19th century approaches to treatment and prevention
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate the impact of Germ Theory on approaches to treating and preventing disease in the 19th century.
Key learning points
- Bloodletting and patent medicines were popular but ineffective treatments.
- It was not understood why the smallpox vaccine worked.
- Louis Pasteur developed a replicable method for developing vaccines.
- Germ Theory did not lead to new treatments before 1900.
- Many successful public health reforms were not based on knowledge of Germ Theory.
Keywords
Quack - used to refer to people or medical practices which are useless and untrustworthy
Public health - actions and systems intended to prevent disease and maintain good health within communities
Common misconception
Development of the smallpox vaccine helped scientists to develop vaccines for other diseases.
It was not understood why the smallpox vaccine worked, so no new vaccines were developed until the last decades of the 19th century.
Teacher tip
Ask pupils at the end of the lesson, how different were approaches to treatment and prevention by 1900 compared to 1800. You may prompt pupils by encouraging them to consider the methods in use, their purpose and their effectiveness against disease.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who first developed Germ Theory?
Q2.Which theory argued that microbes were the result of decay and disease?
Q3.In which year was Germ Theory first published?
Q4.Which famous British doctor opposed Germ Theory?
Q5.Write the missing word. Officials in British India blamed a cholera outbreak during the 1880s on .
Q6.Robert Koch identified microbes which were responsible for causing which diseases?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What term refers to actions and systems intended to prevent disease and maintain good health within communities?
Q2.What was Daffy's Elixir?
Q3.Write the missing word. Leeches were often used for in the 19th century.
Q4.What led to the end of cholera outbreaks in cities like London and Glasgow?
Q5.Joseph Lister applied Germ Theory to his surgical work to try and prevent what?
Q6.Which statement is most accurate?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: 19th century approaches to treatment and prevention, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: 19th century approaches to treatment and prevention, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Health and the people - c1000 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.