Fever 1793 by Monica Pippin

Activity 1: Watch Me First!

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 16:34:32 UTC

Hi Guys! Welcome to the Padlet! Please watch the instructional video!

Activity 2: Imagine you lived during the epidemic

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 16:36:40 UTC

Prompt:
“Imagine you are living in Philadelphia in 1793. News is spreading about a mysterious sickness called ‘yellow fever.’ You don’t know what causes it, but people are getting very sick and some are dying. Based on this description, what do you predict will happen to the city? How might this sickness affect the characters in our novel?”

Student Task:

Write 2–3 sentences predicting what challenges people might face.
Share one specific way you think the sickness could change daily life.

Activity 3: Let's hear from a historical expert

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 16:49:58 UTC

In the video, we learned that people in 1793 Philadelphia didn’t know mosquitoes caused yellow fever. Instead, they tried things like smoking cigars, wearing garlic, and putting tar ropes around their necks. If you lived back then, which reaction do you think you would have had — would you have tried these methods, or would you have done something different? Explain your reasoning.

Activity 4: View the primary source document

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 17:24:08 UTC

What might this map reveal about living conditions, sanitation, or population density in Philadelphia at the time?

Activity 6: Dr. Benjamin Rush

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 17:29:04 UTC

Why do you think so many people might have been persuaded to follow Dr. Rush and receive his invasive treatments?

Activity 7: Take a quick poll

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 17:31:11 UTC

Activity 5: "Battle of the Doctors"

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 18:01:30 UTC

In “Battle of the Doctors,” Dr. Benjamin Rush and the French doctors had very different ideas about how to treat yellow fever. Rush used bleeding and medicines to force the illness out, while the French doctors focused on rest, air, and fluids.

Which approach do you think would have been more convincing to people living in 1793, and why?
Looking back with what you know today, which approach seems more effective?

Activity 8: CER Response

monicarpippin — 2025-09-27 18:11:51 UTC

Prompt

How did people in Philadelphia respond to the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793, and what does this reveal about medicine and society at the time?

Claim

People in Philadelphia responded with fear and disagreement, which shows that medicine in 1793 was limited and people often relied on unproven ideas.

Student Task

Evidence – Find at least two pieces of evidence from the activities:
- The Stephen Fried video
- The reading Battle of the Doctors
- The Benjamin Rush video
- The map of fever deaths in Philadelphia
Reasoning – Explain how each piece of evidence supports the claim. Ask yourself:
- What does this evidence show about people’s reactions?
- How does it connect to the idea that medicine was limited and society was fearful or divided?
Write – Put it all together in a paragraph:
- Start with the claim.
- Add your evidence (quotes, facts, or descriptions).
- Use reasoning to explain how the evidence supports your claim.