Bubonic Plague during the period between 1347 and 1350 is probably not the most interesting topic for the kids. So how can we teach this to the kids? How can we teach complex issues that have nothing to do with the things that interest the children today? Here is when the teacher’s creativity and motivation play an important job.
Ms. Dugdale prepared an inspiring class for the students: they made the masks you can see in the pictures, resembling those worn during the period and/or masks they thought would be applicable to avoid getting disease. As you can see they were working being empathetic, because using this masks they could understand a little bit better how people could feel in the past. They were reflective, because they thoughtfully considered the world, the ideas and experience of other people and their own ideas and experience. They were inquirers, because they were nurturing their curiosity and developing skills for inquiry and research. They also be principled because they used waste materials to create the masks. And they will remember better than if they only memorize the facts, because they were learning and having fun. An authentic IB activity, using a brighter approach.
This activity flows from the grades 8 and 9’s unit on “Deadly Diseases, specifically the Bubonic Plague/Black Death which caused the demise of huge part of the European population. Is an important part of the History that also make the students aware about current day diseases can spread the world over.
CISS Teacher's Blog 