Kristin Evans

Northwestern Middle School

6th Grade Social Studies

Latin American History: The Columbian Exchange

Goal
Content Standards:
SS6H1 The student will describe the impact of European contact on Latin America: b.
Explain the impact of the Columbian Exchange on Latin America and Europe in terms of
the decline of the indigenous population, agricultural change, and the introduction of the
horse.
TAG Standards
Advanced Communication Skills:
1. The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning or
challenge existing ideas.
2. The student produces written and/or oral work that is complex, purposeful, and
organized, includes relevant supporting examples and manipulation of language.
3. The student creates products and/or presentations that synthesize information from
diverse sources and communicate expertise to a variety of authentic audiences.
Advanced Research Skills
1. The student uses a variety of print and non-print resources to investigate a topic of
interest.
Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills
5. The student develops original ideas, presentations, or products through synthesis and
evaluation.

Role
You have recently been hired by the Cooking Channel as a consultant on a new show,
Flavors of the Americas. The show seeks to highlight cuisine from across Latin America
and the Caribbean and the host is Aaron Sanchez, who has previously worked on Chopped.
For this weeks episode, the producer wants to feature recipes that have Old World and
New World elements.

Audience
These recipes should be unique and creative, as your producer wants a wide audience to
be interested in watching this episode. If all you feature are tacos or burritos, shes afraid
that the show will fall in the ratings.

Product Performance and Purpose

Your task is to research a recipe from anywhere in Latin America or the Caribbean that
combines ingredients from the Old World AND the New World and write a 5-10 minute
segment for chef Sanchez that you will present to your producer for the chance to have
your segment on the episode. The segment should include the name of the recipe, the
country of origin, and all ingredients and measurements to create the real recipe. Most
importantly, the producer wants you to devote time to the Old and New World elements in
the dish, with supporting background evidence on how those ingredients came to exist in
that country. Think about questions that your audience might have: why did this
ingredient survive in the New World? how did native people learn to grow it? was it used
for any other purpose besides in food?

Kristin Evans
Northwestern Middle School
6th Grade Social Studies

Expectations - Rubric

Criteria
Historical
Understandi
ng

50%

Below the
Standard

Approaching the
Standard

Meets the
Standard

Exceeds the
Standard

Segment is either
absent or
information
covers less than 3
ingredients in the
recipe; No
explanation of the
history in Latin
America on any
ingredient

Segment devotes
less than 4
sentences for
discussion of New
vs. Old world
information on 3-4
ingredients in the
recipe;
Explanation of the
history in Latin
America on 1
ingredient in the
recipe is not
creative or unique
and feels lacking
in substance

Segment devotes
1 paragraph (4-5
sentences) for
discussion of New
vs. Old world
information on less
than 5 ingredients
in the recipe;
Adequate but not
unique explanation
of the history in
Latin America on 1
ingredient in the
recipe (i.e. who
brought it over,
where did it grow,
how quickly was it
incorporated into
the culinary
tradition in the
new country, etc.)

Segment devotes
at least 2
paragraphs (4-5
sentences each)
for discussion of
New vs. Old world
information on at
least 5 ingredients
in the recipe;
Thorough and
interesting
explanation of the
history in Latin
America on 2 or
more ingredients
(i.e. who brought it
over, where did it
grow, how quickly
was it incorporated
into the culinary
tradition in the
new country, etc.)

1 point
3 points

Content

35%

Segment doesnt
contain a recipe
nor mentions the
background
information on
the recipe

2 points
Segment has parts
of the full recipe
missing (cooking
instruction,
ingredient list,
etc.) or has no
mention of
background
information
missing

Segment includes
full recipe, but has
less than 1
paragraph of
background
information on the
recipe

1 point
3 points
2 points

Presentatio
n
10%

Segment was not

performed or
recorded in class
OR the segment
lacked

Segment will be
performed or
recorded in class,
but lasts less than
4 minutes;

Segment will be
performed or
recorded in class,
lasting 4-5
minutes; Segment

4 points
Segment includes
full recipe:
including country
of origin, at least 1
paragraph (3-4
sentences) of
background
information on
how the recipe
was created; and a
complete
ingredient list with
specific
measurements
4 points
Segment will be
performed or
recorded in class,
lasting 5-10
minutes in length;

Total

Kristin Evans
Northwestern Middle School
6th Grade Social Studies
information to the
point where the
audience was
unable to
understand the
purpose of the
segment
1 point

Organizatio
n
5%

No attempt at
organization OR
organization is
done so poorly
that the audience
can neither
understand the
recipe nor the
background
information

Segment is
informative, but
shows lack of
planning or
thought and
inhibits audience
engagement

is informative, but
lacks humor or
creativity to
interest the
audience

2 points
Attempt at
organization and a
flow to the
sequence of facts;
audience is
somewhat clear on
how to make the
recipe, but the
background
information takes
away from
understanding the
full recipe

3 points
Organization is
evident and a
logical flow exists
in the information;
the audience
understands how
to make the
recipe, but the
background
information isnt
woven into the
narrative and
stands out more

2 points

3 points

4 points

1 point

COMMENTS

Segment is
humorous,
entertaining, and
informative for the
audience

Segment is wellorganized; there is

a logical flow of
the sequence of
facts and
information so that
the audience feels
as though they can
understand the
history of the
recipe and how to
make it
4 points