Victorian Childhood: School & Survival
Victorian Childhood: School & Survival
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Victorian Childhood: School & Survival
What do you already know about Victorian childhood?
Lesson Objective
At the end of the lesson you will be able to explain the key differences between Victorian and modern schooling, identify jobs done by poor Victorian children, and express how it felt to live like Oliver Twist.
Activating Prior Knowledge
Think about your own school life. What is the most important thing you have learned at school? How do you think Victorian children experienced education?
Would You Rather...?
Would you rather go to school every day OR work in a factory for 12 hours a day? Discuss your choice and its pros and cons.
Oliver Twist: Life in the Workhouse
Oliver was an orphan who lived in a harsh workhouse. Children there were hungry, tired, and treated unfairly. Let’s read a short extract from Oliver Twist and imagine how he felt asking for more food.
Thinking Time
How do you think Oliver felt? Why were people shocked when he asked for more? What does this tell us about Victorian children’s lives? Write three words to describe Oliver’s life in the workhouse.
Role-Play: Freeze-Frame
Let’s act out the famous scene from Oliver Twist. One student is Oliver, one is the workhouse master, and others are children. Pause the role-play when Oliver asks for more food and reflect on the emotions.
Victorian School vs Modern School
Modern School
Victorian School
Strict discipline, basic reading and writing, poor children had little access, harsh punishments, few resources.
Fair access for all, many subjects, supportive environment, better resources, focus on student wellbeing.
Check Your Learning
1. Name two jobs a Victorian child might have done. 2. Why was Oliver so hungry? 3. Give one difference between Victorian and your school. 4. Why did Dickens write about poor children? 5. Has schooling improved since Victorian times? Explain.
Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.
Write down 2 things you want to know more about.
Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.
