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Page 1 of 2 There are a variety of visit options available from the Educational Service at Kew Bridge Steam Museum. Our core programmes, listed below, are aimed at providing an individually tailored visit to a specific class or group, thus offering a flexible approach to school visits. Although the visits are specific they fall within these broad themes
Water, Victorians and the Industrial Revolution (KS2)
 During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), the population of London rapidly grew beyond the capabilities of the wells and pumps that Londoners had long used to obtain their water. Steam engines, the driving force behind the Industrial Revolution, provided the answer to the question of how to supply more people with water. The four core session options listed below explore the power behind the Victorian water supply system and how it affected peopleÙs lives. Teachers are only able to choose three of these options for their visit, which will all take place in the morning. The afternoon is divided into set activities. National Curriculum Links: Geography, History, Science. Core Session 1 - Victorian Washday (History) A limited water supply meant that a householdÙs washing was often done once a week. There were many chores that had to be done as part of the washing process and your pupils will fiind out about a typical washing day in Victorian life, and how it was different for rich and poor. With some comparison between Victorians and modern life. Core Session 2 - Be a Child Labourer (History) This session focuses on the child labour force in Victorian coal mines. Coal was needed for fuel in many industries, water supply being one of them. The pupils take part in some role-play to explore the typs of jobs that children performed in the mines.  Core Session 3 - Water & Steam (History/Science) During this session pupils will learn about how engines, like those at the museum, were created to solve a problem with drainage in mines, and how they were used for pumping water in London. Pupils investigate the different ways of pumping water and the difference that the power of the steam engine made to mining and water supply. As part of this sesion we introduce important characters such as Thomas Newcomen and James Watt. Core Session 4 - Filterbeds: Old and New (Geography/ History/ Science) Your class will learn about water filtration, build their own version of a Victorian filterbed and try to filter samples of water. They will also look at solids and dissolving in water. We discuss the difference between clean and pure water. Following the morning of three of the above four core sessions, the afternoon will consist of three shorter sessions each lasting approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. These will be a visit to the Water for Life Gallery (with activity sheets); a visit to the water aid exhibit (Citizenship) (with a chance to try the hand pump); and a visit to the museum shop. |
