UbD Unit Plan

Unit Title: The Black Death Subject/Course: Social Studies

Grade: 5 Designers: Amy Wright-Mead

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goals:5-8 Benchmark 1-D. Skills: research historical events and people from a
variety of perspectives:
1. differentiate between, locate and use primary and secondary sources (e.g., computer software,
interviews, biographies,oral histories, print, visual material, artifacts) to acquire information;
2. use resources for historical information (e.g., libraries, museums, historical societies,
courthouse, worldwide web, family records, elders);
3. gather, organize and interpret information using a variety of media and technology;
4. show the relationship between social contexts and events; and
5. use effective communication skills and strategies to share research findings

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate
facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when
appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task
and situation.

Essential Understandings: Essential Questions:

Students will understand that
Were the people that died from the Black Death
Once the Black Death was contracted, there "deserving" of it?
was to follow a grueling and imminent death.
How would you have been treated by others if
The Black Death was a harsh disease, with you had symptoms of the Black Death based on
insurmountable symptoms, that ravished the your economic standing? How would you have
lives of the people of Europe in the 14th treated others that had the symptoms (close to you
century. vs a stranger)?

Those who contracted the Black Death were A lot of people fled, and others punished
treated poorly in a multitude of ways.
There are ways to better the lives of those
around us that have a disease or illness.
Though some illness might appear to be
scary, once we learn about them they are less
likely to fear the unknown.
Empathy and kindness are rewarding in
themselves.
themselves; What would you do if you started
having symptoms of the Black Death (in the 14th
century vs today)?
What can you do to make the lives of people that
are sick a little bit better?
Do you think if you understood someones
illness/sickness/disability more in depth that you
might treat them better?

Learning about things we dont understand

(or are afraid of) are necessary for growth.

Students will know.(list 3-5 key facts) Students will be able to do. (2-3)

That the Black Death was initially spread by Describe the symptoms of the Black Death, and
rodents and fleas. their un-manageability.

What the symptoms of the Black Death are. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact the
Black Death had on families in Europe in the 14th
How the Black Death affected families and Century from researching personal accounts, and
communities. journaling.

How many were affected by the Black Death Research a specific victim of the disease through
in the 14th Century, and that it is still around multiple resources.
today.
Share their findings of a person affected by the
Black Death based on their research from
The key events surrounding the Black Death
multiple resources.
in Europe in the 14th Century.

Some of the modern day Interview an individual that has a(n)

diseases/illnesses/disabilities that exist and illness/disease/disability to learn more about what
how they affect people lives. it is like to be in their situation.

Some strategies for involving themselves in Come up with a proposal to enhance the lives of
the community to help those in need. people that are suffering from a(n)
illness/disease/disability and how to collaborate
with their groups.

Reflect on their learning experience in a creative

way.
 Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Performance Task: Biography

Goal(s): Your role is to research a person that suffered from the Black Death in the 14th
Century using multiple resources. You will then write a brief, one page, and biography on that
person. Then, you will write a journal, based on your research findings.

Role: You are the person that you researched.

Audience: The target audience is our 5th grade class.

Situation: The challenge is writing a journal as if you are the person you researched. You must
include how you contracted the disease, the symptoms and how they felt, how others treated you
and how your family acted, and the outcome (your last few moments...).

Performance: You will create a short biography that you will read to the class of the individual
you researched. Then, you will read your 3-5 page journal entries to the class conveying the
experiences of the person you researched (before and during the contraction of the Black Death
during 14th Century Europe).

Standards: You must include a one page biography of the person that you researched. Take the
role of that person and write a journal that includes; how they contracted the Black Death (did
they get it from a family member, a rat, etc?), what their symptoms were and how they felt, and
the outcome (or immediately prior to the outcome if they died).You must use at least two
different sources to research this person.

Performance Task: Interview

Goals(s): Your role is to interview an individual with an illness/disease/disability.

Role: You are the interviewer.

Audience: The target audience is the teacher, and your assigned group.

