Mystery Box
Become a time detective and investigate artefacts from Victorian times to learn about houses in the past.
To begin this 2hr workshop pupils will discuss what they have in their houses and understand that many household chores need an electric device.
Four pupils will be selected to be ‘history detectives.’ They will be given an artefact from the mystery box and asked to work out what it might have been used for in a Victorian house. By studying the artefact carefully and thinking about materials, weight, shape and size, our detectives can reveal to their class members what they believe the artefact to be.
All pupils will become a history detective, passing artefacts round in a circle, looking for clues and giving ideas as to what each artefact was used for.
To end the workshop the class will play a matching game, listening to the description of a household job and matching it with the artefact that would have been used to carry out the household task.
The workshop will focus on
- Victorian houses having no electricity
- What materials household items were made from
- What household items looked like compared to modern appliances
- How everyday household jobs were carried out
“The children loved handling all the objects and enjoyed finding out what they were used for”
St Thomas’ School yr2 Stockton Heath
“Year 1 really enjoyed the Mystery Box history session. They loved exploring the different artefacts and finding out what they were used for in a Victorian house. Del was great with the children!”
Emma Bentham Delph Side Primary School Skelmersdale
Mystery Box can be combined with Victorian School Days for a full day Victorian experience
