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Transoceanic Migration

Driving Question: What were the causes and effects of increased global exchange and migration?

The Columbian Exchange moved goods, plants, and animals around the world, but it also moved people. Tens of millions of people crossed oceans. Some went in search of a better life, while others were forced to migrate for a life in servitude or enslavement. These stories of migration highlight some of the disastrous effects of global exchange.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Evaluate the impact of the Columbian Exchange on transatlantic migration patterns.
  2. Learn about the causes and effects of increased migration during this period.
  3. Use the historical thinking skill of causation to assess transatlantic migration during this period.
STEP 1

Opener: Transoceanic Migration

Teaching Tools

Check out this blog post External link for some additional (fun!) lesson ideas for teaching about oceanic connections.

STEP 2

Why Did People Migrate?

Teaching Tools

Looking for ways to give feedback to students on their causation skills? Here’s the Causation Feedback Form.

Traveling over the Atlantic Ocean in the 1500s was no pleasure cruise—this was dangerous business. This article and activity will help you understand what would cause people to make such a dangerous journey.

STEP 3

Effects of Global Migration

Teaching Tools

For reading strategies, check out the OER Project Reading Overview.

The migration of people from Afro-Eurasia to the Americas transformed the world. Many of these transformations were catastrophic, particularly for Indigenous American and African communities.

STEP 4

Closer: Transoceanic Migration

You’ve explored the consequences of increased global exchange and migration. Reflect on what you learned, what surprised you, and what questions you still have.