QR Challenge: Did medicine progress in the Middle Ages?

Created using the ClassTools QR Treasure Hunt Generator

Teacher Notes

A. Prior to the lesson:

1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device.

2. If their phone camera doesn't automatically detect and decode QR codes, ask students to

• Download a QR reader (e.g. I-Nigma | NeoReader | Kaywa) onto their mobile devices
• Bring these devices into the lesson.

3. Print out the QR codes.

4. Cut them out and place them around your class / school.

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B. The lesson:

1. Give each group a clipboard and a piece of paper so they can write down the decoded questions and their answers to them.

2. Explain to the students that the codes are hidden around the school. Each team will get ONE point for each question they correctly decode and copy down onto their sheet, and a further TWO points if they can then provide the correct answer and write this down underneath the question.

3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available. This could be within a lesson, or during a lunchbreak, or even over several days!

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C. TIPS / OTHER IDEAS

4. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.

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Questions / Answers (teacher reference)

Question	Answer
1. After the collapse of the Roman empire Europe split into small kingdoms frequently fighting and invading each other.	asfdgfg
2. Britain was taken over by tribes of Angles and Saxons whilst frequently being raided by Saxons. There simply wasn't any interest in Galen or public health.	sfgsfhsg
3. Rulers of smaller kingdoms spent their money on wars and were often illiterate so had no interest in education.	sghghg
4. Wars made travel very dangerous so doctors were less likely to gain experience or education outside their own area.	gfsgfgf
5. Lots of wars led to serious injuries. This meant there was plenty of practice for surgeons on the battlefield.	bnbhgh
6. Christianity and Islam made sure that the ideas of Galen was not completely lost after the fall of the Roman empire.	artrtrta
7. Christians believed that sickness was sent by God to punish people for their sins.Therefore the sick could be healed if they prayed for forgiveness to Jesus Christ.	rtrtrdd
8. Monks in monasteries copied out the bible and other ancient books by Galen and other medical writers from Greece and Rome by hand. These meant one copy took upto a year to produce.	jgjss
9. The Christian church ran universities were physicians were trained following the ancient writings of Galen. The Church supported Galen because his books were ancient, just like the Bible and also because Galen said that each part of the body must have been designed by a higher being, such as a God.	fhfsgsf
10. If you questioned the church's beliefs about Galen bad things could happen. Roger Bacon said that doctors should do their own research instead of just following Galen - the church threw him in prison.	ghghgj
11. Islamic doctors wrote large volumes of medical encyclopaedias based on the writing of Galen and helped preserve his ideas. Al Razi wrote over 200 books whilst Ibn Sina wrote a book used to teach European physicians until 1600.	hhkjhk
12. Both Islam and Christianity suggested followers should look after the sick and both religions founded hospitals. In Europe these were dominated by alters as prayer was the major treatment, whilst Arab hospitals were famous for the care they gave patients.	khkjghd
13. Kings were not expected to improve hygeine or protect public health. Their job was to protect the country and keep law and order.	hhjksa
14. Town councils and Kings often employed people and made laws to try and keep streets clean. This was very difficult as growing towns were full of animals with packed together houses and few paved streets.	ghgdgdj
15. Outside of hospitals most care was provided by women who used remedies passed down by their mothers. If you had a little money you could see a surgeon who learnt through practice as apprentices and reading books by famous European surgeons such as Guy de Chauliac.	jhkshsks
16. Only rich people could afford to see a physician who were the highest ranked doctors - trained at a university. They treated Kings, nobles and wealthy merchants but there were only a few - In England there were fewer than 100 in the 1300s.	kjhsjkhsjk
17. Hospitals did not admit everyone. No lepers, lunatics or people with sickness, as well as pregnant women would not be admitted to some hospitals in England.	hkhsksh
18. People believed that God sent illnesses such as the black death to punish peoples sins. The Anglo Saxons thought that elves and spirits (The devil's helpers) shot invisible arrows, known as elf shot to cause everyday illnesses such as headaches.	tuystsuy
19. Physicians followed the theories of Hippocrates and Galen as a result of the churches training at university.Illness was therefore caused as the body's humours were out of balance, this belief also existed in Islamic countries because of their studies of Galen.	hgsjhsj
20. As the black death killed millions desperate explanations were put forward including one from an English monk who blamed the outrageous fashions that people had been wearing in recent years. Minority groups such as Jews , who were said to have poisoned the water supply, were also blamed.	hkhshs
21. Common sense explanations existed such as bad air was causing illness. Some people even connected bad air to the dirt and filth in the streets but could not explain exactly what the link was.	gsjgs
22. Battlefield surgeons challenged Galen on the topic of 'Pus' which the ancient writers had said needed to form if a wound was to heal. Hugh and Theodoric encouraged the cleaning of wounds and use of wine (which attacks infections) to discourage 'Pus' forming.	hghsghs
23. The best public health existed in monasteries because they could afford them. Monks were better fed than most people and lived in buildings with latrines, sewers and specific water supplies.	gshsgghs
24. Physicians used urine charts which connected to the four humours to diagnose illness. For example white urine was a sign of too much phlegm in the body.	sghsg
25. Physicians also used a zodiac chart to decide on the timing of the treatment as it was believed that parts of the body linked to the signs of the zodiac and position of planets.	gahaghag
26. Surgeons often bled patients with a bleeding cup that had been warmed up. In some monasteries monks were bled twelve times a year to prevent illness, often until the point of unconsciousness.(Which is about three - four pints of blood)	hsghgs
27. Common remedies were often remembered by women and were based on plants, herbs, minerals and animals. Many contained honey and plantain which acted like modern day antibiotics in fighting infection on cuts and wounds.	asdfa

 

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