Britain's First Factory

These worksheets can be used to explore the Silk Mill when you visit: 

Victorian Industry in Derbyshire front (140 kb)

Victorian Industry in Derbyshire (140 kb)   

Learning Objectives
In this cross-curricular study of the world’s first modern factory, pupils will develop:
• Knowledge of Derbyshire’s industries and working life
• Skills in using primary and secondary sources to find out about daily life, people and events from the past
• A range of skills to present what they have learnt

Activities

1. Look at Sketch of Silk Mill,  Diagram of Throwing Machine and  Drawing of women Silk workers.  Discuss how the machines might have worked and for what purpose. Pupils could use simple construction sets to design and make their own water wheel connected to a spinning mechanism.

2. Look at Flood at Derby Silk Mill November 2000,  Fire at Derby Silk Mill 1910  and  Sorocold falling into river 1700s.  Discuss what has happened in each scene, how each event came about, how they could have been prevented and other dangers at the mill. Pupils could choose one of the events for creative writing e.g. a story or a newspaper article about being trapped or rescued.

3. On a visit pupils could look at the mill from the same viewpoint as Painting of Derby Silk Mill  and  Painting of Derby Silk Mill 1785  and discuss similarities and differences. Pupils could take digital photos or draw the view then create their own painted or computer generated depictions of the mill for a new publicity leaflet.

4. Look at Photo of Silk Mill Pub Mural  and  Trade Union March.  Pupils could use the Internet to find out more about trade unions and the Derby ‘lock-out’ in particular. They could role play a dispute between the 1834 workers who had joined the trade union and owners of the factory and then lead their own march to commemorate the argument.

5. Using the resources and their own research pupils could create a Powerpoint presentation about the silk mill; each group could choose a different focus such as the silk thread industry, the workers, hazards at the mill or the machines.