This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Postgraduate Handbook 2007-2008 (archived)

Module HIST58930: The Black Death

Department: History

HIST58930: The Black Death

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	4	30	Available in 2007/2008		Durham

Pre-requisites

None

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combinations

None

Aims

An understanding of the impact of a major epidemic on medieval society.
An understanding of the evidence of mortality from plague.
Consideration of the reaction of government to the 1348 plague in England

Content

The module will examine the impact of the plague epidemic of 1348 in England. It will cover the medical evidence for plague and plague mortality. The tools available for demographic analysis - bishops' registers, manorial court rolls etc. will be studied, as will the chronicle evidence, much of which is available in translation. The reaction of government will be studied, using records such as the 'Calendar of Close Rolls'. The module will not examine the long-term effects of plague in England, but students will look at the immediate effects on the economy, and on the war effort.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Subject-specific Skills

Key Skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The teaching methods for the module will be informal, based on individual tutorial sessions

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Tutorials	9	Weekly	1 hour	9
Preparation and Reading				291
Total				300

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Essay	100%	Essay	5000 words	100%

Formative Assessment

There is no seprate formative assessment, but at least one initial draft of the summative essay will be handed in for comment. The tutor will provide regular oral feedback on work in progress.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.