Heading: Life around 1900 Lesson starter: Read through the fact box below. What similarities or differences can you make between life in 1900 and life in Britain today? Aim for at least three. Britain in 1900 Men Women Life Expectancy 47 50 Voting Rights Men 21+ who owned property No women could vote Biggest employer Heavy industry i.e. coal mining, shipbuilding Domestic Service (household servants) Education Compulsory until age 12, class sizes of around 60 Girls taught mainly sewing, cooking, cleaning

We are learning to… Describe life for the rich & middle classes in 1900 Describe life for the poor in 1900 Make comparisons between the lives of the rich & poor

I can… Create a presentation about a group in 1900 society Note-take from other presentations Make comparisons between groups in society

Background Upper Class Middle Class Poor or working class Around 1900, Britain and Scotland very much operated around a ‘class system’ At the top were the upper classes, who had generally been born into lots of money and led very privileged lives At the bottom were the poor, who worked very hard but struggled day to day to make ends meet In the middle were the middle classes who had generally earned their wealth, and aspired to be like the upper classes Upper Class Middle Class Poor or working class

Task One Your teacher will divide you into groups of around four Each group will have an information sheet on one group in society You should turn this information into a presentation (poster, flipchart etc) You will then present this to the rest of the class to teach them about this group

Presentation Success Criteria You should mention the following in the content of your presentation; the education of your group the roles of men & women the life of children in your group Leisure activities Your evaluation of the life of that group – what was good/ bad Ext – Identify and add the main positives/ negatives of the life of your group

Task Two – learning from others as you watch/hear the presentations, take notes in the following format Upper Classes Middle Classes Working Classes

What Have I learned? When we make a comparison, it is not enough to simply describe two issues i.e. St Joseph’s Academy is a secondary school in Kilmarnock. Louden Academy is a secondary school in Galston. You need to actually point out what is similar, and what is different i.e. St Joseph’s Academy and Louden Academy are both secondary schools. However, St Joseph’s is in Kilmarnock whereas Louden is in Galston.

What Have I learned? Now, decide which group you think had the best standard of living in 1900 and give two reasons for your answer. I believe that the ….. Class had the highest standard of living in 1900 because… Another reason for this decision is… Who had the worst standard of living?

What Have I learned? Now, use what you have learned today to make at least one comparison between the three groups of society – Rich, middle class and poor. 0 comparisons 1-2 comparisons 3 comparisons or more

We were learning to… Describe life for the rich & middle classes in 1900 Describe life for the poor in 1900 Make comparisons between the lives of the rich & poor

Did you… Create a presentation about a group in 1900 society Note-take from other presentations Make comparisons between groups in society

Lesson 2: The Problem of Poverty Lesson starter: Think back to the last lesson on groups in society in 1900. 1. Try and remember 5 problems facing the poor in 1900.

Recap… Low wages Difficult working conditions Dangerous jobs i.e. coal mining Death of the breadwinner Poverty Poor housing Child labour Ill health Overcrowding

We are learning to… Describe problems facing the poor in 1900 Budget for a poor family in 1900 Give my opinion on the causes of poverty

I can… Create a shopping list for a poor family in 1900 Describe the different views of the poor in 1900 Write a newspaper article on the conditions facing the poor

Poor Scots in 1900 - Background For poor families living in industrial areas in Scotland around 1900, life was generally grim Unlike the middle and upper classes, every day was a struggle Many of the things we take for granted, such as seeing a doctor or leisure activities, were not an option

Task One: Picture Quiz You will see a series of pictures of Scottish tenements around 1900, where most poor and working class people lived. Write down the problems you see with the tenements. Take notes on how the problems you see might damage health.

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Managing the household budget in 1900 Your group will receive a price list for Kilmarnock General Store As a group you must try and manage the Household Budget for a working class family in 1900

Task Two In 1900 the average poor family would earn around £1 per week 50% of this would be spent on rent It was important to budget – to make sure there was enough money for essentials As a group, highlight the items on the shop’s price list Pink – essential items (you can’t live without) Green – non essential items Yellow – luxury items (not necessary but desirable)

Task Two Use the shopping list to spend the rest of your family income Every group member must agree on the items to purchase You will need to make sure you have enough food to feed everyone in a family of 5. Once you have agreed, copy your shopping list and prices into your jotter

What have I learned? Answer the following questions in your jotter in sentences Describe the sort of diet a poor family would have in 1900. What would happen to the children in a family where the parents smoked or drank? Do you think many families had savings? Provide reasons for your answer. If a family ran short of money what might they do?

Thought for this lesson Poor education . Low wages Poor health Poor housing Poor diet

Task Three - Opinions The following slides will show you some statements. You must decide whether you; Agree strongly/ agree/ disagree/ strongly disagree All of these statements represent commonly held views by the middle & upper classes around 1900

Poor people are usually lazy

It is up to the individual to get themselves out of poverty

It is the responsibility of those who have a lot of money to help those who don’t

People living in poverty often waste their money on things like cigarettes and alcohol

Giving to the poor is the job of charities, not the government

Summary Around 1900, many middle & upper classes believed in a ‘laissez faire’ approach to the poor – giving them little help Many thought that poor people were lazy, immoral or squandered their cash on alcohol or gambling Charities like the Salvation Army were the only help available for the poor, although many people were starting to believe the government should help too

Task Four You will now use what you have learned about poverty in 1900 to write a newspaper report on the lives of the poor after visiting some inner city slums in Glasgow For most middle & upper classes, what they read in the newspapers was their only window into the lives of the lower classes You should decide whether as a reporter, you will have a sympathetic or critical view of those you write about

YOUR HEADLINE HERE Price: Written by: A picture/ illustration Write here about what you have witnessed in the slums about life for the poor. You must include at least five detailed points A picture/ illustration Your personal views on the problem of poverty - do poor people need to work harder or do the middle classes & rich need to help them more?

Peer Assessment swap your articles! 1 – has the reporter given five detailed points about problems facing the poor? One tick for each problem up to a max of 5 2 – Has the reporter included a picture or illustration – one tick if yes 3 – has the reporter made it clear whether he is sympathetic or critical of the poor? One tick if yes 4 – have they backed up their opinion with evidence/ explanation? One more tick if yes Total mark out of 8

We were learning to… Describe problems facing the poor in 1900 Budget for a poor family in 1900 Give my opinion on the causes of poverty

Did I … Create a shopping list for a poor family in 1900 Describe the different views of the poor in 1900 Write a newspaper article on the conditions facing the poor