Social StudiesEnglish Language Arts9-12+
Annotated Reading on the Black Death for High School
By Jennifer F.
A reading packet pairing an article and primary source on the 1348 Black Death with annotation instructions and critical thinking questions at DOK 3 and 4. It builds close reading, evidence-based argument, and analysis of how disease shaped trade, society, and historical sources, and is well suited to a 50-minute class block or a small-group discussion.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the annotation codes (questions, connections, key claims) and model them on the first two paragraphs before students work independently.
- Discussion question: How did the Silk Road's trade networks both create and spread the conditions for the Black Death, and what does this suggest about the costs of global connection?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a sentence frame for annotations, such as "This suggests ___ because ___," and pair them with a peer for the primary source section.
- Extension for advanced students: ask them to compare the primary source miniature with the article's account and evaluate how each represents the emotional and social impact of the plague.
- Estimated time: about 50 minutes for the reading and annotation, plus 15 minutes for the DOK 4 discussion questions.
Social StudiesEnglish Language Arts9-12+
Annotated Reading on the Black Death for High School
By Jennifer F.
A reading packet pairing an article and primary source on the 1348 Black Death with annotation instructions and critical thinking questions at DOK 3 and 4. It builds close reading, evidence-based argument, and analysis of how disease shaped trade, society, and historical sources, and is well suited to a 50-minute class block or a small-group discussion.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the annotation codes (questions, connections, key claims) and model them on the first two paragraphs before students work independently.
- Discussion question: How did the Silk Road's trade networks both create and spread the conditions for the Black Death, and what does this suggest about the costs of global connection?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a sentence frame for annotations, such as "This suggests ___ because ___," and pair them with a peer for the primary source section.
- Extension for advanced students: ask them to compare the primary source miniature with the article's account and evaluate how each represents the emotional and social impact of the plague.
- Estimated time: about 50 minutes for the reading and annotation, plus 15 minutes for the DOK 4 discussion questions.