Big Question Web Quest Lesson Plan

Students have explored the topic of fairness. In this lesson, students will learn about the lives of children who lived in Great Britain during the Victorian era. Students will be asked to respond in writing to the fairness of children’s treatment.

Lesson Description

Students will go to the BBC: Children in Victorian Britain Web site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/victorians/standard/). There, they will learn about the child labor laws that were passed in Great Britain during the rule of Queen Victoria (1837 to1901). Students will learn about three aspects of children’s lives during this time period: work, school, and play. Once they have explored the Web site, students will write a short paragraph responding to what they have learned.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will use the Internet as a tool to learn about children in Victorian Britain.
2. Students will compare and contrast the lives of children in Victorian Britain to the lives of children today.
3. Students will write a paragraph responding to what they have learned and the topic of fairness.

Question and Sample Answer:

Question: Write a paragraph responding to what you have learned. How was life in Victorian Britain fair and unfair? How was life different for children in the Victorian Era similar to or different from your own life?

Possible answer: I think children in Victorian Britain led very hard lives. Children from poor families often did not go to school. They were forced to go to work instead. At work, they did very dangerous jobs for long hours. Even if children did go to school, they could be hit with a stick for punishment. That type of punishment is unfair, especially because it’s possible the children did not even know they were doing something wrong. Some schools were not really schools, but places where children were forced to work all day. Children in Victorian Britain did not have televisions, computers, or many toys. Many children had to play with iron hoops or toys they made from bits of wood and rags. I think life in Victorian Britain was very hard on children, especially children from poor families. It was not fair that these children had to suffer more than the children from rich families, but that has not changed very much. Children today still have to make do with what they have, which can lead to unfair circumstances.