Social Studies Bell Ringer for Grades 9–12: The Columbian Exchange
A free social studies bell ringer for grades 9–12. Put the prompt on the board as students walk in, give them three to five minutes, then go over it together. The answer and teacher notes are in the box below the prompt.
The prompt
After 1492, plants and animals crossed the Atlantic in both directions, a process called the Columbian Exchange. Name one that went from the Americas to the rest of the world and one that went to the Americas. Then explain how one of them changed people's daily lives.
Answer and teacher notes
From the Americas: corn (maize), potatoes, tomatoes, cassava. To the Americas: horses, cattle, pigs, wheat.
Strong examples: horses changed how Plains nations hunted and traveled, and potatoes helped feed Europe's growing population. Diseases crossed too and caused a massive decline in Indigenous populations, which is worth raising if students only list foods.
Source: Britannica: Columbian Exchange
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