Was the Black Death a controllable or

uncontrollable disaster?

Project Objectives: To ……

discover the causes of the Black Death.

research the symptoms and cures for the Black Death.

decide whether the Black Death was an uncontrollable disaster.

advise the local authorities on how to respond to the Black Death disaster.

Start week beginning 6th March

End week beginning 20th MarchInstructions:

• You must NOT cut and paste information from the internet – you need to present the information you research in your own words.

• Remember to include the information you are covering in your lessons.• Your project must be clearly named and include your Teacher and Teaching Group.• Make sure your work is stapled or put in a folder (No hard backed folders)• If you decide to make a film for task 4 either save it in a memory stick or email it to your Teacher.

Timings:• Warm up task – 5 minutes Max!• Task 1 – ‘Discover the causes of the Black Death’ – 1hr Max• Task 2a – ‘Research the symptoms of the Black Death’ – 45 mins Max• Task 2b – ‘Research the cures for the Black Death’ – 1hr 30 mins Max• Prep. Task for Task 3 – 15 mins Max• Task 3 –‘Decide whether the Black Death was a controllable or an uncontrollable disaster’ - 1hr 30 mins Max• Task 4 – ‘Advise the local authorities on how to respond to the Black Death disaster’ – 1 hr Max• DO NOT SPEND LONGER UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO AND IT IS NOT DISTRACTING YOU FROM OTHER

HOMEWORK!!

Challenges:• The tasks have been set out in the ‘Attainment 8’ format that you are familiar with. Choose the skill level

that matches your most recent ‘current grade’ that your teacher has written on the front of your History book. If you fancy a challenge look at the level above. REMEMBER THAT THE SKILLS BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER. In order to evaluate and analyse you need to complete ‘explain’ first and complete analyse and evaluate in sequence.

Warm up task:Fill in one-two sentences that these people might be saying about the Black

Death.Success Criteria: each character should be saying something different about the Black

Death. You could talk about the symptoms, the cures and what they believed caused it.

Task 1:To discover the causes of the Black Death.

Remember your target skill – challenge yourself and try the one above or higher!

Identify:

Make sure you have said when and how the Black Death reached England.

Describe:

Make sure you describe when and how the Black Death reached England.

Explain:

Make sure that you explain with reasons and examples when, how and why the Black Death reached England. Include as many possibilities as you can.

Analyse:

After explaining. Rank the reasons and examples that you have discovered to clearly show which reason/s you consider the most significant in bringing the Black Death to England.

Evaluate:

After explaining and analysing can you use your knowledge of the time period to consider any other reasons why the Black Death arrived in England and spread so quickly – remember Scotland and Wales did not suffer as badly as England did.

Task 2a:To research the symptoms of the Black Death.

(You may include pictures or diagrams.)Remember your target skill – challenge yourself and try the one above or higher!

Identify:

Say what the symptoms of the Black Death were. Try to include both types of Plague.

Describe:

Make sure you describe the symptoms well and say what happens on each day of the illness. Include both types of Plague.

Explain:

Make sure that you explain what the person would be experiencing at each stage of the illness. Give an explanation for each symptom. IE. Why did their skin go a black/purple colour?

Analyse and above:

After explaining, analyse the person’s chances of survival.

Task 2b:To research the cures for the Black Death.

(You may include pictures or diagrams.)Remember your target skill – challenge yourself and try the one above or higher!

Identify:

In sentences identify a natural and supernatural cure for the Black Death.

Describe:

In a short paragraph identify at least one natural and supernatural cure. Describe how the cure was supposed to work. Say what the difference is between a natural and a supernatural cure.

Explain:

Explain a variety of cures in detail including examples of both natural and supernatural. Clearly explain the difference between the two approaches.

Analyse:

Complete the explain task in detail. Make sure you have included several examples of both natural and supernatural cures. Analyse ( compare ) the effectiveness of the natural and supernatural cures. Consider why people may have chosen a supernatural cure over a natural one.

Evaluate:

Complete analyse then consider to what extent the limited cures and medical misunderstandings allowed the Black Death to spread further.

Preparation for task 3 – Colour the boxes to show the different reasons why the Black Death spread

Life was hard for the poor and they

often suffered from famine and

disease.

People believed that the Black Death

was a punishment from God because

of all the drinking, gambling and

fighting that had been taking place.

Merchant ships from China carried

infected rats and sailors to England.

The Black Death infected the

dockyard communities first and

spread along trade routes.

Towns were overcrowded and

people and illness spread quickly

from person to person.

Doctors were often untrained. People believed that the evil planets

of Mars and Saturn had moved

closer together. This had turned the

air bad. If they breathed in the bad

air they will catch the plague.

Butchers would leave animal

‘remains’ in the streets and as a

result attracted rats into the town.

Houses were made of wood. They

rotted and could easily be gnawed by

rats allowing them access into

people’s homes.

There was not any organised method

of removing animal or human ‘waste

and filth’. It was often not removed

from the streets and as a result

attracted rats into the towns.

People believed that the body was

made up of four humours – blood,

phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.

When someone was ill, it was

because their humours were

unbalanced. People had to get rid of

the unwanted substances in their

body.

People believed that ‘bad smells’

were responsible for spreading the

Black Death.

The church believed that only God

could cure illness by prayer, fasting,

good works or going on a pilgrimage.

Monasteries helped to care for the

sick. It was believed that a King could

heal someone by touching them.

Those who handled the dead did not

have any protection from the

disease.

Some people made the connection

between ‘animals’ and the spread of

the Black Death and started to kill

the stray cats and dogs that roamed

the street.

Most people believed in magic. They

would wear charms to protect

themselves from the Black Death.

Remedies often depended on the

wealth of the person.

There was no guarantee of success.

Key Codes:

Living Conditions Knowledge about the disease

People’s beliefs Un-recognised connections.

Task 3:To decide whether the Black Death was a controllable or an uncontrollable disaster.

Remember your target skill – challenge yourself and try the one above or higher!

Identify:In a short paragraph show whether you think the Black Death could have been prevented, stopped or controlled.

Describe:

In a short paragraph describe how the Black Death could have been prevented, stopped or controlled.

Explain:

In an extended paragraph use the evidence you have about the cause, cures, living conditions, medical knowledge and Medieval attitudes, explain whether the Black Death could have been prevented, stopped or controlled.

Analyse:

Complete the explain task in detail. In their own paragraph, analyse which factor/s were contributed the most to the spread of the Black Death. Decide and explain whether the Black Death could have been prevented, stopped or controlled.

Evaluate:

Complete analyse then consider the cause and consequences of people’s actions. How far where the people at the time unwittingly making matters worse?

Task 4 :Advise the local authorities on how to respond

to the Black Death disaster.Time to share your expertise !l

Now that you have a lot of knowledge about the Black Death you need to share the information you have and help the people suffering from the Black Death.

You can choose to do this as either an A4 sized poster, a letter, a leaflet or a TV public health film ( you can film it! )

You need to advise the local authorities to take action to stop the Black Death from spreading further. Base your suggestions on the evidence you have collected during this project. Think about the causes, cures, religious beliefs, their living conditions and medical knowledge at

the time.

Useful resources:

You Tube:

Fleas on Rats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZy6XilXDZQ

BBC Bite Size

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/z7r7hyc/revision

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/the_black_death/revision/4/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/the_black_death/video/

Other:

http://www.history.com/topics/black-death