Jack the Ripper + Black death - Lesson 1

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1-4

London's Horrible History

Lesson 1

In two lessons we'll be learning about the horrid things that have happened in London.

Goal:

By the end of the lesson you'll know more about 1 historical event + 1 important figure of London's past.

Today you'll be hearing more about the Plague but first let's discuss a guy known by the name .....

Task: 

Listen and watch + do the activities in class. 

Jack the Ripper

Alleen de eerste stuk kijken als introdcutie van 5 minuten

Jack the Ripper

Name: 'Jack the Ripper'

Other names: 

Prince Albert, Dr T Neill Cream, Mangatue John Druitt,
 James Kelly, Michael Ostrog

Age: 39

Occupation: serial killer

Trademark appearance:

black top hat, long black cloak with red lining 

Profile

Favourite hangouts: 

Whitechapel, East London --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> -->

Likes: 

anatomy, internal organs, knives, writing letters, graffiti

Dislikes: 

police investigations, alibis, busy-bodies, the media

Looking for: 

drunken female prostitutes, loose women

Catherine Eddowes

http://www.casebook.org/victims/eddowes.html

Elizabeth Stride

http://www.casebook.org/victims/stride.html

Mary Jane Kelly

http://www.casebook.org/victims/mary_jane_kelly.html

Emma Smith (alleged)

http://www.casebook.org/victims/emmasmit.html

Martha Tabram (alleged)

http://www.casebook.org/victims/tabram.html

Alice McKenzie (alleged)

http://www.casebook.org/victims/mckenzie.html

Evidence

A piece of clothing from one of the victims was found on Goulston Street.

Task 1:

Read the text from Jack the Ripper.

Task 2:

Write down all of the verbs you know.

Next week more about Jack the Ripper

The Plague

• 1130s China
• 1348 Britain, 3 months later--> London
• In 1350, the plague died away
  
• up to 2 million people had died 
• In 1665, the plague came back.

The dreaded plague was thought to begin in 1130s China.

By August 1348 it reached Britain and 3 months later, it reached the city of London.

In 1350, the plague finally died away but

up to 2 million people had died from the plague by then.

In 1665, the plague came back. London was filthy, stinking and overcrowded and because temperatures rose throughout the spring and summer, the plague went from strenght to strenght killing lots of people once more (around 100,000).

Funny fact: people believed that the Great Fire of London

put an end to the epidemic.

(Not true though...)

What do you think?

• Why did the plague spread so quickly (both in 1348 and 1665)?
• Why was there so little understanding about medicine and health in the 14th Century?
• What would have happened if people had known about germs or had had microscopes?
• Were there any positive outcomes of the 1348 plague?

The plague activity:

The plague was nog a pleasant experience! People in the 14th Century didn't know much about what caused sickness and how to treat it.
Look at the symptoms, the cures and preventative measures and answer exercises A, B and C...

A. Put the list of gruesome symptoms into the order that you think a sufferer would have experienced them. 

1. internal bleeding

2. arms and legs become sore

3. headache, chills and fever

4. death

5. swellings split open, oozing blood and pus

6. swellings on neck and limbs

7. neasea and vomiting

B. Which four of the following do you think were used as 'cures' during the plague of 1348-1350?

1. putting the tail feathers of a live chicken onto the boils

2. rubbing antiseptic cream onto the boils

3. drinking lots of water

4. slicing the boils open, burning them with a red-hot poker

5. bathing in your own urine

6. eating plenty of fruit and vegetables

7. applying a live frog or toad to the buboes

C. Which three of the following do you think were used to 'prevent' the plague?

1. taking aspirine

2. sterilising everything in the house

3. eating a balanced diet

4. smoking tobacco

5. smelling sweet herbs or flowers

6. praying

Homework for next week

1. Learn the irregular verb list A1 (first 23 verbs).