The Columbian Exchange and Climate Change Lesson Plan
OER PROJECT / LESSON PLANTEACHING GUIDE1The Columbian Exchange and Climate ChangeLesson PlanLength: Approx. two 50-min class periodsDescription: Draw clear connections between the Columbian Exchange and modern climate change by exploring how this period of extensive exchange transformed environments in ways we’re still experiencing today.Note: Linked sample answers require a free teacher login. Click hereto sign up or log in.Learning Objectives:•Describe the lasting impacts of the Columbian Exchange on the environment.•Evaluate the primary sources of greenhouse house gas emissions.Day 1: Global Exchange•Opener: In the short activity Mapping a Meal,students decide if their favorite meal would exist without the Columbian Exchange. This primes their thinking about how interconnection has impacted the foods they eat daily.•Watch: The video The Columbian Exchangeexplores how global connection both increased complexity and came at a steep price.•View key idea timestamps and sample answers here.•Read: The article “Crops that Grew the World” explains the major role plants played in everything from the environment to trade during the Columbian Exchange.•View key idea sample answers here.•Do: Using the article and video, students list the impacts of interconnection on the environment. For each impact, they’ll mark if they think it was positive (+) or negative (-). Next, students work in pairs to compare notes and craft a claim in response to this question: In what ways did the Columbian Exchange impact global and regional food systems in the period following interconnection?If your students are stuck, here are some ideas to get them started:oThe Columbian Exchange transformed global and regional food systems by introducing new crops and animals across continents. American crops like potatoes, maize, and tomatoes spread to Europe, Africa, and Asia, improving diets and supporting population growth. Meanwhile, Europeans brought wheat, sugarcane, and livestock such as cattle
OER PROJECT / LESSON PLANTEACHING GUIDE2and pigs to the Americas, reshaping local agriculture and diets. These exchanges created more diverse food systems but also disrupted traditional farming practices and contributed to environmental changes and social inequalities.Day 2: Global Emissions•Watch:As students watch the video Exploring the Grand Challenges, they’ll take notes about the connections they notice between the Columbian Exchange and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, paying close attention to the section on agriculture (2:22–2:36).•Sample answers: Livestock such as cattle, pigs, and sheep—introduced to the Americas during the Columbian Exchange—became central to global food systems and are now a major source of methane emissions. The global trade networks established by the ColumbianExchange laid the foundation for today’s transportation systems, which account for about 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions.•Do: Students complete the Grand Challenge Image Sortactivity. Ask them to put a star next to each source of emissions they can connect to the Columbian Exchange. There are no wrong answers if they can support their arguments!•Write: Students craft a claim in response to this question: How does the legacy of the Columbian Exchange continue to shape the causes or effects of climate change today?Sample answer: The Columbian Exchange helped build the interconnected, industrial world that drives many of today’s climate challenges through the global food and trade systems it created. The Exchange introduced livestock like cattle, pigs, and sheep to the Americas. Livestock became central to agriculture but now produce large amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The Exchange also established worldwide trade routes that evolved into modern transportation networks, which are responsible for significant carbon emissions. Optional Research Extension:Students can explore the Climate Tech Mapto research the most promising solutions to the food, agriculture, and nature challenges they learned about. This activitycan help structure their research as they learn more.Explore FurtherWant more? Check out these resources:•Infographic: The Grand Challenges•Article: “Solutions to the Grand Challenges”