The Plague Spreads (1350-1355)
First we read and worked in our notebooks about the plague -where it came from, how it spread, what it was like.
And then, we played a game.
This game only needs cups filled about 1/3 full of water. One you will color with food coloring.
You need at least eight people for this game. We used the seven people in our family and a mysterious Mr. X. If you do not have many in your family, you could do this with other families (this is really good at a co-op) or you could stuffed animals or you could just label cups with names or even numbers. In advance, make a chart that lists the names of all the people at the top. Have them draw slips of paper with the names of the players on it, so that it is random who goes to who and record these under the names on the chart. You have to make sure that each person does not draw their own name or the same name twice. Do this three times, so in the end you have a chart with all the names on it and three names (that are all different) below each name of the other players.
The origin of the plague's cup of water is colored dark red with food coloring. The rest are left clear.
In the first round everyone goes across the chart, one at a time, and shares his cup by pouring about half of his water into the cup of the first person under his name on the chart. How may have the plague now?
On the second round, everyone shares with the second person on the chart. How many have it now?
On the next round, share with the third person. How many have the plague now?
We played this several times.
On our first time playing it, my oldest student had the plague.
She shared with the oldest brother the first round. So now, there were two people with the plague. On the second round, my oldest shared with her Dad and the oldest boy shared with the next to youngest. So, now my daughter, the oldest boy, their Dad and the next to the youngest had the plague, for a total of four. On the next round the oldest shared with the youngest. The oldest brother shared with the middle child. Their Dad shared with Mr. X. The next to the youngest shared with their Mom, for a grand total of eight people with the plague. Do you see a pattern occurring? Using this same pattern, you could predict what would happen if the game were to have been broadened out to a larger group and more rounds.
On our second time of playing we decided to let Mr. X be the origin of the plague. On the first round Mr. X shared with the next to youngest, so now there were two with the plague. On the second round, the next to youngest shared with the oldest and Mr. X shared with the oldest boy
Now we had four with the plague. On the third round the next to the youngest shared with their Mom, the oldest shared with their Dad, Mr. X shared with the youngest and the oldest boy shared with the middle child. Now all eight had the plague.
It is a good, visual way of showing how quickly the plague can spread.
Of course, this isn't exactly the way the Black Death spread in the Middle Ages. If that were so, all would have died. Some who were exposed, did not come down with it. Some that came down with it did not spread it. Lots of variables. In the end, about 1 out of 3 people died of it.
This game is just to show how quickly and exponentially bacteria can spread.
Of course, this isn't exactly the way the Black Death spread in the Middle Ages. If that were so, all would have died. Some who were exposed, did not come down with it. Some that came down with it did not spread it. Lots of variables. In the end, about 1 out of 3 people died of it.
This game is just to show how quickly and exponentially bacteria can spread.
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