather than present-mindedness 

Evaluating how unique circumstances of time and place create context and contribute to action and reaction Identifying patterns of continuity and change over time, making connections to the present

SSP.06 Develop geographic awareness by:

Using the geographic perspective to analyze relationships, patterns, and diffusion across space at multiple scales (e.g., local, national, global)

Analyzing and determining the use of diverse types of maps based on the origin, authority, structure, context, and validity

Analyzing locations, conditions, and connections of places and using maps to investigate spatial associations among phenomena

Examining how geographers use regions and how perceptions of regions are fluid across time and space

Analyzing interaction between humans and the physical environment