New 19th century ideas about the causes of disease and illness
I can evaluate the impact of Germ Theory on explanations for the causes of disease in 19th century Britain.
New 19th century ideas about the causes of disease and illness
I can evaluate the impact of Germ Theory on explanations for the causes of disease in 19th century Britain.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Miasma continued to be widely accepted as a cause of disease.
- Spontaneous generation suggested that decay and disease caused microbes to appear.
- Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory disproved spontaneous generation.
- Robert Koch proved certain bacteria cause specific diseases.
- Germ Theory was initially rejected by many British doctors.
Keywords
Microbe - any living organism which is too small to be seen without a microscope
Culture - bacteria grown under laboratory conditions
Common misconception
Germ Theory's accuracy meant that it was immediately accepted in Britain.
Many doctors still defended spontaneous generation and it took the additional proof provided by Robert Koch's work to convince many that microbes caused disease.
To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: New 19th century ideas about the causes of disease and illness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: New 19th century ideas about the causes of disease and illness, 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.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Medicine in Britain, c1250–present unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Having means that someone is unable to catch a particular disease.
Q2.How many of King George III's 15 children were inoculated?
Q3.Who discovered a vaccine for smallpox?
Q4.Which disease did smallpox vaccinations involve infecting a person with?
Q5.Which statement is accurate?
Q6.Why did the British government prefer vaccinations to inoculation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is bacteria grown under laboratory conditions referred to as?
Q2.Match each individual to the correct description of their medical contributions.
leading critic of Germ Theory in Britain
leading supporter of Germ Theory in Britain
first developed Germ Theory
proved that microbes caused some diseases