Columbian Exchange Simulation and Guided Notes

This lesson includes:

1. Guided (simplified) notes on the Age of Exploration and Columbian Exchange, with a link to a great song! Student handout that goes with the presenter slides.

2. 36 cards with different items exchanged during the Columbian exchange. Each student will get one card (designed this for a class of 36, but if you have less just don't use all the cards, if you have more I would duplicate smallpox)

3. Have students divided into the old world and new world sections based on what card they are. Have them trade only on their side for round 1.

4. Rounds two and three have students "cross the ocean" and trade with others. When they trade with others they sign their name on the person's worksheet (ex-colonist 1) Then at the end you will reveal which colonists had diseases, showing what other natives are infected.

5. Some students are going to get a disease card, their job is to infect everyone. They will go up to people with dice and roll. The person with the highest number wins. So if a native gets a lower roll, they will then write down what disease infected them in the column. The disease can attempt to infect colonists (Europeans) but the colonists get 3 attempts to beat the ONE roll of the disease. This shows how the Europeans were largely immune to the diseases that were being brought to the Americas.

This is a super engaging and fun activity that gets students moving and thinking about the impact of the disease.