What The Pupils Will Learn
- Robert
Burns suffered from poor health.
- The provision
of doctors was very different to our modern Health Service.
- Food available in the 18th century was very restricted in comparison with today.
Background
Information
a) Infant mortality was high in the 18th Century.
b) Medical care was very basic with people tending to rely on herbal or plant "medicines".
c) Robert Burns himself did not keep good health, suffering from rheumatic type illnesses.
d) He died at the early age of 37 of heart disease induced by his rheumatic fever.
e) The diet of most Scots at the time of Burns was a poor one, containing little meat, mainly porridge oats, etc. Haggis would have been eaten.
Development
Pre-Visit
a) Discuss pupils' favourite meals - use data to create a graph of popular foods.
b) Consider popular foods and research their origins.
c) Label a world map with "menus" or recipes as suggested by the pupils.
d) Focus on the fact hat today we enjoy eating many different foods that come from all over the world.
The Visit
a) Examine the kitchen area of the cottage, drawing comparisons between Burns' kitchen and modern kitchens.
b) Identify sources of power for heating, lighting, cooking, etc.
c) Consider the variety of functions served by Burns' kitchen.
d) Discuss where the food burns ate may have come from, e.g. own farm, River Doon.
e) In the shop and restaurant at the Tam o'Shanter Experience, which foods are particular to Scotland?
f) Consider the use of Burns Cottage fro housing both humans and animals and discuss the difficulties poor weather creates for Scottish farmers.
Post Visit
a) Work in groups to create a chart depicting the seasons of the year.
b) Match the seasons with pictures/wordbanks relating to crops and food grown and eaten on Scottish farms.
c) Prepare a questionnaire/interview for local farmers, if possible, to establish common crops, animals and jobs carried out in various aspects.
d) Research to find recipes for haggis - also consider vegetarian haggis.
e) Invite pupils to decorate recipes and design menus involving haggis and other traditional Scottish fayre, e.g. broth, fish, cheese, etc.
f) Involve pupils in cooking a traditional Scottish lunch, enlisting assistance form Catering Direct, if appropriate.
g) Prepare a questionnaire to interview school nurse/doctor about issues related to child health care in school, consider eye checks, hearing tests, etc.
h) Arrange an interview with local health care specialists to include comparisons with 18th Century health care.
i) Make a class chart illustrating diseases which pupils have been vaccinated against.
j) Explain the principle of immunisation.
Extension Work
a) Research to find information related to strange medicine/cures in the past, e.g. leeches to suck blood, etc.
b) Produce artwork to illustrate research findings.
Related Burns Work
"Address To A Haggis"