Titanic -Lesson 1 Why is it so famous?

This lesson has been created for KS3 history students and is the first lesson in a series on the Titanic. Students will specifically look at why the Titanic is so famous and investigate, using data, whether women and children really were prioritised to be saved first. The lesson looks firstly at prior knowledge then a literacy comprehension tasks to pull out out facts about the Titanic and gain a broad understanding about why the Titanic is so infamous.

Students then look at data showing the different social classes aboard the Titanic and the mortality rates of the passengers. Students use cross-curricular skills and produce a graph showing this data and then using closed questioning for direction students explain the patterns they notice between mortality rates and class of passenger/sex and age of passengers. Squared or graph paper is ideally required to complete this task easily and neatly.

The lesson offers an opportunity for independent work and a paired activity in the format of a plenary game. when exploring the different inventions and the inventors developed during the 18th Century. A homework opportunity is provided and accompanying homework slips are included in the supporting resources.

All accompanying resources are included in Microsoft Powerpoint format and suggested learning outcomes provided with space for you to add your own accompanying grades. I have taught this lesson to all Y7, Y8 and Y9 depending on where the Titanic falls in the schemes of work.

I really hope you enjoy teaching this lesson as much as I do!