EAL Nexus Resource Victorian child labour Sentence starters Subject: History Age group: 8 – 11, 12-14 Topic: Victorian child labour - mining © Bell Educational Trust 2016 EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ This resource was originally developed by C. Hurley and has been adapted for EAL Nexus.

In order to produce more coal, the miners needed more workers. During the Victorian period, the Industrial Revolution dramatically increased the need for coal. In order to produce more coal, the miners needed more workers. Adverbial phrases as sentence starters: Which part of the sentence tells you when the industrial revolution increased the need for coal? Which part of the sentence tells you why the miners needed more workers?

During the Victorian period, the Industrial Revolution dramatically increased the need for coal which was needed to make steam and to drive the machinery. In order to produce more coal, the miners needed more workers. Children as young as five years old were used to supply this need.   This is eight year old Billy and he was employed as a trapper. Trappers operated the air doors providing ventilation for the miners. And by keeping the fresh air flowing, they stopped the build-up of dangerous gases. The young children would sit for hours in the draft of the door. Cramped, cold and frightened, with little or no light. Some would sing, to keep themselves awake, frightened that the miners would beat them if they fell asleep. They could cause an explosion if they didn’t do their job properly. Can the learners identify and collect a range of sentence openers? Can the learners identify and collect a range of adverbial phrases?

  Other children worked as drawers. They pulled heavy carts of cut coal to the pit surface with chains around their waist. These drawers worked directly for the miners. More coal meant more money and the miners could be cruel if the children didn’t work fast enough. These narrow tunnels were often wet and thick with coal dust. The children got chest infections, pneumonia and lung disease and drawers also got lumps and sores on their backs from constantly banging them on the roof as they crawled along. All this, and the threat of roof falls. The older children, aged between ten and twelve, were trusted to operate the pulley which lifted the buckets of coal and people up and down the mine shaft. Serious accidents could occur if the chain slipped or the buckets fell.

While the children worked, the mine owners and their managers got richer. Long hours, poor pay and dangerous conditions all meant cheap and speedy coal production and a hefty profit for them. Malnourished and exhausted, these children could only expect to live until they were twenty five.

When? Image By Batholith (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Where? Image: Pixabay public domain

How? https://pixabay.com/en/man-looking-words-book-black-29749/

Why? https://pixabay.com/en/thinker-thinking-person-idea-28741/

Other children worked as… These children… While the children worked…, Sentence openers In order to… Children as young as… Trappers operated… These narrow tunnels… The young children… They could cause… Other children worked as… These children… While the children worked…, Malnourished and exhausted…, The older children… Some examples of general sentence openers

Image attributions When?: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/8385768077 Image By Batholith (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Where?: https://pixabay.com/en/signpost-arrows-blank-wooden-308368/ Public domain via Pixabay. No attribution required. How?: https://pixabay.com/en/man-looking-words-book-black-29749/ Public domain via Pixabay. No attribution required. Why?: https://pixabay.com/en/thinker-thinking-person-idea-28741/ Public domain via Pixabay. No attribution required.