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The Victorians and us

Are you teaching about the Victorians in your primary school and looking for some resources to bring it to life?

We have 4 brand new resources supporting the teaching of design and technology in context by looking at the key events that defined the Victorian era and how they have influenced engineering developments and society today. 

From making a pinhole camera to building a simple light bulb circuit inspired by Thomas Edison; and from the key events to the inventions that shaped the Victorian era, we have something to interest all.

These cross-curricular resources support the national curriculum spanning D&T, History, Engineering, English, Maths, Science and Computing. These teaching resources can be used as main lesson activities to teach learners about the influence of historical events on engineering and society as a whole, or they can be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focusing on the history of design, technology and engineering, alongside other Victorian themed IET resources.

Download the free resources below!

And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.

Victorian Engineering Research

Learners will use the internet to research engineering inventions that were made during the Victorian era. 

Go to Victorian Engineering Research

Electric light bulb experiment

Learners will perform an experiment to see how filament light bulbs and basic electricity works.

Go to Light bulb experiment

Making a pinhole camera

Learners will make a pinhole camera inspired by the early photography of the Victorian era.

Go to Making a pinhole camera

Make a Victorian timeline

Learners produce a timeline of key events that took place during the Victorian era.

Go to Make a Victorian timeline

If you enjoyed these resources, why not try our other historical themes?

Ancient Egypt

Bring to life Ancient Egypt with these cross-curricular resources covering design and technology, maths, history, engineering and art.

Go to Egyptians

Ancient Greece

Take 4-11 year-olds back to 700-480 B.C. to discover the culture and civilisation  with a STEM twist. 

Go to Ancient Greece

Vikings

Multi-lesson activity focussing on the history of The Vikings.

Go to Integrated project vikings

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