Publisher: Astra Publishing House
Summary:
The Bubonic Panic is written by Gail Jarrow in a detailed, well researched account of the history and timeline of this virulent plague. She talks about the three strains of the plague, and the importance it had on the public health. It was discovered that political leaders were trying to keep the plague hidden, and outlines the details of how brave scientists uncovered the secrets – the author includes photographs and drawings as well as additional resources to help paint the picture of this horrible, deadliest disease. This book provides many historical facts that middle school children will find fascinating, especially with the illustrations, cartoons, posters, and newspaper clippings, which will encourage engagement and readers’ interest.
One of the aspects that is fascinating about the Bubonic plague is the attitudes of Americans towards the Chinese immigrants, from a political and social perspective. Even after there was proof of how readily the disease was able to spread, it became complicated between the politicians, businessmen, doctors and health officials to actually recognize the deaths, fearing the impact it would have on trade and tourism.
Reading Level:
Lexile Measure: 1000L
Page count: 200
Vocabulary
Diseases - condition of the living animal that impairs normal functioning.
Bubonic plague - An infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is transmitted to humans from infected fats by the oriental rat flea.
Constantinople- The largest city and former capital of Turkey.
Epidemic - affecting a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community or region.
Transmission - transferring something from one spot to another.
Yersinia pestis - A. bacterium that causes plague and is transmitted from rats to humans by the rat flea.
Pandemic - a disease found throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world.
Resources to Support Text
Building / activating schema
Lesson Activity
The immediate effects of the plague were devastating. After reviewing the resources and reading the book, address the following questions using voki:
1. How severe was the plague? Did most people who got the plague survive or die?
2. Was recovery from the plague even possible?
3. Was a particular class of people who were most affected by the plague, for example, priests, doctors, merchants, or urban / rural population?
Recommended grade level:
6th - 12th grade
Common Core State Standard
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Key words or phrases
Diseases
Social issues
Scientific research
Technological developments
Culture in America
Government towards health
Death and mourning
Before reading activity
Read the article on - background on the black death
Discuss the following concepts with a partner
The rate at which the plague spread
The rapidity of the progress of the disease in individuals
The high mortality rate in the wake of the disease
Synthesize the material read and discussed using digital notebook, addressing the concepts discussed during partner work.
During reading activity
While reading the book, refer to the Map - the spread of the black plague . Look specifically at Italy, China and all of Europe to see how the Plague spread. Refer to this link for questions to answer and extra resources.
After reading activity
Using a graphic organizer, compare and contrast the likely ways in which the lives and attitudes of a peasant and a member of the ruling class would have been different after the plague than if the plague had never happened. The student should pick two or three aspects of life that might have changed. In the body of the essay, discuss each aspect in a paragraph (or more), highlighting the differences for the peasant and for the member of the ruling class. Use information provided to support the argument.
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