1. Using this picture guess what our case study for the medieval period is?

2. Another
Clue!

3. Lesson Objectives
To identify the key features of the Black Death in 1348
To identify and explain the reasons people gave for the Black Death at the time
To evaluate medieval cures to the Black death to consider whether it was a time of continuity or progress.

4. What was the Black Death?

5. The plague arrives Historians think that the plague arrived in
England during the summer of During
the following autumn it spread quickly
through the south west. Few villages escaped. Churchyards were full with bodies.
The plague spread quickly during the winter of to the north of England. By 1350, nearly the whole of Britain was infected with the plague.
At the end of 1350 nearly two and a half million people were dead!

6. Where did the Black Death come from?

7. What were the symptoms of the plague?

8. What caused the plague?
The question that you are probably thinking is this;
Q: Who or what caused the Black Death?
A: This is your answer!
The Oriental Rat Flea!

9. How was the plague transmitted?
We now know that the most common form of the Black Death was the BUBONIC PLAGUE! This disease was spread by fleas which lived on the black rat. The fleas sucked the rat’s blood which contained the plague germs. When the rat died the fleas jumped on to humans and passed on the deadly disease.

10. Make your own copy of this diagram using pictures and words.
Your pictures can be as disgusting as you choose!

11. Causes and cures?
Medieval people did not know about germs causing disease. They did not understand that plague was spread by rats and fleas. They thought that people’s bodies were poisoned.
If the swellings burst and the poison came out people sometimes survived. It seemed sensible to draw out the poison.

12. What is happening in this picture???

13. People had three main ideas about what caused the plague!
Look at these pictures and see
if you can guess the 3 things
medieval people thought caused
the Black Death!

14. People had three main ideas about what caused the plague!
Bad Air
The evil planets of Mars and Saturn have moved closer together. This has turned the air bad. If we breath in the bad air we will catch the plague !
Religion
God has sent the plague because he is angry with us. We have spent too much time being bad by gambling, fighting and drinking !
Contagion
The plague passes from person to person. Plague sores give off a terrible smell. If you breath it then you will catch the plague

15. Medieval cure number 1
Can you guess
How this was
Used to cure
The Black
Death?
The swellings should be softened with figs and cooked onions. The onions should be mixed with yeast and butter. Then open the swellings with a knife.

16. Medieval cure number 2
Can you guess
How this was
Used to cure
The Black
Death?
Take a live frog and put its belly on the plague sore. The frog will swell up and burst. Keep doing this with further frogs until they stop bursting. Some people say that a dried toad will do the job better.

17. What did people do?
Remember there were three things that the people thought were to blame for the plague
Religion
Bad air
Contagion from plague sores
Split your book into three. Write each one
of these causes as a title in each section.

18. SCAN PICTURE