The Columbian Exchange
A Grade 7 social studies worksheet exploring the impact and characteristics of the Columbian Exchange.
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The Columbian Exchange
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability.
1. What is the Columbian Exchange?
A trade route between Europe and Asia.
The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.
A series of wars fought over colonial territories.
The discovery of a new continent by Christopher Columbus.
2. Which of the following was a significant disease brought to the Americas during the Columbian Exchange?
Polio
Smallpox
Malaria
Cancer
3. The Columbian Exchange began with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in the year .
4. Two important food crops that originated in the Americas and were introduced to the Old World through the Columbian Exchange are and .
5. Horses were native to the Americas before the arrival of Europeans.
True
False
6. Describe one positive and one negative impact of the Columbian Exchange on either the Americas or the Old World.
The map below illustrates some of the exchanges that took place during the Columbian Exchange. Study the map and answer the question.
7. Based on your understanding of the Columbian Exchange and the map, identify two items that traveled from the Americas to Europe and two items that traveled from Europe to the Americas. (Note: The map is a general world map, use your knowledge of the Columbian Exchange to answer.)