A Pox to You! Cotton Mather, the Inoculation Crisis, and Purpose

In this lesson, students will learn about the work and life of Cotton Mather and how it was shaped by his purpose. They will explore how his actions and his identity helped him achieve a great advancement for modern medicine and through his example, learn how they can pursue their own purpose for the greater good of mankind.

Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.

• What challenges are you facing?
• What fears or concerns might you have?
• What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?

Observation Questions

• What role did Cotton Mather play in the advancement of modern medicine?
• How did this discovery benefit mankind?
• What responsibility does Cotton Mather feel toward his fellow citizens in Boston? How does this shape his purpose?

Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.

• What is the historical context of the narrative?
• What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
• How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
• How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
• How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
• What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
• Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
• How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?

• Students will analyze Cotton Mather’s performance during the smallpox outbreak in Boston in the eighteenth century
• Students will understand how they can pursue their purpose in their own lives
• Students will apply this knowledge to pursue the purpose in their own lives.