History of Medicine Project
A two pronged approach
Each person will participate in a group project while producing an individual project as well.
Group Project: To produce a timeline that will be hung up in the E Pod that gives a visual account of
approaches to disease throughout history and advances made in technologies and practices.
Individual: To present a biography of a man or woman who made a significant contribution to the
field of medicine.
Guidelines:
Part 1: Timeline of Medicine
(Group project comprised of 3 - 4 students)




Groups will sign up for certain historical time periods and will receive a length of butcher paper
and a spot on the wall in the pod for their timeline.
Groups will research their time period and will display a synopsis of their research on their
timeline so that it can be read from 5-10 feet away.
2-4 images will be included on the timeline.
The following topics are to be researched and the information displayed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What were the attitudes about the source of or reasons for disease during this time?
How were medical practitioners trained, and how well?
How were diagnoses made?
What were some general practices used? Surgery? Treatment of infections? Treatment of
broken limbs? Who delivered babies? Dental or eye problems?
5. What were some new practices/approaches/technologies developed during this time that helped
advance medical science?
6. What were the major diseases or reasons for death during this time?
7. Names of 3-5 famous medical practitioners or scientists and a statement of what they
contributed.
Time Periods:
Ancient Egypt
Ancient China
Greek & Romans : 1200 BC – 500 AD
Middle Ages in Europe: 500 – 1400
Arabic medicine : 700 – 1500
Renaissance in Europe: 1400 – 1600
17th century: 1600 - 1700
18th century: 1700 – 1800
19th century: 1800 – 1900
1900 – 1950
1950 – 2005
Points Possible: 50
Due Date:
Part 2: Biography of a Medical Pioneer
Individual project
Due Date: __________
A. Select an individual from the list below and research their life and medical/scientific contributions
to modern medical science.
Your essay needs to be between 3-5 pages, typed, and should address the following topics:
1. Describe the state of the medical profession during this person’s lifetime. Give a framework
of the ideas, practices and society’s attitudes toward disease to set the stage for this
individual’s work.
2. What was the educational background or training of the individual?
3. What significant discovery or achievement(s) were made by this person? Give some
background to their achievement – how did they get to that point?
4. What effects did their work have upon medical practice or understandings? Describe the
long term effect of their work.
Your paper should follow a standard format for essays, with proper introductory and concluding
paragraphs, in-text citations, and works cited list. Use MLA format.
Essay Document Requirements:
3-5 pages in length
12 point, easy to read font, such as Times New Roman or Arial
1 inch margins
1.5 line spacing
B. In addition, create a one page synopsis (81/2 x 11 piece of paper) of this person’s contribution to
medicine to be included with our History of Medicine Timeline. It should include:
A picture of the person.
Date of birth and death
Significant contribution
Effect on medical community
34 Medical Pioneers to choose from:
Hippocrates
Claudius Galen
Ibn Sina also known as
Avicenna
Rhazes (al-Razi)
Andreas Vesalius
Michael Servetus
Ambroise Pare
Gabriel Fallopius
William Harvey
Bartolomeo Eustachio
John Hunter
James Lind
Edward Jenner
James Blundell
Rene Laennec
Elizabeth Blackwell
Florence Nightingale
Dorothea Dix
Joseph Lister
Elizabeth Garrett
Anderson
Paul Ehrlich
Clara Barton
Ignaz Semmelweis
Louis Pasteur
Robert Koch
Lillian Wald
Wilhelm Roentgen
Dr. Elie Metchnikoff
Frederick Banting and
Charles Best
Sir Alexander Fleming
Mary Breckinridge
Jonas Salk
Christian Barnard
Dr. William DeVries
Points Possible: 100
Sample Rubrics
Time Line Rubric
Exceeds
Expectations
Excellent
Example
Meets
Expectations
Under
Expectations
Insufficient
Attitudes about disease during
this time
Training of Medical
practitioners
Diagnoses
General practice
New practices/approaches or
technologies developed that
helped advance medical
science
Major diseases or reasons for
death during this time?
Names of 3-5 famous medical
practitioners or scientists and a
statement of what they
contributed.
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
Appearance
Legibility
10
8
6
4
2
5
4
3
2
1
Content
Total
Grade
Biography Rubric
Topics Addressed
Exceeds
Expectations
Excellent
Example
Meets
Expectations
Under
Expectations
Insufficient
Current state of medical
profession:
Framework of societal attitudes
& practices towards disease:
Educational background:
Achievements:
Background to achievement:
Effect of their work:
Synopsis: Picture, dates,
contributions:
Quality of Writing – format,
grammar, sentence structure:
12
11
10 9
8
7
6
5
4 3 0
12
11
10 9
8
7
6
5
4 3 0
10
12
12
12
10
9
11
11
11
9
8
10 9
10 9
10 9
8
7
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
5
54 3 0
4 3 0
4 3 0
4 3 0
54 3 0
17 - 16
14 - 13
12 - 6
54 3 0
Total
20 - 18
Grade