Victorians Topic Guide for Teachers

Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901. During her long reign, many objects and machines we still use today were first invented. These include the telephone, the electric light bulb and the toilet!

With the introduction of railways across the country, people and goods could be moved further and faster than ever before. The British Empire ruled many countries across the world, most of which are now part of the Commonwealth.

Teach your children about the Victorians using our handy topic guide!

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Teaching Ideas

Create a timeline of events in the Victorian era using this resource, which has lots of information to include.
Compare Victorian schools to modern ones using this PowerPoint presentation.
Try our ideas for teaching the popular book Cogheart by Peter Bunzl.
Use this cloze activity when learning about the Great Exhibition.
Research and create a fact file about an important Victorian, such as Florence Nightingale.
Compare a local map from Victorian times with a modern-day one, and look at photographs. What has remained, which has changed? UK maps can be found at old-maps and the Historic England site has a searchable photo archive. Many areas of the UK also have local archives online.
Explore the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Clifton suspension bridge using an image, with this lesson plan.

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Resources

Our Victorians Pack has everything you need to teach this popular history topic.

Download our Victorians fact cards for your display, or to use as a reading resource, Maybe your children could make a quiz using the information on them?
These Victorian character cartoons are perfect for livening up a display board.
Try these ideas for a Victorian Day in your classroom!
These Queen Victoria templates are great for writing about Victoria’s life.
This English Heritage page has some interesting activities to try with your class.

Victorians Knowledge Organiser

Members of Teaching Packs can download a comprehensive knowledge organiser to accompany this topic. It includes key information that your children can use for reference and research, along with a timeline of events and a glossary with useful vocabulary.

Not a member yet? Join us today!

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Victorian Facts

Queen Victoria reigned Britain and the British Empire from 20th June 1837 until 22nd January 1901.
The Victorian Age was a time of invention; the telephone, car and photographs are just a few of the things invented during Victoria’s reign.
During the Victorian Age, there was a population shift, with more people than ever before living in cities. The conditions for the poor city dwellers were terrible, they often lived in slums.
The plight of the poor led to the setting up of many charities, including some that are still active today. One of these is Barnado’s, which supports vulnerable children.
Children as young as five years old were sent out to work during the Victorian era. They did jobs such as working in factories, or as servants. The 1844 Factory Act limited the hours a child could work; children between 8 and 13 could only work for six and a half hours a day!