Living to Grow Up in the 1800s

Living to Grow Up in the 1800s
Lucy Hayes: First Ladies' Lives

Skill: Elementary School
Time Required: Two to three class periods


Standards Compliance
NCSS Strand 2
Time, Continuity, and Change
NCSS Strand 8
Science, Technology, and Society
NCTE Standard 7
Students conduct research by generating ideas, questions, and problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data.
ISTE Standard 5
Technology research tools

Introduction:

The nineteenth century was a period of increased learning about illnesses, what caused them, and how to stay healthy.  A close reading of Lucy’s biography shows how many of Lucy and Rutherford’s children died in infancy.  The purpose of this lesson to help students develop an awareness of the health hazards of the nineteenth century and of the rapidly developing field of medicine and its contributions to improved wellness.

Objectives:


Students who participate in this lesson will gain experience in research, knowledge about childhood illnesses in the 19th century, and experience in comparing and contrasting two eras.

Materials Required:

Biography of Lucy Webb Hayes Access to the Internet Modern Medicine timeline link Books and other materials about health issues in the 19th century

Procedures:


1.  Using the website listed below, review how many children were born to Lucy and Rutherford Hayes.  How many survived to adulthood?  What was the cause of death for those who did not survive?  Look at the children of other presidents in the 18th and 19th centuries.  What were some causes of death among these children.  Have students begin their list of serious illnesses with this information.
 
2.  Ask students if they know of other serious illnesses.  The list should include cholera, influenza, consumption (tuberculosis), “wasting illness” (cancer), measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever, smallpox, swamp fever or “sweats” (malaria), and any others you may wish to add.
 
3.  Working in groups or individually (teacher’s preference), the students will locate information about these illnesses, in books or on the Web, or the teacher may assign one or two diseases to each group or individual so that all are researched. 
 
4.  Students will prepare short reports on the illnesses in which the following information in included: 

  • Name of illness
  • Cause
  • Treatment in the past

5.  Is the illness serious today?  If yes, what is today’s treatment?  If it isn’t serious, why not?
 
6.  Conclude with a summary of the advances that have been made in the field of medicine.  These advances have made our lives much healthier than lives in the nineteenth century. 
 

Extending the Lesson:


This lesson can be extended by researching more deeply and writing about medical developments in the 19th and 20th centuries, including information about the people who discovered or developed medical innovations.  One example might be the story of vaccination for smallpox.

Sources & Resources:


Websites:
http://www.presidentschildren.com/list.htm
 
Credits:
This lesson was developed by Averil McClelland, Kent State University.
 

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