Situation: You will work individually to interview a person that has a(n)
illness/disease/disability (with their prior permission, and your parents), and find out more about
their situation. Ie: what is their ailment, what it is like to be them, what they go through on a
daily basis, what makes their day better, etc.

Performance: You will write your questions prior to the interview, and then while you are
asking these questions write down their responses. You will type the final interview up and
hand it in.

Standards: There must be at least 10 questions asked of this individual. Must include name, age,
what their illness/disability/disease is, and typed. You must have a signed permission slip from
your parents to interview this individual and a signed copy of the consent from this individual.

Performance Task: Proposal

Goal(s): You will share with your assigned group your interview and come up with a proposal
for the community service activity.

Role: You are a group member working to find an appropriate idea to help support those with
a(n) disability/illness/disease.

Audience: The target audience is the 5th grade class.

Situation: You will work in groups to create a proposal for betting the lives of people with a
specific ailment. You will base share your interview and your group will decide which persons
interview is the one that they base their proposal off of. You will come up with a group idea to
improve their lives, whether it is a visit to the childs ward at the hospital with toys, or a custom
wheelchair for those who would benefit from it (etc.).

Performance: You and your group will present your proposal in front of the class. The students
will vote on the best proposal and, as a class as a whole, will put the proposal into action.

Standards: The proposal must be a group effort that is attainable. This needs to be a plausible
idea that the class can accomplish if voted on.

Performance Task: Reflection

Goal(s): Share with the class your final presentation of what you learned from your interviewee
and your experience in helping the community.

Role: You are yourself, sharing your learning and growth.

Audience: The target audience is the 5th grade class.

Situation: You will reflect on what you gained from these assignments and share what you
learned with a presentation of your choosing.

Performance: You will present to the class your presentation (poster board, essay, etc.).

Standards: Show evidence of what you learned from your interview and the community activity.
Key Criteria: to reflect Performance Tasks: Examples: Rubric, Checklist, etc.

A one page biography of the person you researched that was affected by the Black Death. It
must include:
*Your name, current date, and title
*Name of the person you researched
*The date (year this person lived)
*Their age, location, and the outcome
*A list of 2-3 different sources used to research this person
*Any other information you find important: family, religion, work, etc.

3-5 journal entries taking the role of the person you researched. It must include:
*How the victim contracted the disease
*What symptoms they had
*What the outcome was (if they died, describe the events right before they passed: families
reaction, medical help, etc.)

Interview must include:

*At least 10 questions that you feel would educate you on the illness/disease/disability that this
person has and what it is like to have it.
*Must be typed and handed in.

Proposal must include:

*Clear group effort. Everyone must share during the group presentation (not just one person
speaks the entire time).
*Concise and clear idea for how you plan to better the lives of those with an
illness/disease/disability.
*Must be an attainable goal (no proposals on jet packs, etc.).

Final Reflection:
*Can be in any format you would like but must include what you learned from your
interviewee, and your experience in working with the community to better the lives of those
with an ailment.
Other Evidence
Evidence of at least two different sources used to research your individual.

Completed biography and journal entries.

Questionnaire of two other students chosen individual. Summarize two other

students/classmates chosen individual after everyone has shared.

Typed copy of interview with at least 10 questions.

Unique and authentic proposal in groups.

Reflection of what you learned throughout this unit.

 Stage 3 Learning Plan
Learning Activities

W
We are going to write a short biography of a person using at least two sources for your research. You
will also write a journal that reflects your knowledge of this person and how well you understand the
impact of the Black Death and what it was like to be affected by a crippling disease. You can empathize
what it is like to be that sick, and then better your understanding of that through a one-on-one
interview. The goal is to understand the history of the Black Death, and further of knowledge on current
ailments that affect peoples lives today. With our newfound understanding, we will work in groups to
come up with a proposal to improve their lives. We will then put out ideas into action. Reflect.
H
What I am about to say is incredible to hear, and if I and others had not witnessed it with our own eyes,
I should not dare believe it (let alone write about it), no matter how trustworthy a person I might have
heard it from.This was said by Giovanni Boccaccio, who lost several family members to the Black Death
of 1348 in Europe. Did you know that the black death killed up to 200 million people in Europe around
this time? Can you imagine what it would be like if this happened today?!
E
Share with the students these two resources to prepare them for doing their research:
http://www.clipinfolit.org/writing-tutorial/3-using-sources-to-research-your-topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8&t=73s
Watch the movie Patch Adams (to demonstrate that someone can improve the lives of others by using
their heart).
Define non-communicable: A non-communicable disease (NCD) is a medical condition or disease
that is not caused by infectious agents (non-infectious or non-transmissible). NCDs can refer to
chronic diseases which last for long periods of time and progress slowly. Give them a list of non-
communicable diseases.

