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Year 10 - History

The Great Plague of 1665

Medicine in Britain, c1250–present

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about either migrants in Britain or medicine in Britain over a period of roughly 1000 years. They examine one of these themes, analysing the impact it had in Medieval, Early Modern, Industrial and Modern Britain, with a particular focus on change and continuity.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the impact of the Great Plague and evaluate the effectiveness of responses to it.

Key Notes

  • Over 100 000 people in London alone were killed by the Great Plague.
  • The actual cause of the plague was still not understood in 1665.
  • No effective cures for the plague existed at the time.
  • Authorities used social distancing to try and prevent the spread of the plague.
  • Social distancing methods included household quarantines.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • epidemic: when a large number of people get the same disease over the same period of time
  • social distancing: the practice of keeping away from other people as much as possible, in order to stop a disease from spreading
  • quarantine: when people are kept away from others because they have, or might have, a disease

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The Great Plague was the last serious plague epidemic because a cure was found.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Over 100 000 people in London alone were killed by the Great Plague. The actual cause of the plague was still not understood in 1665.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'epidemic'

when a large number of people get the same disease over the same period of time.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: The Great Plague was the last serious plague epidemic because a cure was found. Correction: No effective cure had been developed to treat plague at the time of the Great Plague.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 History guide library.