Films can help high school students visualize the global impact of the Columbian Exchange by illustrating the cultural, biological, and economic interactions between the Old and New Worlds. While there are few films that focus solely on the Columbian Exchange, several historical dramas provide valuable context.
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) portrays Christopher Columbus's voyages and the initial encounters between Europeans and Indigenous peoples, highlighting early exchanges of goods, ideas, and diseases.
Apocalypto (2006), though fictionalized and set just before European contact, offers insight into pre-Columbian societies and the disruption that followed.
Documentaries such as PBS's The Columbian Exchange or segments from Guns, Germs, and Steel explore the scientific and historical consequences of transatlantic exchange, including the spread of crops, livestock, and epidemics.
These films and documentaries help students grasp the global transformations triggered by the Columbian Exchange and encourage discussions about its long-term effects on societies worldwide.
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