The Black Death
Driving Question: What caused the Black Death pandemic?
One of the most devastating pandemics in human history struck Afro-Eurasian communities in the fourteenth century. Spreading along trade routes, the Black Death decimated whole countries and reshaped economic systems and societal structures.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about the causes and consequences of the Black Death.
- Use quick-sourcing skills to analyze primary and secondary sources to understand reactions to the Black Death.
- Use the historical thinking practice of causation to evaluate the causes and consequences of the Black Death.
Opener: The Black Death
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Bubonic Plague
How did the expansion of an empire and the flourishing of trade routes lead to one of history’s worst epidemics? This activity and article will help you understand the linkages of trade and the Black Death.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How did the success of the Mongol state help the Black Death spread?
- How many people are estimated to have died from the plague?
- What do gerbils have to do with plague?
- Where was the plague the worst? Why?
- How did the plague affect economies?
After you read
Respond to these questions: We tend to think that exchange and trade between societies is always a good thing. Does this article change your opinion? How?
Living Through the Black Death
As you read the primary source excerpts in this collection, use the accompanying Quick-Sourcing Tool to guide your analysis of the Black Death.
Closer: The Black Death
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Reviewing for Analysis and Evidence
By suggesting revisions to someone else’s writing, you’ll get much better at identifying what makes strong writing. Make suggestions for improving analysis and evidence—and then keep those suggestions in mind the next time you write.
