Group Project #3
Question Description
Group Project #3: Ch. 8-11
The Black Death
The Black Death was a cataclysmic event in world history. The changes brought to Europe by the plague weakened the power of the Church, altered social relationships, and hastened the end of feudal society. But it was just one of many social setbacks around the world. At the same time, the Italian Renaissance emerged with a whole new approach to perceiving the world.
Here are some resources to explore for this assignment:
- Visit this page at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and read the brief article about the Renaissance. You should also look through the various artworks provided with the page and in your textbook.
- Contemporary Accounts of the Black Death. Note-there are some questions at the end of this article, but you DO NOT need to address these questions.
- Impact of the Black Death
- Description of the Black Death in The Decameron
- The Decameron Website: Using the tabs on the side menu, you can explore the text and the culture in which it appeared ... in the aftermath of the Black Death.
The Assignment
As we've seen before, art (which includes a broad range of media) tells us a lot about historical events. The Decameron is a good example of this: Boccacio's compilation of tales exposes the post-Black Death disillusionment in Europe. The changes ushered in by the Black Death targeted religion, government, social structure, and the arts, among other areas of medieval Europe.
Here is the topic to be addressed in essay form:
Part 1:
Using the the resources provided and your text, along with any other you might find in a web search, draft a collaborative essay of at least 500 words addressing the damage done to European institutions by the Black Death. Specifically, how did the disillusionment with the institutions and traditions of the Middle Ages open the door to the Modern Age? Hint - think individualism, and you might need to dig a little to address this. You will benefit from group-discussions on this point.
Use specific examples in the essay to make your point(s). Be sure to draw on the expansion of the civilization, not just its origins.
Part 2:
Once the essays have been submitted, your group will peer review another group's essay - I'll let you know which group you are to review. This is NOT about critiquing their essay, but creating a dialogue. Imagine you were having a compare/contrast meeting and the subject was ancient civilizations. Not likely, I know, but you get the idea!
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