© George Spencer School 2010
Year: 7
Unit of Study: Britain 1066- 1500 (Changing lives and Attitudes- the Black Death)
Number of Lessons: 2
Key Question: What was the Black Death?
Learning Objectives:
Resources:
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Term: Spring
Knowledge: understand the causes, spread, symptoms and victims of the disease
Skills: compare modern understanding with medieval views
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SHP textbooks (Y7) p168-9; p175-6
Black Death DVD
Introductory pictures
Video quiz
Video quiz answers
Key Concepts/Words: bubonic, pneumonic, plague, symptom, disease, remedy, four
humours
Links:
Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities:
Connect:
 Introduce theme with pictures slide- students attempt to guess what the topic is as the teacher
Differentiation:
reveals the four pictures. Alternatively, students discuss and explain how each picture is linked
to the Black Death (mortality graph, ring-a-roses, plague flea and rat).
Activate:
 Students use info in SHP p168-9 to produce a spider diagram or mind map about the causes,
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spread, symptoms and victims of the Black Death. Emphasize the fact that this info is from a
modern perspective and discuss how medieval people might have viewed things differently.
Now focusing on a medieval perspective, students attempt to match up the explanations on p.175
with the remedies on p.176.
Demonstrate:
 Half the class produce a modern guide to the Black Death (e.g. how it spreads, how you can avoid
it) and the other half do the same from a medieval perspective.
Consolidate:
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Compare the modern and medieval approaches and discuss reasons for the differences- e.g.
technology (esp. microscopes), science vs religion…
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In the second lesson, recap the medieval perspective on the Black Death and show the Black
Death DVD. Use the video quiz to stimulate discussion. Discuss, and use the story activity from
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More able students should be encouraged to
utilize extra information in their guides,
available in Medieval Minds textbooks p.24-31
Less able students should cut and match up
photocopies of the Explanations and
Remedies activity on p.175-176.
© George Spencer School 2010
p.174 to introduce the impact of the disease on the survivors.
Homework: N/A
Year: 7
Term: Spring
Assessment focus: N/A
Unit of Study: Britain 1066- 1500 (Changing lives and Attitudes- the Black Death)
Key Question: How did the Black Death affect life in England?
Number of Lessons: 2
Learning Objectives:
Resources:
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Knowledge: understand the effects of the disease
Skills: categorise and prioritise information
Key Concepts/Words: barons, empire, tax, pope.
 Main lesson powerpoint
 Evidence powerpoint
 Writing frame
 Assessment sheet
 Grid for the second lesson
Links: PLts- information processing.
© George Spencer School 2010
Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities:
Connect:
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Use the recap quiz from the first slide as a starter. The linked fruit machine can be adapted to
an individual class to randomize responses.
Use the second slide to outline the assessment and the plan for the next two lessons.
Activate:
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Using the ‘Thinkers’ Keys’ sheets, students in pairs process the information on the six factors
from the powerpoint. Students select the order in which they will deploy the ‘keys’- predict,
comprehend, categorise, prioritise and synthesize is the best order. Suggested categories are
economic, political and cultural.
Differentiation:
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More able students be stretched by the
sources on the evidence powerpoint and
should be encouraged to conduct their own
research for their assessments.
Less able students should use the writing
frame to help them to structure their
answers.
For assessment information, see student assessment
sheet.
Demonstrate:
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Stop the class at intervals to discuss and explain- e.g. to take feedback on any factors which
students did not comprehend, or on what groups they are using for categorisation.
Consolidate:
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Use the final ‘Bloom’s’ slide as a plenary.
In the second lesson, students should complete their grids in order to gather information for their
assessments, including using the evidence powerpoint to collect extra support for their factors.
Homework: Set the assessment essay, ‘How did the Black Death affect life in England’ and
distribute the assessment sheets. All resources are available on Moodle.
Assessment focus: cause and consequence