This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow History scheme of work. It introduces pupils to the impact of the plague in medieval and Tudor England and explores the unusual ways people tried to treat it before modern medicine existed. Pupils learn about the mysterious outfits worn by plague doctors, including their long waxed robes and bird-like masks filled with herbs. The video explains how people believed bad air caused the disease, leading to treatments like placing flowers on windowsills and using sweet-smelling spices to ‘clean’ the air.

The video also explores some of the unusual cures doctors used, such as blood-sucking leeches and crushed emeralds placed on sores. Pupils discover that although these methods seem odd today, people at the time were doing their best with the knowledge they had. The video helps pupils understand how beliefs about illness have changed and highlights the importance of science and medical discovery in helping people today.

The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of History, Lower key stage 2, Year 4, How have children’s lives changed?Lesson 6: What were the diseases children caught and how were they treated?