The Columbian Exchange Lesson

Use the map above and identify the continents included in the “Old World.”

Use the map above and identify the continents included in the “New World.”

connect 9 dots with 4 lines without lifting your pencil

Before 1492, there was already an exchange of food, animals, and plants among Europe, Africa, and Asia. Europe and Asia were connected by land, and Africa was a short sail away. But not many people thought there was any reason to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, because few people believed that there were more continents there. This kept the Americas apart from everyone else for a long time.

Identify the barrier that was preventing cultural diffusion prior (before) to 1492.

Sentence Stem: The barrier that was preventing cultural diffusion prior to 1492 was…

Before 1492, there was already an exchange of food, animals, and plants among Europe, Africa, and Asia. Europe and Asia were connected by land, and Africa was a short sail away. But not many people thought there was any reason to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, because few people believed that there were more continents there. This kept the Americas apart from everyone else for a long time.

Before 1492, the Americas were _____.