R
As we pursue these topics, some children might not be familiar with using the internet, or the library, so
explore these research areas with your class. Go to the library and show them how to find books, and
demonstrate on your computer how to type key words and what websites and sources are
trustworthy.
Share with them some of the illnesses/diseases/disabilities that are appropriate for the interview
and proposal (non-communicable).
E
Students will reflect on their learning by completing the two assignments, and by writing two brief
summaries of what they learned about two other people from other classmates presentations. They will
then interview someone that helps them understand a single disability or non-communicable illness.
Then you will work in groups to come up with a proposal. Their final reflection with demonstrate the
entirety of their learning from this unit. Students will share what they learned from their interview and
their experiences in helping the community.
T
Students are granted the opportunity to be informative, and creative with these assignment. They can
choose any one person they want to research and interview. They are also granted a window to use any
two sources to support their findings.
O
1.I open up the class with a hook. Ex: Giovanni Boccaccio, who lost several family members to the
plagues 1348 devastation in Italy, wrote what he observed in The Decameron of 1450; What I am
about to say is incredible to hear, and if I and others had not witnessed it with our own eyes, I should
not dare believe it (let alone write about it), no matter how trustworthy a person I might have heard it
from."
2.I will then explain to them what the assignment consists of.
3.We then explore the events of the Black Death from how it spread, what the symptoms are,
how it affected Europe in the 14th Century, and what were some of the outcomes. They will
take notes during this time.
4.I will then explain to them through video, and websites what it entails to do research.
Researching a topic: http://www.clipinfolit.org/writing-tutorial/3-using-sources-to-research-your-topic
How to research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8&t=73s
5.I will take them to the library and show them how to find books. I will also demonstrate how
to search on the internet.
6.They will work on their assignments.
7.Following the demonstrations, the students will reflect on two other students chosen
individual, and share what they learned about them.
8. We discuss as a class what it might feel like to be different.
9. We watch Patch Adams to demonstrate what helping others might looks like.
10. Discuss what Patch Adams did to improve the lives of others.
11. I open with the interview assignment and go over the expectations.
12. Share with them Non-communicable diseases: http://www.livestrong.com/article/88312-list-
noncommunicable-diseases/ List of disabilities:
https://www.lds.org/topics/disability/list?lang=eng&old=true. This will allow them to identify who is an
appropriate candidate to interview.
13. The students interview their candidate and find out what it is like to be them.
14. Hand in your interview and share your findings with your group.
15. Discuss with the class the assignment of the proposal.
16. Work in groups to determine whose interviewee is the area that they want to address in their
proposal.
17. Share in your groups to the teacher and the class the idea for your proposal.
18. Vote on which proposal to accomplish as a class as a whole.
19. Go out into the community and put they chosen proposal into action.
20. Reflect on your experience in helping the community with a presentation on what you learned about
helping others (work on during class time and at home).

Resources
What print and web resource best support the unit? Also provide additional resources used in planning
for activities or during instruction. (list at least 3-5)
Part one:
Researching a topic: http://www.clipinfolit.org/writing-tutorial/3-using-sources-to-research-your-topic
How to research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8&t=73s
Part two:
Non-communicable diseases: http://www.livestrong.com/article/88312-list-noncommunicable-
diseases/
List of disabilities: https://www.lds.org/topics/disability/list?lang=eng&old=true