Have we underestimated the Victorian Poor?

This resource is designed for a KS3 year 8-9 class with prior knowledge on the Victorian Workhouse. It could be used as a partner lesson for the already existing source lesson using the 1837 poster.

The lesson examines the Victorian Poor in their own words and seeks to address the common misconception that the Victorian Poor were helpless when in the workhouse and accepted the consequences of becoming a pauper and being institutionalised.

This resource is designed as a full lesson and has a section for lower-ability students, depending on whether you wish to differentiate.

This lesson would best be used as part of a scheme of work on the Victorians and life during the Industrial Revolution.

This lesson was created as part of the Teaching the Voices of the Victorian Poor Teacher Scholar Programme.