The Black Death
Complete document for all three sessions of Examining Changing Borders within Europe. This is a large file and should be downloaded (right-click on link) and viewed in Adobe Reader.
Session 3: Examining the Diffusion of the Black Death
Diffusion is a major concept in geography. The spread of the Black Death illustrates interaction as people, goods, and ideas move through both time and space. The Black Death decimated the population of Europe in the 1300s. Where did the disease begin and how did it diffuse to Europe?
The role of the trade routes in the diffusion of the disease is apparent through an examination of maps. Students will examine sources that claim that the Black Death represents the first instance of biological warfare. As students examine a combination of sources, they will explore the validity of that and other claims.
Key Questions
- Where did the Black Death originate?
- How did the Black Death arrive in Europe?
- How did the Black Death affect life in Europe?
Note:The following files contain layered pdfs. In order to manipulate the map layers, you must download each file.
Lesson
Lesson with attachments This is a large file and should be downloaded (right-click on link) and read in Adobe Reader.
Attachments
- Attachment P: The Black Death, 1300s (Display)
- Attachment Q: The Black Death, 1300s (Plain)
- Attachment R: Primary Areas Affected by the Black Death, 1300s
- Attachment T: Spread of the Black Death
- Attachment U: Countries, 1346
- Attachment V: Black Death Source Documents
Online Maps
- Black Death Europe, http://arcg.is/1XXu510
- Accounts of the Black Death, http://arcg.is/1NxgjPq
- Online Story Maphttps://cps-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=f214752ef3664dbf92249c84784b3971&
Using Layered Portable Document Files (pdfs)
Back to Session 1.
Back to Session 2.
Return to World History and Geography to 1500 A.D. (C.E.) page.
A product of the Virginia Geographic Alliance. 
