Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange kicked off a collision of the four major world zones—and the ripple effects permanently reshaped Indigenous, African, and European societies. Our classroom-ready lesson plans, primary source collections, and teaching materials help students dig into this turning point, think critically about its consequences, and connect it to today’s global systems.
Columbian Exchange

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Teaching the Columbian Exchange

Image of a National Geographic magazine cover featuring a photograph of the ocean with diver Tara Roberts's head emerging in the foreground.

Blog: Dive in with National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts External link

Show students the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade through human stories and experiences.
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OER Project Map Index External link

Find maps for teaching about the Columbian Exchange, Age of Exploration, and Global Trade Routes.
Course Guide icon

World History Lesson Guide: The Columbian Exchange

Teacher instructions and guiding questions to help your students build their content knowledge and historical thinking skills.
Blog

Blog Post: Teaching the Columbian Exchange External link

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Tomorrow I’m teaching the Columbian Exchange—I’m out of ideas, what should I do?
Blog

Blog Post: Columbian Exchange History + Climate Change External link

The Columbian Exchange transformed environments. Learn how you can connect today's climate change with this historical process.

Teach Tomorrow: Lessons on the Columbian Exchange

Lesson 3.5
World History 1200
Transoceanic Connections
1450 – 1750 CE
The Columbian Exchange
After 1492, oceanic empires and transoceanic trade moved plants, animals, people, and disease to new places. This exchange transformed populations, food, culture, and social structures in every society on Earth.
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Lesson 6.2
Big History
The Modern Age
Four World Zones Connect
The connection of the world zones helped establish empires unlike any the world had ever known, powered by incredible technological breakthroughs. But this interconnection came at a staggering cost.
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A page from an Arab botanical treatise, featuring a botanical illustration of a tree with red and green foliage accompanied by descriptive text in Arabic.
Lesson 6.8.3
World History Origins
The First Global Age
1200 to 1750 CE
Crops that Grew the World
After 1492, the movement of plants had monumental effects on populations, the environment, and systems of production and distribution.
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Columbian Exchange Materials for Deeper Learning

The First Global Age (1200 to 1750 CE): Unit 6 Overview
World History Origins
Video

The First Global Age (1200 to 1750 CE): Unit 6 Overview External link

As global interconnections increased during the Columbian Exchange, people blended traditional teachings with new ideas to transform the world.
The Disastrous Effects of Increased Global Interactions c. 1500 to c. 1600
Engraving shows the arrival of a Dutch slave ship with a group of African slaves for sale
World History AP®
Article

The Disastrous Effects of Increased Global Interactions c. 1500 to c. 1600 External link

Global interactions benefited many people; however, many others were also deeply and cruelly impacted by this new global connection.
Consequences of the Columbian Exchange
Big History
Activity

Consequences of the Columbian Exchange External link

Test your understanding of the causes and effects of the Columbian Exchange to think about the impacts of this global connection we still feel today.
Sourcing: Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire
Sourcing - Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire
World History Origins
Activity

Sourcing: Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire External link

These sixteenth-century documents describe the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Why did they do it? How did Indigenous peoples respond?
Amonute
Amonute Graphic Biography
World History 1200
Graphic Biographies

Amonute External link

Amonute was a Powhatan woman who intervened between her people and early English colonists in Virginia. Learn the two sides to her story.
For Better or Worse
For Better or Worse
World History Origins
Closer

For Better or Worse External link

Was the Columbian Exchange a net positive or negative for the world? Time for you to decide for yourself.

Writing Assessments for Teaching the Columbian Exchange

Pre-Writing: The Columbian Exchange
Pre-Writing: The Columbian Exchange
World History Origins
Assessment

Pre-Writing: The Columbian Exchange External link

Prepare for this CCOT prompt by crafting a claim and gathering supporting evidence.
DBQ Sources: The Columbian Exchange
DBQ Sources: The Columbian Exchange
World History Origins
Assessment

DBQ Sources: The Columbian Exchange External link

Analyze these sources and gather evidence to support your argument.
Writing: The Columbian Exchange
Writing: The Columbian Exchange
World History Origins
Assessment

Writing: The Columbian Exchange External link

Time to write! Demonstrate your understanding of the changes and continuities that took place after the Columbian Exchange.

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Materials to Connect Climate Change and the Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange and Climate Change Lesson Plan External link

Use this lesson plan to explore how the Columbian Exchange transformed environments in ways we are still feeling today.

Exploring the Grand Challenges External link

To solve climate change, we need to decarbonize. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast: this video will help you see how reducing emissions is anything but.

Emissions Image Sort External link

Sort images of greenhouse gas emissions into different categories to prepare to learn more about the sources of these emissions.
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Community: Ask, Connect, Share

How do you explore the “spudtacular” impact of the Columbian Exchange?

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Columbian Exchange Resources

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Exploring the biological impact of the Columbian Exchange with Tyrone Shaw

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