Jack the Ripper and Crime in Whitechapel

Lesson series focusing on Jack the Ripper. Includes a lesson in which students pretend to be investigators and follow through the Whitechapel murders as though they are police in H division, looking at the evidence as it comes in and making structured notes on the crimes and their effect on the people of Whitechapel as well as the way that the crimes are reported in the press. Resources are also available for students to look at the main suspects in the crimes.

Also includes a lesson on living conditions in Whitechapel in order to help students understand the social context of the Whitechapel murders.

This lesson series provides opportunities for students to analyse sources, look at the causes of crime in Whitechapel, understand police methodology in the 19th century and consider the impact of the press on the police investigation. The hope for this lesson series is that the students engage with the historical circumstances surrounding the murders in Whitechapel rather than simply seeing it as a “true crime story”.

All resources are provided in a dyslexia friendly font and with clear and uncluttered slides.

Students tend to enjoy the creative aspects of the tasks as well as the opportunity to examine the Whitechapel murders from the perspective of the police investigation and find the experience immersive and engaging.

Ideal for students in KS3 or for a unit on Crime and Punishment at KS4.