The Black Death: Evidence, Responses & Uneven Effects — Drills · Grade 9 Social Studies
Chapter: Trade Networks, Empires & DisruptionWhat these drills covers
By the end of The Black Death: Evidence, Responses & Uneven Effects you should be able to:
- I can distinguish evidence about cause and route.
- I can explain a historical connection using relevant evidence and qualify the conclusion.
4 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.
Vocabulary used: context, evidence, interpretation, pandemic, denominator.
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
A pathogen finding at one site strengthens a specific claim, not every route or transmission mechanism. Combine dated genetic, historical, and ecological evidence. Avoid asserting that all Chinese or African regions experienced identical effects when regional evidence differs.
Problem 2
Answer and explanation
State the region, period, source, and uncertainty when using a mortality estimate. A percentage calculated for one sample is not automatically continental mortality. Use comparable denominators and distinguish recorded deaths from inferred population loss.
Problem 3
Answer and explanation
Lack of modern microbiology does not mean no one observed patterns or tried practical responses. Explain an action through knowledge, resources, and institutions of its setting. Identify false blame and persecution as harm rather than treating prejudice as medical evidence.
Problem 4
Answer and explanation
Labor scarcity does not automatically end serfdom or cause the Renaissance. Explain the intervening institutions and compare regions where outcomes differed. A pandemic can contribute to change without being the single cause of every development afterward.