Brittany Cook, Maine Historical Society, Cumberland County
2020
6-8, 9-12
- Social Studies -- History
4-5 days
- 1500-1774
- 1775-1850
- 1851-1920
- 1921-today
- Community
- Economy
This lesson plan will give students the opportunity to read and analyze letters, literature, and other primary documents and articles of material culture from the MHS collections relating to how people in Maine have given and received healthcare throughout history. Students will discuss the giving and receiving of medicines and treatments from the 18th-21st centuries, the evolving role of hospitals since the 19th century, and how the nursing profession has changed since the Civil War. Students will also look at how people and healthcare facilities in Maine have addressed epidemics in the past, such as influenza and tuberculosis, and what we can learn today from studying the history of healthcare and medicine.
- Students will analyze and draw conclusions from primary source documents.
- Students will be able to discuss how some of the healthcare systems in Maine were created to address timely needs.
- Students will be able to discuss how healthcare needs during the Civil War changed professionalized medical practices.
- Associated Slideshow
- Optional Object Lesson Video: A Letter about Influenza and Measles (1815) - Run Time 5 minutes 30 seconds
A resource developed by Maine Historical Society with support from Jane's Trust
