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Black Death

Text Black Death

TLF ID M011222

This resource is about the plague that broke out in England from 1348-49. It provides an overview of the plague in the British Isles beginning with the initial outbreak in Dorset, which then spread to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The resource includes many contemporary descriptions of the plague, the death toll and the recurrences of it after 1349. A timeline of how the plague spread around England is included with text, lengthy quotes from chronicles and still images.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This resource is useful for addressing the Australian Curriculum: History content description in year 8 relating to the causes of the plague. It includes descriptions of the poor hygienic and sanitary conditions in London including overcrowding and poor sanitation, pollution of the River Thames and polluted cesspits within the city, which all contributed to creating conditions in which the plague would flourish.
  • This resource is useful for addressing the Australian Curriculum: History content description in year 8 relating to the symptoms of the Black Death. It provides many descriptions of the symptoms taken from first-hand sources including: the chronicler John of Fordun; the chronicle called the 'Book of Pluscarden'; from an inquest carried out in Wales; a description by a poet; and from Brother John Clyn of Kilkenny of Ireland, who died shortly after writing his account in 1349.
  • This resource is useful for the development of the history skills. Students compare the primary sources in the resources to identify and describe the attitudes and values in them.
Year level

8

Topics Bubonic plague Death rate Late Middle Ages
Learning area
  • History

Other details

Contributors
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
  • Organization: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
  • Address: UNITED KINGDOM
  • URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk
  • Publisher
  • Name: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
  • Organization: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: UNITED KINGDOM
  • URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Generic
Learning Resource Type
  • Text
  • Image
Rights
  • Resource: BBC © 2012, except where indicated otherwise. You may download, copy and communicate this material for free, and use it in digital and hardcopy format for non-commercial educational use in Australian schools and TAFE institutions, provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material. 'Interactive' image: © Education Services Australia Limited 2012. You may copy, communicate and adapt this image for non-commercial educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the image.