1. 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

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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.

9. 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?

10. 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

11. 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

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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

20. .

23. .

26. 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

27. 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)

28. 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

29. 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?

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

31. 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

32. Poor people are usually lazy

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

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

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

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

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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?

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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