What was life like for children working in the textile mills in the 1800s?

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR CHILDREN WORKING IN THE

TEXTILE MILLS IN THE 1800S?

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

To understand what life was like for the children who worked in textile mills in the 1800s

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T H E C H I L D R E N W H O B U I L T V I C T O R I A N B R I T A I N ’

• What were the child workers known as in the 1800s?• Why did children want to work in the factories?• Why did the factory owners want orphans to work in their factories?• What did Thomas Burkes do to young, factory worker Charlotte

Smith when she tried to run away from his factory?• In your own words, briefly describe how you think you would have

felt, if you worked in one of these factories? Why? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87eVOpbcoVo

CARD SORT

Who said what?

Match the statements on the cards with the right person:Child workerFactory ownerOverseerParent of child worker

THE VICTORIAN WORKERS’ SONG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNcfnuUrZ4c

EXTENSION TASK

Write a short letter to a parent, as if you were an overseer in a textile mill. Explain why you treated the children working in your factory so badly.