Exploit the “Yuck!” factor and take the class back to the Middle Ages as health and safety inspectors. Adolescents enjoy being disgusted by mud, blood and bodily functions, so make the most of it to foster an understanding of developments in medical knowledge, the Black Death and Victorian reforms.

Most textbooks have an artist’s reconstruction of a medieval street scene showing timber-framed houses, open-fronted shops and a street market complete with free-range pigs, dogs, rats and other wildlife.

Photocopy the picture and add to the range of sources with some contemporary documentary extracts and your own descriptions of particularly gruesome trades, such as butchery and tanning.

Divide the class into pairs and give them the photocopy and the documents.

Tell them they are inspectors looking for health hazards and briefly discuss the obvious ones. Decide beforehand on the vocabulary you will accept for various wastes and bodily functions - put up a spelling list and accept no substitutes!

Get each pair to label the photocopied picture and underline details of the documents with as many hazards as they can find. They can colour-code their labels into categories, such as fire dangers, water pollution, food hygiene, air pollution and waste disposal.

Use these categories to collect their ideas together on the board and make a writing frame to help organise their inspector’s report - encouraging them to use their own and other people’s ideas.

You can extend the exercise by asking for their recommendations for improvements to the town. Discuss why people might be against any changes, despite the obvious advantages.

Sue Jones writes about history and geography on www.tes.co.uk