Year 5 - Interrogating historical facts
14th May 2021
In History this week, Year 5 explored what the working conditions were like for Victorian children in early 19th century factories. During the 1800s awareness began to grow toward the ills of child labour, however, did they really work such long hours? Were they beaten or fined for falling asleep, making a mistake or being late? Through an exciting role-play, the children studied pieces of testimony presented before the Parliamentary Commissioners investigating conditions for children. They learnt that our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources and that sometimes primary sources can give an exaggerated view. The children came away with the understanding that people with a ‘vested interest’ may not always tell the complete truth!