Columbian Exchange 2025

Open Ended

How do you think the exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres might have impacted societies on both sides?

Multiple Choice

Why was the Columbian Exchange a significant event in world history?

• It led to the discovery of new continents.

• It resulted in the exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

• It caused the fall of major empires.

• It was the beginning of modern technology.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the Columbian Exchange?

• The exchange of goods and ideas between Asia and Africa

• The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western hemispheres

• The migration of people from Europe to the Americas

• The spread of technology from Europe to Asia

Open Ended

Explain how the transfer of disease vectors during European colonization affected indigenous populations in the Americas.

Open Ended

What did you (or will you) eat for lunch that you would not have been able to eat 1000 years ago in the US?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following were staple crops exported from the Americas to Europe, Asia, and Africa?

• Rice, wheat, barley, oats

• Potatoes, maize, sweet potatoes, tomatoes

• Sugar cane, coffee, grapes, olives

• Bananas, pineapples, vanilla, cacao

Multiple Choice

Which food would NOT exist in its modern form without the Columbian Exchange, as referenced in the meme?

• Pizza

• Rice

• Okra

• Sweet potatoes

Multiple Choice

Which diseases were introduced to the Americas as a result of the Columbian Exchange, and what impact did they have on the native populations?

• Smallpox, measles, typhus, influenza, malaria, and yellow fever; they caused massive population decline among natives.

• Malaria, tuberculosis, and polio; they had little effect on native populations.

• Chickenpox, rabies, and mumps; they increased native populations.

• Ebola, HIV, and SARS; they caused minor illnesses among natives.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of European and African diseases on indigenous populations in the Americas?

• They caused a dramatic decline in native populations, sometimes up to 90%.

• They had no significant effect on native populations.

• They only affected European settlers.

• They led to an increase in native populations due to improved immunity.

Open Ended

What were some of the social and cultural consequences of the 'great dying' for indigenous peoples in the Americas?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following animals were introduced to the Americas during the Columbian Exchange and contributed to the development of ranching economies?

• Horses, pigs, cattle, goats, and sheep

• Dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks

• Llamas, alpacas, guinea pigs, and turkeys

• Elephants, camels, zebras, and lions

Open Ended

Explain how the Columbian Exchange transformed societies in the Americas beyond just the spread of disease.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was NOT a direct effect of the introduction of livestock such as cattle, pigs, horses, and sheep to new environments?

• Supplied meat, milk, hides and wool

• Destroyed natural vegetation

• Increased world population overall

• Decreased caloric intake

Open Ended

Explain how the introduction of the horse changed the lives of Native peoples in the Americas.

Multiple Choice

Which American food crops contributed to population growth in the Eastern Hemisphere after the Columbian Exchange?

• Corn, potatoes, cassava

• Wheat, rice, barley

• Tomatoes, peppers, squash

• Bananas, oranges, grapes

Open Ended

How did the potato become a crucial food in Ireland?

Multiple Choice

Which regions in Ireland experienced the greatest population decline during the Potato Famine of 1841-1851?

• Northern Ireland

• Western and Southern Ireland

• Eastern Ireland

• Central Ireland

Multiple Choice

How did the introduction of new foods from the Americas impact the population growth during the Qing Dynasty?

• It caused a decrease in population due to crop failures.

• It had no significant impact on population growth.

• It sustained a rapid increase in population.

• It led to the decline of traditional crops only.

Open Ended

How could you explain the causes for the information on this graph?

Open Ended

What is the connection between okra and the slave trade?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following were outcomes of the Columbian Exchange for Europe?

• Decline in scientific knowledge

• Foundations for the Industrial Revolution

• Loss of colonial markets

• Decrease in population

Open Ended

Reflecting on what you learned about the Columbian Exchange, what is one question you still have or one aspect you would like to explore further?

Multiple Choice

What were some of the major effects of the Columbian Exchange on the Eastern and Western Hemispheres?

• Introduction of new crops and animals

• Spread of diseases

• Increase in global trade

• All of the above