The Arrival of the Black Death
This lesson introduces Year 7 students to the Black Death (1347-1350). Students will explore how the plague arrived in Europe, its symptoms, and the contrasting ways medieval people and modern scientists explain its causes.
Learning objectives
- Identify the origins and routes of the Black Death's arrival in England in 1348.
- Describe the symptoms of the Bubonic and Pneumonic plagues.
- Explain medieval beliefs about the causes of the plague versus modern scientific understanding.
- Evaluate the immediate social and demographic impact of the Black Death on medieval society.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Introduction · 5 min
Do Now: Display images of a flea, a rat, and a skeleton. Students guess the connection.
Direct Instruction · 10 min
Teacher Explainer: Delivery of the 6 steps of the plague's arrival and spread.
Guided Practice · 5 min
Vocab Match-up: Students define key terms (Miasma, Buboes, etc.) in their books.
Activity 1 · 10 min
The Spread: Mapping the journey from Caffa to Weymouth (June 1348).
Independent Practice · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheets: Students complete Support, Core, or Stretch tasks based on their target level.
Review and Assessment · 10 min
Plenary: 8-question MCQ quiz to check understanding of causes and symptoms.
Key vocabulary
- Buboes
- Large, painful swellings in the lymph nodes (armpits and groin).
- Miasma
- The belief that 'bad air' or smells caused disease.
- Yersinia Pestis
- The bacteria that caused the plague.
- Pneumonic
- A version of the plague that attacked the lungs and was spread by breathing.
- Flagellants
- People who whipped themselves to show God they were sorry for their sins.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- Explain how the Black Death travelled from Asia to Europe.
- What was the biological cause of the plague, and how was it transmitted to humans?
- List three symptoms of the Bubonic plague and two symptoms of the Pneumonic plague.
- What was 'miasma' and how did people try to protect themselves from it?
Quiz (sample)
1. In which year did the Black Death arrive in England?
- A. 1066
- B. 1348
- C. 1588
- D. 1914
2. What was the actual biological cause of the plague's spread?
- A. Dirty water
- B. Fleas on rats
- C. Dogs and cats
- D. Bad food
3. What were the painful swellings in the armpits and groin called?
- A. Buboes
- B. Pustules
- C. Rashes
- D. Bruises
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