Lesson Plan Guide

Teacher Candidate: Jordan McDugle Date: June 11, 2014

Grade and Topic: 7
th
grade Bubonic Plague Length of Lesson: 1 (55 min) class period


LESSON OBJECTIVES:

Describe the origin, spread, and effects of the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages in a word-processed
format. Create a spreadsheet to examine the population trend in Medieval Europe before and after the
bubonic plague pandemic.


STANDARDS ADDRESSED:

TN State Standards: 7.40 Describe the economic and social effects of the spread of the Black Death
(Bubonic Plague) from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe, and its impact on the global
population. (C, E, G, H)
ISTE Standards: 3) Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.


MATERIALS:

Paper and Pencil/Pen
Computer access
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/england_medieval.htm
http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/plague.html


PROBLEM STATEMENT:

You are on a government agency of a new nation on a continent that has been discovered in the Pacific
Ocean. There have been two cases of a strange disease that people do not recognize. The doctors have
quarantined the patients and diagnosed it as bubonic plague, but they want to send them home after
some IV fluids and a round of antibiotics. You and your agency think this is a bad idea! You must
convince the government that it should contain this plague and why!



PROCEDURES AND TIMELINE:

Prior to the computers:

1. (10 min) Teacher will introduce the subject mater by showing some pictures of medieval
artwork depicting the bubonic plague. Teacher will ask questions to call on prior knowledge.
At the computers:
2. (10 min) Students go to computers to find facts and timelines about the bubonic plague. Students
will begin by creating a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel showing the population trend in Europe
on the site: http://themiddleages.net/plague.html.
3. (20 min) Students will be encouraged to use the sites provided but will not be limited to these
sites to gather information and more data on the bubonic plague and its origins, causes, spread
trends, and effects. Depending on availability of computers, they will put it into written or word
processed form to accompany their spreadsheet.
Post computers:
4. (10 min) Student will discuss together the effects and trends as small groups and a class. Also,
they will determine how many members of the class would have been wiped out by plague if the
population of the class represented the population of Europe, and also how many students in the
school would have been wiped out if the population of the school represented the population of
Europe. This will be done after the students determine what portion of the population of Europe
was affected by plague (one-third).

Closure: (5 min) Teacher and students wrap up by discussing the precautions and preventions for the
bubonic plague.

ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE:
Students will be assessed on the completion of their spreadsheet and word-processed accompanying
document or handwritten fact sheet, written in complete sentences and free of errors.
Completion of the Think Sheet, free of errors.
Students answered the questions with accuracy and evidence.



Criteria D-F B-C A
Spreadsheet is
complete and well
organized
Spreadsheet is
incomplete and
unorganized.
Spreadsheet
contains some
relevant and is
fairly well
organized.
Spreadsheet is
completed with
relevant data and
well organized.
Completion of the
Think Sheet
Think sheet is
incomplete; Think
sheet does not
contain accurate
answers or
evidence.
Think sheet is
complete; Think
Sheet contains OK
answers and limited
evidence
Think sheet is
completed with well
thought out answers
and supported by
evidence.



Bubonic Plague Think Sheet

1. Describe the trend in the population of Europe from 1100 to 1352.




2. Where and how did the disease originate?




3. How did the disease travel to Europe?




4. What were some measures and precautions taken?




5. What measures and precautions could/should have been taken?