The Columbian Exchange

Discover the Columbian Exchange! Learn how plants, animals, and ideas traveled between continents.

What is your favorite meal? Now list all of the main ingredients that you know of. The Columbian Exchange When European explorers came to the Americas, they traveled great distances using ships over the Atlantic Ocean. This trip took several months, so explorers had to plan accordingly. They brought with them the animals and crops they would eat and use on the trip and when they arrived in the New World. Animals and plants weren’t the only things Europeans brought with them when they explored; they also brought diseases, technology, religion, language, and slavery.When the European explorers would return to their home nations, they would tell people about the new plants, animals, and people they discovered in the Americas. They brought back examples, too. The movement of plants, animals, people, ideas, diseases, and technology between the New World (the Americas) and the Old World (Europe) is called the Columbian Exchange. What continents are considered the Old World in the Columbian Exchange? Africa Asia Europe North America What is the Columbian Exchange? the exchange of riches and ideas between other civilizations the exchange of plants, animals, and ideas between the Old and New Worlds the exchange of animals for plants between Africa and Europe a bartering system between Asia and Americas What continents are considered the New World in the Columbian Exchange? Africa Europe North America South America How did the Columbian Exchange change the modern world? Through language and art Through behavior and religion Through roads and dams Through trade and cultue Match the correct animal, plant, or idea to the New World or Old World. Old World Citrus Fruits Coffee Beans Grains Wheat Horses Bananas Disease New World Potatoes Cocoa Beans Peants Tomatoes Turkeys Peppers Corn Match the PRE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE situation with the best answer. Would an Italian be having meatball Marinara (red sauce)? Nope - not tomatoes in Europe Would an Englishman be eating fish and chips? No! There were no potatoes in Europe yet! Would Switzerland be making the finest chocolates in the world? Definitely not...they didn't have the cocoa bean yet! Would Cortes discover the Aztecs riding on horses? Absolutely not...the Native Americans didn't have access to horses until after. Check your answers and correct any needed on your sheet. Now answer the final questions on your sheet. Go back to your favorite meal. If the Columbian Exchange never happened, would you be able to eat your favorite meal? Type yes or no and give an explanation.