Pasteur's Germ Theory and Koch's work on microbes

IMPORTANT: Some of these worksheets refer to the textbook "Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History, Medicine through time, c1250-present (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127378 and will not be usable without a copy of this text.

This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 2-3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate.

Aims and Objectives:
To understand continuity and change in explanations of the cause of disease and illness. The influence in Britain of Pasteur’s Germ Theory and Koch’s work on microbes.

The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying worksheets. These include a true and false quiz, table comparison of old and new ideas, information categorisation and ordering and a 16 mark exam question with guidance. The experiment could be left out but my classes loved it and it really works if done correctly. You will need to keep the one bread sample totally sterile, so handle minimally with sanitised hands and bag straight up. The contamination of the other piece of bread is great fun- we rubbed it on door handles, the floor and one student had it under his armpits! Don’t pierce the sandwich bags but pin them in a light/warm place like your department staff room. Everybody will love to watch the mould develop whilst eating their lunch. It also provides a valuable lesson on why hands should be washed before eating.