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The Black Death

CONCEPTUAL
History›Medieval Times|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_8oAzr0WxRb

The Black Death of 1348-49: what the plague was, how it spread, its devastating death toll; how it changed society by giving surviving workers more power and higher wages

Mastery Evidence

  • Describe what the Black Death was and at least two symptoms
  • Explain how the plague spread (fleas on rats, person to person)
  • Describe one major way the Black Death changed society (fewer workers led to higher wages, peasants gained power)

Assessment Prompt

“Could [child] tell you what the Black Death was, how it spread, and why it actually ended up changing society in unexpected ways?”

Prerequisites2

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  • Medieval Pyramid of Power hard

    Must understand feudal society before grasping how the Black Death disrupted it

    • Kings & Queens hard

      Must understand kings and power before grasping the feudal hierarchy

      • Knights & Armour soft

        Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

      • What Is a Castle? hard

        Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

    • Knights & Armour hard

      Must know about knights before understanding their place in the feudal system

      • What Is a Castle? hard

        Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

    • Battle of Hastings and 1066 soft

      Norman Conquest established the feudal system in England

      • Kings & Queens soft

        Understanding kingship helps grasp the succession crisis of 1066

        • Knights & Armour soft

          Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power

          • What Is a Castle? hard

            Castles provide the physical context for understanding knights who lived and served in them

        • What Is a Castle? hard

          Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens

      • Vikings vs Anglo-Saxons hard

        Must understand Viking-Saxon struggle and Edward the Confessor before studying 1066

        • Anglo-Saxon Britain hard

          Must understand Anglo-Saxon kingdoms before studying the Viking-Saxon conflict

          • Village Life soft

            Village life concepts provide context for Anglo-Saxon settlement

          • The Vikings soft

            Viking knowledge provides contrast and context for Anglo-Saxon Britain

        • The Vikings hard

          Must know who the Vikings were before studying their conflict with Anglo-Saxons

      • Evidence from the Past soft

        Cross-domain: understanding historical evidence (Historical Thinking) enriches use of Bayeux Tapestry as source

        • Thinking Before Starting soft

          Understanding that knowledge of the past comes from surviving evidence builds on the habit of activating prior knowledge — what do I already know, and where did that knowledge come from?

          • Persisting When It's Hard hard

            Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material

        • Vocabulary: historical thinking hard

          Understanding that everything we know comes from evidence requires 'evidence' and 'source' vocabulary

    • Village Life hard

      Must understand peasant life before grasping serfdom in the feudal system

  • Village Life soft

    Village life knowledge provides context for plague's impact on communities

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