This Spice Trade unit shows students how ships, winds, merchants, and rival empires connected Asia, Africa, and Europe long before modern globalization. Over 8–10 class periods (45 minutes each), students map Indian Ocean trade routes, examine real spices to understand their value, and explore how competition for trade reshaped global connections during the Age of Exploration. Students study the trade through four lenses: Means, Motives, Conflicts, and Impacts. They also connect these chan