The Black Death

How would you describe the mood of the painting?

What are the people carrying in the painting?

Cornell Notes

Each person in your group will be assigned one topic of the Plague: Introduction; Spread and Impact; European Response; and Effects.

Assign roles and read the documents and complete your section of the Cornell Notes to share with your group.

Introduction

Greatest disaster

Caused by Yesenia Pestis (bacteria)

Can infect blood (septicemic); lungs (pneumonic); lymph nodes (bubonic)

Spread by fleas on rats

Moved from Asia to Europe

25-50% mortality rate

Spread and Impact of the Black Death 1346-1351

Came from Asia on trade routes

Once it reached port cities, it moved inland quickly

About 1 in 3 people you know died

Worse in urban areas (because there were more rats)

Wealthy people died at a lower rate (because there were less rats and had better nutrition)

There was no connection between sanitation and disease

All treatments were fruitless

Response to Black Death

No germ theory

There was no connection between sanitation and disease

Some doctors refused to treat patients

Blamed the supernatural

Flagellants – punished themselves

Scapegoats – blaming Jews and killing them

Effects

Survivors inherited wealth/average wealth increased

Breakdown of feudalism/labor shortages

Changes in medical studies and practices

Bellwork

Please take out your Black Death Notes from yesterday.

Current Event presenter… PREPARE!

PSA

Students will create a “Public Service Announcement Poster” that may could have appeared during the middle ages.

public service announcement is a message in the public interest with the objective of raising awareness, changing public attitudes and behavior towards a social issue.

Should focus on symptoms, spread, prevention of the disease