United States History Student Edition

D

Food From the Americas: The Potato One of the foods traded as part of the Columbian Exchange was the potato, which was unknown in Europe before explorers encountered the Americas. The introduction of the potato in Europe had an enormous impact on the way the world grew and ate food. EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Identifying Which hemisphere has the highest potato production? 2. Making Connections How does the map represent the impact of the Columbian Exchange?

SECONDARY SOURCE : MAP World Potato Production

Potato Production (Tons)

More than 4,213,000 1,626,027–4,213,000 600,300–1,626,027 340,257–600,300 160,847–340,257 48,000–160,847

8,220–48,000 Less than 8,220

SOURCE: Actualitix.com/FAO-2014

EVALUATE SOURCES AND USE EVIDENCE Refer back to the Compelling Question and the Supporting Questions you developed at the beginning of the lesson. 1. Evaluating Choose a source and explain how it reveals a positive or negative aspect of European exploration of the Americas. Did you find the content of the source surprising? Explain. 2. Synthesizing How do these sources demonstrate that the effects of European exploration and colonization of the Americas impacted people around the world? Provide specific examples. 3. Gathering Sources Which sources helped you answer the Supporting Questions and the Compelling Question? Which sources, if any, challenged what you thought you knew when you first created your Supporting Questions? What information do you still need in order to answer your questions? What other viewpoints would you like to investigate? Where would you find that information? 4. Evaluating Sources Identify the sources that helped answer your Supporting Questions. How reliable is the source? How would you verify the reliability of the source? Complete Your Inquiry

COMMUNICATE CONCLUSIONS 5. Collaborating With a partner, discuss the positive and negative effects of European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Identify the different points of view on European exploration reflected in the sources. Are the views biased or based on fact? Use the graphic organizer that you created at the beginning of the lesson to help you. Then discuss how the natives and Europeans had different experiences and perspectives on European exploration in the Americas. TAKE INFORMED ACTION Creating a Video Think about how the native peoples in the Americas were affected by European diseases. Infectious diseases remain a threat today. Research a disease (such as SARS or Covid-19) or a reemerging disease (such as tuberculosis) and examine how and why it is increasing in incidence. Include graphs that show the number of cases and deaths, and the impact of medicine over time. Create a video that raises awareness about the disease and explain steps being taken to prevent its spread.

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