Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200–1450)
Duration of Days: 15
Students will know how and why long-distance trade networks expanded, including the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan routes. They will know the economic, cultural, technological, and environmental consequences of increased connectivity, including diffusion of goods, ideas, technologies, and disease.
Students will explain causation and continuity in trade networks, analyze sources for point of view and purpose, and identify patterns of interaction across regions. They will compare different exchange systems using specific historical evidence.
Students will complete multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions with primary sources, and a partial long-essay response focused on comparison of exchange networks.
| Lesson # | Lesson Title | Duration of Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundations of Long-Distance Trade Networks | 3 |
| 2 | The Silk Roads | 3 |
| 3 | Indian Ocean and Trans-Saharan Trade | 3 |
| 4 | Consequences of Interconnected Trade | 2 |
| 5 | Comparison and Argumentation Workshop – Exchange Networks | 4 |