Task 3. Black Death Essay.
Please write an essay in response the following question:
What were the short-term and long-term effects of the Black Death on medieval society?
700-800 words. Quality over quantity!
Check the plan below for advice on planning your essay.
Extra tips:
Remember to check the rubric when completing the task to see where marks are allocated
Use quotes and facts to support your discussion. Ensure that you reference (footnote) your sources. See if you can directly "quote" or reference some resources to validate your discussion- we will talk about appropriate referencing in class.
Maps/diagrams are great! Just make sure you caption and refer to them- eg; don't just throw them in there for the sake of it!
No need to 'waffle'- get to the point!
Black Death essay plan
Use the following outline to plan and structure your essay:
Introduction: Summarise what the essay is about. (Do the introduction last!)
Introduce The Black Death, what was it and where did it come from?
Include a labelled map showing the spread and origin
General statistics- how many people died?
How to write a paragraph
Start with a strong 'topic sentence' that states the content of the paragraph.
3 main points
Use evidence from the sources, quotes and facts etc. to support your discussion.
Close the paragraph with a sentence that directly relates to the essay question.
Paragraph 1 & 2: Symptoms and treatment
Use examples to describe the symptoms and health impacts of the Black Death.
Use examples to explain how doctors and the community tried to treat the sick
Paragraph 3 & 4: Impact on society and culture
How did the church view the Black Death?
Describe the religious response to the Black Death (Pogroms, flagellants etc)
Describe the impact on arts and literature. Use quotes and paintings (primary sources) to illustrate your discussion
Paragraph 5 & 6: Impact on the economy
Changes in the population - less people - negative short term and positive long term
The effect on serfs and the feudal system - changes to economy and society
The effect on medieval women.
Resources
Introduction resources
What was the Black Death - History.com
Black Death key facts: Lumen learning
P 1 and 2. Impact on health impact resources
Black Death: Symptoms and treatment
Remedies for the Black death - BBC
P 3 & 4. Impacts on society resources
Impact on society and culture - lumen learning
Black Death - effects and significance. Brittanica
P 5 & 6. Impacts on economy resources
Were the years after the plague a golden age for women?
Essay planning
Paragraphs are beautiful - a four step fail safe plan
To do: Writing a TEEL paragraph
Topic: Begin EACH new paragraph with a clear and precise topic sentence that refers directly to the content of the paragraph. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about, or its main idea
Explain: Explain what you mean in greater detail.
Evidence: Provide evidence to support your idea or claim. To do this, refer to your research. This may include: case studies, statistics, documentary evidence, academic books or journal articles. Remember that all evidence will require appropriate citation.
Link: Summarise the main idea of the paragraph, and make clear how this paragraph supports your overall argument. The linking sentence links one paragraph to the next and provides another device for helping you ensure your text is cohesive.
Essay Guide: Referencing Guidelines
When do you need an endnote/ footnote?
Quotes
Paraphrasing
Facts and figures
Images
How to footnote
The first time you footnote a book, article or document you need to list it in full as follows:
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
If you quote from Inappropriate Remarks as your next quote you don’t write out the whole author/title again you simply use the abbreviation ibid., p#
If you quote from the same source, same page it is simply ibid.
If your next quote is from a different source, you need to write out full reference: author surname, initials, title in italics, publisher, year of publication, page number.
If your next quote is again from Inappropriate Remarks, you simply put the author’s name and initials and the abbreviation op.cit., p#
Footnote samples
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
ibid.
ibid., p.38
McKenzie, C.M., Please don't make me go back in there. A classroom memoir, Featherhead, 2019, p.11
Jones, E., op.cit., p.59
Example reference list
Bibliography:
Aub.edu.lb.libguides.com. (2020). LibGuides: Lebanese Civil War: 1975-1991: Home. [online] Available at: https://aub.edu.lb.libguides.com/LebaneseCivilWar.
Badran, T., 2008. The Lebanese Civil War. MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, 12(2), pp.MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, June 2008, Vol.12(2).
Crawford, M. & Army Command General Staff Coll Fort Leavenworth KS School Of Advanced Military Studies, 2010. Civil War and Intervention: Lessons Remembered From the Lebanese Civil War and the U.S. Response.