ChalkHour

Year 10 History: Medicine through time lesson pack

A complete, ready-to-teach GCSE lesson on medicine through time. Below is a real sample of what ChalkHour makes: the full pack adds three levels of worksheet, model answers, a teaching explainer and print-ready PDF and Word files.

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Real sample

Medicine in Medieval England, c1250–c1500

This lesson covers the 'Medicine in Medieval England, c1250–c1500' section of the GCSE History curriculum. Students will explore the Theory of the Four Humours, the influence of the Church, and the reasons for medical continuity during the Middle Ages.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the key beliefs about the causes of disease in Medieval England.
  • Explain the importance of Hippocrates and Galen to Medieval medicine.
  • Analyse the role of the Christian Church in maintaining medical continuity.
  • Evaluate why there was little change in medical knowledge between 1250 and 1500.

Lesson plan (60 minutes)

  1. Starter · 5 min

    Do Now: Brainstorm what people in 1348 thought caused the Black Death.

  2. Introduction · 15 min

    Teacher Explainer: The Four Humours and the role of the Church.

  3. Development · 20 min

    Student Reading & Differentiated Worksheets (Support/Core/Stretch).

  4. Discussion · 10 min

    Class Discussion: Why did things stay the same for so long? (Continuity vs Change).

  5. Consolidation · 10 min

    Plenary: Multiple-choice quiz to check knowledge.

Key vocabulary

Continuity
The idea that things stay the same over a long period.
Hippocrates
A Greek doctor who believed in observation and the Four Humours.
Galen
A Roman doctor whose ideas dominated medicine for 1,500 years.
Miasma
Bad air caused by rotting organic matter, thought to spread disease.
Bloodletting
A treatment for an excess of blood.

Core worksheet (first questions)

  1. Explain the Theory of the Four Humours.
  2. How did the Christian Church contribute to medical continuity?
  3. Describe how a Medieval physician would diagnose an illness.
  4. Why did people use 'prayer' as a medical treatment?

Quiz (sample)

  1. 1. What were the Four Humours?

    • A. Water, Fire, Earth, Air
    • B. Yellow Bile, Black Bile, Phlegm, Blood
    • C. Muscle, Bone, Skin, Blood
    • D. Liver, Heart, Brain, Spleen

  2. 2. Which ancient Roman doctor did the Medieval Church support?

    • A. Harvey
    • B. Pasteur
    • C. Galen
    • D. Lister

  3. 3. What was the term for 'bad air' thought to cause disease?

    • A. Miasma
    • B. Microbes
    • C. Bacteria
    • D. Oxygen

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Support and Stretch worksheets, every answer and model answer, the teaching explainer and common misconceptions, editable and ready to print as PDF or Word.

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