New
New
Year 10
AQA

Renaissance ideas about disease and illness

I can assess the extent of progress in Renaissance ideas about the causes of disease and illness.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

Renaissance ideas about disease and illness

I can assess the extent of progress in Renaissance ideas about the causes of disease and illness.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. During the Renaissance, some people began to encourage new approaches to learning.
  2. New technologies and groups emerged which supported the development of new medical ideas.
  3. Thomas Sydenham was a physician who supported the scientific method.
  4. Many physicians did not accept new medical ideas and approaches.
  5. Medieval explanations for the causes of disease remained widespread.

Keywords

  • Symptom - a physical feeling or problem that shows that you have a particular illness

Common misconception

The Renaissance led to widespread acceptance of scientific ideas in medicine.

Opposition to change from physicians and the limits of new discoveries meant that many ideas about the causes of disease remained unchanged.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: Renaissance ideas about disease and illness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Ask pupils to discuss what had a bigger impact on medical knowledge in the Renaissance period: new attitudes to learning or new technology?
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each of the terms to their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:diagnosis,explanations of what is wrong with someone who is ill

explanations of what is wrong with someone who is ill

Correct Answer:treatment,methods used to help those who are already ill

methods used to help those who are already ill

Correct Answer:prevention,methods used to stop people becoming ill

methods used to stop people becoming ill

Q2.
What was the name of the plague outbreak which reached England in 1348?
Correct Answer: Black Death, the Black Death, the Great Mortality
Q3.
Which medical belief suggested that illness was caused by substances in the body becoming out of balance?
astrology
miasma
Correct answer: Theory of the Four Humours
Q4.
Many Christians believed that disease was sent by God as a punishment for ...
Correct Answer: sin, sins
Q5.
What was miasma often associated with in the medieval period?
Correct answer: foul smells
pleasant smells
poor hygiene
Q6.
What was the main focus of physicians' training in the medieval period?
experimenting with new medicines
observing patients
Correct answer: studying ancient medical texts

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A physical feeling or problem that shows that you have a particular illness is known as a ...
Correct Answer: symptom
Q2.
What were the approximate dates of the Renaissance period?
late 11th century - 13th century
late 13th century - 15th century
Correct answer: late 15th century - 17th century
late 17th century - 19th century
Q3.
What new technology was invented in 1590?
Correct Answer: microscope, the microscope
Q4.
Plague orders produced by the Royal College of Physicians began by suggesting was responsible for causing disease.
Correct Answer: God, sin, sins
Q5.
Why did many physicians reject the ideas of Thomas Sydenham?
Correct answer: Sydenham's ideas challenged ancient authorities
Sydenham's ideas were harmful for patients
Sydenham's ideas were proven incorrect
Q6.
Which statement is correct?
There was still no knowledge of germs in the Renaissance period.
Correct answer: Germs were first discovered in the Renaissance period.
Germs role in causing disease was discovered in the Renaissance period.

Additional material

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