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History, Civics & Social Studies · Grade 9

Exchange Networks and Cultural Connections

Learners analyze Afro-Eurasian exchange from about 600 to 1450 CE as a system of connected networks. They compare the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, trans-Saharan and Mediterranean networks, trace the diffusion of paper, gunpowder, crops and numerals, treat the Black Death as a network event, and evaluate the famous travel accounts of Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta before arguing how 'connected' this world really was.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 125 minutes
  • Networks and connections check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, estimate, highlight a text, pick map regions and match pairs
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What learners will discover

  • Compare the major Afro-Eurasian networks by geography, transport technology, goods and who controlled them.
  • Trace the diffusion of technologies, crops and ideas across networks, with approximate dates and routes.
  • Explain the Black Death as a network phenomenon and analyze its demographic consequences across regions.
  • Evaluate travelers' accounts as historical sources and argue about the significance of connectivity before 1450.

Lessons

  1. Comparing networks 5 steps3 practiceabout 30 min
  2. Diffusion across the networks 5 steps4 practiceabout 30 min
  3. The Black Death as a network event 6 steps4 practiceabout 32 min
  4. Travelers as sources 5 steps4 practiceabout 33 min
  5. Networks and connections check 9 questions at the end

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