Nurses In The Past: Florence Nightingale V Mary Seacole
Explore how Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole helped the soldiers of The Crimean War, through artefact handling, costume and role-play.
Pupils will listen to a short, interactive story about Florence Nightingale, followed by a Mary Seacole story. Pupils will discover that both women used very different nursing methods to help the sick and wounded.
Florence Nightingale focus
Pupils will learn about how Florence Nightingale cared for soldiers in Scutari Hospital. Pupils will be immersed in role-play, meeting Florence, a wounded soldier and a very grumpy doctor along the way.
Mary Seacole focus
Pupils will meet Mary Seacole and learn about how she came to look after the sick and wounded during The Crimean War. Pupils will discover how she used natural remedies. They will learn about the prejudices that Mary faced throughout her life.
Pupils will take part in two group activities activities:
- Cleaning Scutari hospital, washing clothing and caring for the wounded soldiers
- Looking inside Mary Seacole’s medicine box and helping to prepare a mustard plaster
The workshop will focus on
- How uniforms differed to modern uniforms
- How Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole helped to care for soldiers wounded in The Crimean War
- The differences between the lives of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole
- How Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole used very different nursing methods to help the sick and wounded soldiers
“My Y1 class took part in the Florence and Mary workshop. The children learnt so much and were thoroughly engaged. A great mix of whole class and group activities, using artefacts the children would never have seen. This is the third workshop I have booked and I will be booking again. What a wonderful way to start a topic.”
Laura Horton St Alban’s RC Primary School Warrington
“Del made the booking process easy and detailed information about the forthcoming workshop was provided. It’s been great to have Del visit the school again. The informative workshop was well structured with regular practical acitivities. The children enjoyed all the activities (apart from scrubbing the floor – ha!) “
Lucy Ramsdale Merchant Taylor’s School Crosby
