Lies My Teacher Told Me Lesson Plan

What are some elements of the Columbian exchange that you can still see around you in the world today? How does this change your understanding of the world?

Students who are familiar with the Columbian exchange are likely to immediately point to food like potatoes, corn, and tomatoes, which have become staples of diets around the Western world. Some other students may suggest animals like horses or crops like tobacco; more inventive students may even point out that even religions like Christianity qualify as part of the Columbian exchange. For the second part of this question, however, the teacher should encourage students to connect these facts to the other issues, like...