Black Death Art Activity, Danse Macabre Analysis, Source Tasks Digital-Print

No-prep Black Death art worksheets with activity that explore how the plague shaped medieval creativity, emotion, and belief. This resource is perfect for middle and high school history or humanities classes seeking to connect visual literacy with historical comprehension. Students examine themes of death, fear, and faith in plague-era artwork—including the famous Danse Macabre—through comprehension questions, visual source analysis, and interpretive writing. Editable slides and a solution key support digital or printed delivery.

What’s Included:

• Editable slide presentation (PPTX)
  Explains the artistic transformation caused by the plague, from religious beauty to skeletons, memento mori, and Danse Macabre imagery
• Comprehension worksheets with activity (PDF & digital)
  12 questions that guide students through key themes: mortality, symbolism, Church influence, and emotional responses
• Visual source analysis task
  Students examine plague-era artworks featuring skeletons, demons, and chaotic landscapes—interpreting symbolism and emotion
• Danse Macabre focus task
  Students explore this haunting “Dance of Death” motif, analyzing how it represented social equality and universal mortality
• Creative art interpretation extension
  Students respond by designing their own medieval-inspired image or reflect on how art today might respond to a similar event
• Discussion and writing prompts
  Encourage historical empathy: Why did people turn to dark and symbolic imagery in times of fear and grief?
• Solution key
  Includes model answers for comprehension and visual analysis tasks
  

Skills Developed Through This Activity:

• Historical interpretation through art
• Visual source evaluation and symbolism
• Creative response and perspective-taking
• Empathy and emotional understanding in historical context
• Comparative thinking about past and present artistic responses to crisis
  

How to Use this Activity in your Classroom:

• Begin with the editable slides to introduce key terms and concepts (Danse Macabre, plague art symbols, Church influence)
• Use comprehension worksheets to check understanding and support discussion
• Assign visual analysis task for independent or group work
• Guide students through creative or written extension to deepen emotional engagement
• Use the solution key for fast marking, peer review, or feedback

Extension Activities with the Resource:

• Student-created Danse Macabre posters showing different medieval social classes
• Write a short fictional artist’s journal from the time of the plague
• Compare modern pandemic art (e.g., COVID street murals) with plague art
• Discuss: Should art comfort or confront us during tragedy?
• Create a “Then and Now” visual chart comparing medieval and modern symbolic responses to disease

Learn more about this product’s features, care instructions, and other useful details to help you make an informed choice.

Learn more about this product’s features, care instructions, and other useful details to help you make an informed choice.