Knitting the Victorians Together

• Condition of the framework knitters

Knitting the Victorians Together is a cross-curricular costumed activity that makes links with the National Curriculum for History, English and Citizenship at key Stage 2.  This online teaching and learning package is designed to support teacher-led visits to the museum and contains detailed supporting information, documents and linked resources.   

Session Overview:
The session is designed to take a full day and will use all areas of the museum including the garden and outhouses, 1850 and 1900 cottages, workshop and chapel.  It will draw upon real evidence from the period including artefacts and an 1845 government enquiry.

Visiting groups will meet volunteers in role as members of the Parker family and a framework knitter who lived and worked at the site and will demonstrate what a normal day would have been like in the later part of the 19th century.  Each character will show aspects of their own domestic and working life to bring the site back to life.  The children will particpate in a range of tasks enabling them to become a part of that time and place and will be made aware of social changes that will impact on their futures.

The session represents the later part of the 19th century (no particular date) and although it represents a typical day, the place, people and event covered in the afternoon role-play did not actually take place. 

If required links to further sources of information are provided in a downloadable document:  Sources of further information (34 kb)

• The Framework Knitters' Appeal Song

Morning session
The morning session will be led by staff at the museum in role.  The characters that could represented include John Parker, William Parker, Hannah Parker and a framework knitter.  Visiting classes will be split into groups depending on the number of characters available for that day and carousel around each one, spending 25 to 45 minutes with each. 

Afternoon session 
This session is designed as a teacher led activity, re-encating a government enquiry into the condition of the framework knitters.  See Teachers' Notes for more detailed guidance.   

Pupils are invited to dress in Victorian costume for their visit and may also bring a lunch typical of the period.

To support classroom based activies before and following a visit, additional images and documents have been provided.  See Related resources and Support files.