A magnificent science, history and STEM primary school workshop for KS1 and KS2
Workshop Activity Choices
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​​The workshop is comprised of a choice of activities from the four below, with half-day, two activity workshops for single classes for either Key Stage Two or Key Stage One (usually the Stephenson's Rocket and the Photography tasks, but you can choose two different ones from the choices below if you prefer)
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The multi class days are likewise variations of these, with e.g. for two classes, each class doing the same two tasks, repeated per class
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Covers the 2014 National Curriculum objective of “a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 but also touches on science objectives for light, sound, electricity and forces
Watch our short trailer!
“All fantastic hands-on activities looking at artefacts. Steam train racing was excellent and the children loved competing against each other”
Mrs Foster, y6 teacher, Oldham
CHOICE 1: The telegraph (Morse Code)
Our fully working telegraph set provides pupils with a truly unique opportunity to learn about morse code and to actually message their friends at the other side of the room using the genuine morse code alphabet.
Prompt cards allow the pupils to quickly learn the basics of what is now called "The Victorian Internet" due to the way that it connected people around the globe. This activity also has links to learning about electricity, conductors and insulators and electro magnets.
CHOICE 3: Stephenson's Rocket
Perhaps the greatest technological development from just before, and throughout, Victoria's reign was steam power and this is best shown by the key event of the Rainhill trials, held near Liverpool in 1829, which set in motion the incredible age of steam power throughout the rest of the 19th century and beyond.
In this mini reenactment of the trials, pupils power an air powered replica of Stephenson's 'Rocket' around a 25ft track using a stirrup pump, learning all about the transference of energy and how steam pistons work in the process.
CHOICE 2: The phonograph
It is hard to believe in our modern age of downloaded music that there was a time when we weren't able to record sounds, but this changed in 1877, when an incredible american inventor called Thomas Edison created the cylinder phonograph.
In this unique activity, pupils get to hear a genuine 1898 Edison phonograph, followed by a music box activity which allows pupils to create their own songs that can be played on our machines before they get to keep them as souvenirs for their topic books.
CHOICE 4: Photography
The development of photography signalled a new age of information sharing throughout the Victorian period that still continues today. For the first time in history, people were able to preserve images that were exact records of the moment the image was taken. We explore this by looking at a range of Victorian cameras, before taking black and white photos through our converted brass 1888 Lancaster camera lens. Pupils dress up in Victorian clothes, and, using natural light, learn about shutter speeds and apertures while taking photos of their friends.
