The Black Death

Overview and Curriculum Alignment

This Year 5 History lesson is aligned with the Australian Curriculum, specifically ACHASSK134: "The role that a significant event played in shaping a colony." Though the Black Death occurred centuries before Australia’s colonisation, the impacts of this event shaped exploration, migration, and global exchanges, laying historical foundations that influenced Australia’s development.

Key Inquiry Question:

• How did the Black Death change the world, and how might it have indirectly influenced Australia’s colonisation centuries later?

Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Number of Students: 3

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand the key features of the Black Death (causes, symptoms, spread, and impact).
2. Analyse how major historical events like the Black Death can have long-term, global impacts.
3. Develop empathy and an appreciation of how past pandemics influenced the course of human history.
4. Begin forming connections between global events and Australia’s colonial past.

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Materials Needed

• A4 paper, coloured pencils, and markers
• A printed world map (for group activity)
• A prop: Plague doctor mask photo or replica (can be drawn or printed)
• A set of “Plague Cards” (homemade flashcards with facts about symptoms, causes, and effects of the plague)
• Timeline strips (cut into segments)

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Lesson Structure

1. Tuning In (10 minutes) – History Comes Alive!

Objective: Evoke curiosity with a dramatic hook and introduce key concepts.

1. Teacher enters the room holding or wearing a replica plague doctor mask and announces, “Imagine this—the year is 1347, and the world is about to face one of the deadliest events in history...”
2. Briefly introduce the Black Death, explaining how it began in Asia, spread to Europe via the Silk Road and shipping routes, and caused immense fear and social change.
3. Show the students a world map and use it to trace the spread of the plague from Asia to Europe.

Interactive Question:
“What do you think life might have been like during this time? What fears might people have had?”

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2. Body of the Lesson (40 minutes)

Part 1: Group Exploration – Life During the Plague (15 minutes)

Objective: Explore the Black Death’s causes, spread, and effects through an activity that engages curiosity and critical thinking.

1. “Plague Timeline Relay” (10 minutes):

   • Place shuffled timeline strips on the table.
   • Timeline sections could include:
     • The plague begins in Asia (1330s)
     • The plague reaches Europe (1347)
     • Symptoms of the plague
     • Impact on trade and cities
     • Social changes: Loss of workers led to better wages
   • Students will work together to sequence the key events of the Black Death in chronological order.
   • After arranging the timeline, teacher reviews it briefly for accuracy and explains each event in detail.

2. “Plague Cards” (5 minutes):

   • Each student draws two flashcards and reads the information aloud to the group.
   • Example card facts:
     • “Rats carried flea-borne bacteria that caused the plague.”
     • “Some people believed the plague was God’s punishment and wore amulets or prayed for protection.”
     • “Entire villages were abandoned in Europe due to the plague’s high death toll.”

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Part 2: Creative Comparison – Living Through a Pandemic (15 minutes)

Objective: Foster empathy by connecting the Black Death to students’ contemporary experiences (e.g., COVID-19).

1. Prompt students to imagine they are living in a small medieval European village during the Black Death. Ask:

   • How would people explain this mysterious disease in a time before modern science?
   • How would life in a pandemic have been different without modern medicine or technology?

2. Creative Activity:

   • Students create an illustrated “Plague Diary” entry on A4 paper, combining drawings and short written reflections.
   • They may write from the perspective of a villager, a doctor, or a merchant.
   • Prompts for diary writing:
     • What has happened in your village?
     • How are you feeling right now?
     • How are you trying to stay safe?

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3. Reflection and Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate learning by reflecting on long-term impacts and connections to Australia’s history.

1. As a group, discuss the Black Death’s effects on global trade, migration, and innovations (e.g., new ideas about public health).
2. Ask students to brainstorm how this catastrophic event might have indirectly influenced the eventual colonisation of Australia. For example:
   • Did the reduction in Europe’s population lead to changes in how society expanded or explored new lands?
   • Could global trade routes used to spread the plague later lead explorers to Australia?
3. Finish with a powerful takeaway: “Even events from hundreds of years ago can ripple through history and shape the world we live in today.”

Exit Ticket Activity: Each student shares one “wow” fact they learned about the Black Death before leaving the lesson.

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Assessment (Ongoing and Formative)

• Observe students' ability to sequence the timeline in the group relay.
• Assess creativity and thoughtfulness in their diary entries for historical understanding and empathy.
• Use their responses during discussions as informal indicators of engagement and comprehension.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For advanced learners: Encourage them to expand their diary entries or hypothesise the long-lasting impacts of the Black Death on modern society.
• For learners needing support: Pair them with a peer for activities and provide pre-written sentence starters for the “Plague Diary” entry.

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Extension Idea for Future Lessons

Encourage students to research another major historical event (e.g., industrialisation or migration waves) that shaped Australia’s history, comparing its impacts to the Black Death.

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Teacher Notes

• The Black Death is a serious topic; remain sensitive to students’ capacity to process heavy information. Maintain an engaging yet age-appropriate tone.
• The masks and roleplay elements bring the lesson to life, stimulating student curiosity and making the history memorable.