A Journey to the Victorian Era

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A Research Task
Ms. Stein's 6th Grade Language Arts Classes

Purpose

to enhance student understanding of the Victorian Era
to utilize and cite information
to work both collaboratively and independently in order to complete a given task
to clearly demonstrate understanding of newly learned information

Background Information

Today’s Society

Computers, PS2s, the Wii, iPods, the Internet, UGG Boots, Abercrombie & Fitch, soccer, televisions, football, baseball, malls, and cell phones all represent popular components of today’s society. Accordingly, they provide many individuals with a form entertainment, fashion, or communication.

Victorian Era

Now, rewind back to the mid-nineteenth century, also known as the Victorian Era, which represents the setting of the classic fictional tale, A Christmas Carol. People who lived during this time experienced a lifestyle that varied greatly from how people live in today’s society.

During this stupendous journey, You will learn about how people lived in another place & time!
Get ready to travel back to the Victorian Era!
Directions

First, you will be placed into specialty groups.
Next, your group will collaboratively decide on investigative roles for each member, and diligently research the given topic, to answer the significant question.

Nineteenth Century Investigative Roles

History Expert

Significant Question: What was society like (social classes, living conditions, health, schooling, etc.) during the Victorian Era?

Fashion Expert

Significant Question: What fashions were in style for men, women, and children during the Victorian Era?

Etiquette Expert

Significant Question: How were adults and children expected to behave during the Victorian Era?

Entertainment Expert

Significant Question: What did children and adults do for during the Victorian Era? (sports, hobbies)

Utilizing the provided note-taking sheets, you will write down information on the selected topic, and meticulously record the bibliographical information.
Once the essential question is thoroughly answered, with elaborative details, you will create a project, in order to share the newly learned information with class.

Project requirements

Your group will collaboratively construct a nineteenth century Victorian Era project.
Each group member will meticulously create, and be graded on, his/her own component to the project.

PROJECT IDEAS:

Create a nineteenth century newspaper. Each student will write his/her own article, including elaborative information about the findings of each specific topic.
Write a poem, or song, about your findings. Each group member will be a different stanza or verse, including information on the assigned topic.
Write a friendly letter to Ebenezer Scrooge, comparing and contrasting your findings about the Victorian era, to modern society. Each group member will write a paragraph of the letter on his/her findings.
Make a comic strip that includes information you have obtained during your investigation.
Create a Venn Diagram that includes similarities and differences between the part of The Victorian Era and Today’s Society. (Each member will create his/her own diagram representing the area of specialty.)
Create an informative brochure that includes information about the Victorian Era. Each group member will create a his component of the brochure
Make a Victorian board game. Every group member will enhance the game by adding his/her own section.
Create a moviemaker or powerpoint presentation. Each show will include findings from every area of specialty.

If you think of another brilliant way to show your understanding of the information you have researched, speak with me and we will work out something together.

WebSites:

Category	Title	Description
Social Conditions	1.The Workhouse 2.Children in the Workhouses 3.Poverty and Riches 4.Dickens' London 5.Work/Employment 6.Social Classes 7.Education 8.Workplace Diet 9.Meals 10.Salary 11.Workhouses 12.Ashton Home 13.Lawless Nation - Interactive Game 14.Surviving Dickens' London – Interactive Game 15.Dickens' London Map	1.Discover what life was really like in the workhouses through the words of those who lived it 2.Explore life for the children in the workshouses 3.Explore differences between the poor and the rich with regard to housing, income, education and leisure 4.Discovery what life was like throughout the streets of mid-19th century London 5.Read and look here to learn more about lower and middle class jobs in London. 6.Find out what jobs were associated with which classes. Scroll down to the "Social Class" section. 7.Look at the different types of schools for children in Victorian England. Look at the pictures. Which class of students went to which schools? 8.What did the poor eat? Was it enough? Read what a person in one of the six workhouses had to eat. Make sure you read it left to right. Click on this link to find out. 9.Find out how well the middle and upper classes ate. Be sure to read about 19th century families only. 10. How much money did one make each year? Scroll down to "Money--Typical Incomes" to find out. 11.What was life like in a workhouse? Look at the photographs or read some of the rules to get a sense of what to expect living in a poorhouse. 12.An interactive tour of the Ashton home. Good information about family life, fashion, customs, and careers. 13.Patrol the streets as a ‘peeler’, catch the criminals and decide their punishment. If you don’t get it right, they’ll escape. 14.Dare you take a tour of Dickensian London? You could meet Mr Micawber, Mr Pickwick or Fagin. Or you might catch smallpox and end up in jail. If you do well, you'll get to meet Charles Dickens. 15.An interactive page with dictionary definitions and descriptions of various locations in London.
Etiquette	Virtual Victorians - Daily Life Children Typical Upper Class Day Ashton Home	What did children from poor families do? Click on Learning at the website to watch the movies and find out more. What's their typical day like? Do you think it's easy or hard? An interactive tour of the Ashton home. Good information about family life, fashion, customs, and careers.
Fashion	Home Interiors Housing - Rich & Poor The Rookery Victorian Clothing Game Ashton Home Victorian Fashion	Find out the differences between the homes of the rich and the poor Scroll down to Background to learn more. Take a look at this neighborhood. Would you like to live there? Why not? Click on the scrolls to learn more. Can you sort out your stays from your stockings and your britches from your ruffs? Play the game and see if you can dress the Victorian and Tudor ladies and gentlemen correctly. An interactive tour of the Ashton home. Good information about family life, fashion, customs, and careers. Explore details about the fashions of the Victorian Era
Entertainment	1. Virtual Victorians - eToys 2.Fun and Games 3.Ashton Home 4.Dickens' London Map	1.Discover what the men, women and children did for fun in the mid-1800’s (click on “eToys” on the left-hand side) 2.Explore a little more of what Victorians did in their free time. 3.An interactive tour of the Ashton home. Good information about family life, fashion, customs, and careers. 4.An interactive page with dictionary definitions and descriptions of various locations in London
ALL CATEGORIES	Virtual Victorians - Themes Gallery	Discover information in many areas of life during the mid-1800’s (click on “Themes Gallery” on the left-hand side)

A special thank you to Ms. Churchwell for allowing us to use her classes websites.