Time Travellers: Victorian England

Join with other future historians as we explore life in Victorian England. We'll explore what Queen Victoria's life was like and how she became Queen. We will also look at what life was like for different groups of people in Victorian England. We'll take a look inside houses for rich and poor people, examine what they ate and think about what life was like for different people. Learners will have the opportunity to explore different developments in Victorian understanding, for example how medicine developed and how communications improved. We will also learn about some key figures in Victorian society, such as Charles Darwin, Mary Anning and Sarah Forbes Bonetta.

Each week, we will look at a different topic and use a variety of photographs, images and video footage (where available) to prompt discussions. Learners will be encouraged to share their thoughts in group discussions and to make connections and comparisons between life in Victorian times and life today. 

No prior learning is needed in this class. There will be some text on some slides, but I will read this out to ensure that less confident readers are able to participate.

Week of 4th September: Queen Victoria's Life 
This week, learners will explore how Victoria became queen and what her life was like as a child. We'll look at her family and learn about her marriage to Prince Albert. We'll also look at what Victoria's life was like as queen, where she lived and what she ate.

Week of 11th September: Rich Victorians
This week, learners will look at life as a rich Victorian. We will look at typical houses and foods eaten. We will look at the work that rich Victorians did and how women engaged with society through philanthropy. 

Week of 19th September: The Middle Class 
In this class, learners will explore how the middle class emerged in the Victorian Era. We will look at the types of houses people lived in, the work that middle class men did and how families ate. 

Week of 26th September: Poor people 
This week, learners will explore life for the poorest people in Victorian England. We will look at typical houses and diets, the type of work that poor people did and how they spent their free time. 

Week of 3rd October: Victorian Schools 
This week, learners will look at how children learnt in Victorian England. We will look at the different types of schools for Victorians and look at typical school rules. Learners will be encouraged to think about how education in Victorian England is different to education today.

Week of 9th October: The Written Word and Communication 
This week, we will look at the development of books and how increasing literacy rates meant more people had access to novels. We'll look at how people communicated through the development of the postal service and the telegram and look at the circulation of newspapers. We will also look at the development of the telephone.

Week of 15th October: Science 
In this class, learners will look at some developments in science. We will look at different scientists such as Mary Anning, Charles Darwin, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. We will talk about how Victorians studied nature and developed an interest in palaeontology as well as technological developments of the Analytical Engine 

Week of 23rd October: Medicine 
This week we will look at how hospitals changed during the Victorian era. We will look at developments in medicine and nursing, including the work of Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole and Joseph Lister. We will talk about how germs were finally understand and how this helped to control disease.

Week of 30th October: Crime and Punishment 
This week, learners will explore the development of the police in England. We'll look at common crimes in Victorian England - particularly looking at crime in the cities - and look at typical punishments for this. 

Week of 6th November: Sport 
This week, we will look at popular sports in the Victorian Era. We will look at the development of football (soccer) and the importance of team games. We will also look at the development of individual sports such as cycling and boxing

Week of 20th November: Entertainment 
In this lesson, learners will explore the development of films and cinema. This week, learners will have the chance to see the first 'stop motion' movies (a short clip of a horse) and the earliest (surviving) moving image. 

Topics will cycle back to the beginning after the end of the course.