Download Black Death

6th Grade UBD - Unit 9- The Black Death

The Black Death Spread Quickly- Plagues, infectious
diseases that spread among a large population of people,
were not uncommon in the Middle Ages. Once rooted in
Europe, the Black Death spread quickly and efficiently
through the population.

The Black Death Changed Europe and Asia- The Black
Death ravaged Europe and Asia, leading to economic,
political, and social changes.

The Black Death that
occurred across Europe in the
14th century. The plague
affected the social, political,
and economic systems
of Europe and Asia. Write
about a time when you have
been really sick. (5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

The plague came to Europe and the Middle
East from China through trade routes.

Fleas and infected rats spread the disease
throughout the city and countryside.

Certain hygienic practices helped the bubonic
plague spread quickly.
Key Term
Plague- Any
widespread and
usually highly
contagious
disease with a
high fatality
rate.

Plagues, infectious diseases
that spread among a large
population of people, were
not uncommon in the Middle
Ages.

Plagues had broken out
before in East Asia and spread
to Europe and North Africa,
but they usually subsided.

In the 1200s CE, Mongol
armies conquered many
cities in Asia.

As they continued to
spread the borders of their
empire, they carried the
plague with them.
Video- Origins of the Plague

The Italian trading city of Caffa
was attacked by Mongol warriors
who used the bodies of plague
victims in their catapults.

Italian sailors escaping the city
brought the disease into Europe.

Not only were they infected, but
they brought rats with fleas
containing the plague.
Key Term
Black Death- An
outbreak of
bubonic plague
that was pandemic
throughout Europe
and much of Asia in
the 14th century.

The plague then began
to spread across
Europe.

The bubonic plague
had two forms in which
it could spread from
person to person.

The first form of the disease
could infect the victim’s blood.

In this case, boils would appear
on his or her skin. The person
would then begin to bleed
internally.

Simple physical contact, such
as a hug, a kiss, or even a
handshake could spread the
disease.

In the second form of the
disease, coughing,
sneezing and breathing
could spread the disease.

With this form, physical
contact between people
was not necessary for the
disease to spread.
Video- The Plague Arrives

The Black Death spread
through Europe on trade
routes.

Death rates were often
more than 50 percent of
the population of a city,
and often entire towns
were wiped out.

There was no treatment for
the plague. One aspect of the
plague that increased the
death tolls was its cyclical
nature.

The disease would return
every 10 years over a 100-
year period. Each new
outbreak caused fear, panic,
and death.

The Black Death is a reminder of the vulnerability of
humans to diseases and viruses.

Today, the world is highly interconnected through trade.
Small animals and insects carry disease and in many parts
of the world, substandard hygienic practices threaten the
health of the population. These factors make it possible
for an outbreak similar to the Black Death to explode
across our world.

The depopulation of Europe led to a labor shortage.

Because workers were in greater demand, they began
to receive higher wages.

An increase in wages led to inflated prices for
everyday goods.

Landowners were forced to pay wages to keep their
tenants leading to an increase in wealth in the peasant
class.

The high contagion
rate of the Black
Death caused people
to avoid each other.
Many fled towns and
cities.

Doctors avoided seeing
sick patients because
they were afraid of
catching the plague.

Priests would not visit
sick people to give them
the last rites.

Doctors believed that
costuming himself would
keep him safe from the
Black Death.

The beak was filled with
a sweet-smelling
substance to block out
the stink of the dead.
Reading Handout- Call the Doctor

Many believed God
was punishing
humans by sending
the plague.

They began to lose
faith in the Roman
Catholic Church.

Others, however, saw the
plague as a sign that
humans needed to be more
devoted.

Some religious fanatics
began to travel from town
to town, whipping
themselves to show God
how devout they were.
Key Term
FlagellantsSomeone who
whips
themselves for
religious
discipline or
public penance.

With the high death rate, a
depopulation of Europe
occurred.

Almost one-third of the
continent’s population died.

This severely limited the
number of workers, and many
construction projects were
abandoned.

A limited population
meant that workers
could demand more pay
for their labor.

This led to inflation. This
increase of wealth for
laborers also increased
their social status.
Video- A Change in the Social Structure

The feudal society that
existed at the beginning
of the 14th century
collapsed as laborers left
the manor lands and
moved into cities for
more opportunities.

The opening of farmlands led
to an increase in animal
herds, as more land could be
given to sheep and cattle
instead of wheat and oats.

A surplus of wool and the
increased labor in the cities
led to a boost in the textile
industry.

The Black Death severely
changed the political, social, and
economic landscape of Europe.

With the collapse of feudalism,
and a movement away from the
Catholic Church, people began to
look outside their position in life
for more knowledge.

The Black Death reduced the population of
Europe by approximately one-third.

It reached all classes of society, the resulting
labor shortage led to growth of towns and
cities and the end of the feudal system, as
serfs began to receive wages for their work.
Reading Handout- A Dark Time

What has been the
“muddiest” point so far in
this lesson? That is, what
topic remains the least
clear to you? (4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)