THE BLACK DEATH

NOVEMBER

THURSDAY 20th

RECAP

10 MIN

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]

ACTIVITY ONE
THE BLACK
DEATH
What can you learn
from the source about the
Black Death?
What can you infer?
What questions do you have?

MOST students will

be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

5 MIN

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]

ACTIVITY TWO
QUESTION
PRACTICE

MOST students will

be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

What can you learn

from the source about
the Black Death?

10 MIN

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]
MOST students will
be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

ACTIVTIY THREE
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
Historians think that the plague arrived in England
during the summer of 1348. During the following
autumn it spread quickly through the south west. Few
villages escaped. Churchyards were full with bodies.
The plague spread quickly during the winter of 13481349 to the north of England. By 1350, nearly the
whole of Britain was infected with the plague.

At the end of 1350 nearly two and a half million

people were dead! (roughly 45% of the
5 MIN
population)

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]
MOST students will
be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

ACTIVITY FOUR
VIDEO
Watch the video clip
about the Black Death
http://
www.timelines.tv/index
.php?t=0&e=5
Answer the
question sheet with
the video..
5 MIN

ACTIVITY FIVE
NOVEMBER

THURSDAY 20st

ANSWERS

1. 23rd June 1848

2.
Fleas
Rats
Sailors
3. Armpits and groin
4. 4 days
5. No- example chucking sick/waste into
narrow streets filled with
pedestrians which helped
disease to spread

6.
Bad air
Planets position of
mars and Saturn
Gods displeasure
7. Flagellant
8.To earn Gods pleasure
through pain

5 MIN

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]
MOST students will
be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

ACTIVITY SIX
SOURCE INVESTIGATION
Responding to the Black Death
Working in pairs/triads categorise
the sources into four areas
1. Symptoms of the Black Death
2. What was believed to be the
causes of the Black Death?
3. Treatments what was used and
why?
4. Responses to the Black Death
how did different groups respond
and why?

10 MIN

Learning objective

ACTIVITY SEVEN

To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]
MOST students will
be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

FILL IN TABLE

Symptom
s

Reword the
information from the
sources
Pick out key points
Put it into your own
words!
Causes
Treatment Response
s
s

Swelling in Source K
the armpits suggests it
and groin
may have
been the
positioning
of the
planets

Source B
suggests
taking a
live frog
and putting
its belly on
the plague
sore. The
frog will
swell and
burst

Source E
suggests
ordinary
people
were
getting
drunk and
living
wildly
because
they
thought
10 MIN
they were

Learning objective
To investigate the
understanding of the
Black Death in the
Middle Ages
ALL students will be
able to identify ideas
about causes of the
Black Death, treatments
and responses to the
Black Death. [D-C]
MOST students will
be able to explain
ideas about the causes
of the Black Death, the
treatments used and
various responses to it.
[B]
SOME students will
ALSO be able to also
reach supported
conclusions how
successful people in the
Middle Ages were at
responding to the Black

PLENERY

Symptoms?
Causes of the Black Death?
Treatments?
Responses?