3.3.0) Medieval Medicine
Watch the youtube videos provided, making a list of the common forms of treatment in the Middle Ages which was 500 AD - 1500 AD .
Question: What didn't people and scholars of the Middle Ages do to stop disease spreading and extend life expectancy?
Activity: Now try and diagnose patients like a Medieval Doctor using the website "Medieval MD"
Science to the Rescue - Cholera Case Study
In the mid-19th Century, a fatal epidemic hit London. In one corner of London, approximately 500 people died within ten days. Dr John Snow set out to investigate the cause to try to prevent more people from dying. In those days people used pumps to draw water from wells deep below the ground. He took very detailed notes about the people who had died and came to a stunning conclusion that a lot of people didn't believe straight away. After some convincing, the town eventually listened to Snow's strange suggestion to stop the spread of the illness. His idea worked and the deaths stopped. Let's watch more about this epidemic and find out how it was stopped. Dr John Snow used Science and followed the key steps of Scientific Method to determine a solution. |
Practical: Investigating the spread of disease
1. Simulate an Epidemic * You will each be given a test tube. One student will be given an 'infected' tube. * Walk around the room for 20 seconds and when I say stop, each student must put 1 mL of their solution into another student's test tube. * Repeat the above step two times. * Test your solution with 4 drops of phenolphthalein solution. If it turns pink, you have contracted the disease. 2. Tracing the Source of Infection - the role of epidemiologists We will then as a class attempt to work out who the original infected individual was. 3. Homework: Write up the method for an experiment that will test if plants grow better in green or blue light. Make sure that the following rules are used: * numbered steps * include a risk assessment table * write in past tense * include an annotated experimental diagram * DO NOT WRITE IN FIRST PERSON ie no you, we, our, I etc * have repetition |
- Discuss in your laboratory group ways that you think are most effective to help prevent the spread of disease. You are to decide on one (or possibly two) hypothesis to test and design an experiment to perform. The hypothesis must relate to preventing the spread of disease.
- Write up an experimental report using the marking criteria provided.
- Extension - Finally report your findings in a "Mythbusters" style video. Groups will produce and publish on a YouTube account. The video must include:
that you are testing.
* description of the method you used
* the actual result that you found including real data that you collected
* an explanation of what your results mean
* your conclusion
Timeline:
1. Thursday 4th - research and write hypothesis
2. Friday 5th - design and write up experiment and order equipment
3. Tuesday 9th - conduct experiment and start writing report - Aim, Hypothesis, Variables and Method
4. Thursday 11th - finish conducting the experiment
4. Thursday 18th - collect results and continue with writing the report - Results, Discussion and Conclusion
5. Tuesday 23rd - Hand in Report for marking