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Cultural Exchange in Afro-Eurasia

Driving Question: How did trade connections change cultures in Afro-Eurasia?

Networks of exchange across Afro-Eurasia moved science, technology, and culture to new places. Religions spread, as did advancements in fields such as astronomy, medicine, and mathematics. The circulation of all these innovations contributed to the development of a global body of knowledge.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn about how trade produced technological and scientific innovations.
  2. Assess the religious conflicts and transformations that took place in this period.
  3. Develop the historical thinking skill of causation and evaluate the impacts of long-distance trade on the European Renaissance
STEP 1

Opener: Cultural Exchange in Afro-Eurasia

STEP 2

Cultural Shifts

Trade, war, and pilgrimages often lead to cultural exchange, and societies are forever changed as a result. Find out how with this article, graphic biography, and activity.

STEP 3

Renaissance Narratives

In fourteenth-century Italy, a cultural movement of artists and scholars launched the European Renaissance. Use this article and activity to explore how this movement reshaped European culture and science.

STEP 4

Changing Beliefs

The work of one person can change everything. This was the case when a local monk fighting corruption in the Catholic Church set in motion a religious conflict that continues to influence our world today.

The Protestant Reformation External link

How did a protest led by a provincial monk against corruption in the Catholic Church become a centuries-long religious conflict that transformed global communities?

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 5

Closer: Cultural Exchange in Afro-Eurasia

You’re probably starting to see that there’s a positive and negative side to many historical events. Weigh the pros and cons of cross-cultural exchange and transformation.

Extension Materials
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Extend your understanding of cultural exchange by sailing into the communities of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
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Communities of Oceania

Imagine living among thousands of islands spread across vast expanses of ocean. The peoples of Oceania developed navigation technology that allowed them to stay connected to one another and maintain economic and cultural ties across thousands of miles of open ocean.