Lesson video

Hello, everybody, and welcome to our next lesson in the unit Victorian childhood.

This lesson is entitled youth justice in the Victorian era.

My name is Mr. Barnsley, great to see you all today.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to present a convincing argument about youth justice.

So, here are five words that you should expect to encounter when you do some independent reading later in today's lesson.

These words are indictment, vengeance, harbor, discharge, and plunder.

Let's find out what they mean.

So an indictment means a formal charge or accusation.

Vengeance is a punishment inflicted for a wrong that has been committed.

To harbor is a verb, and it means to shelter or to hide a criminal.

If you discharge someone, it means you officially tell them that they must leave a place, a situation, or a job.

And to plunder means to steal goods from a place or a person.

So look out for those words, 'cause you will come across them in some independent reading later today.

So our lesson today is made up of two sections.

The first section is called a very Victorian punishment, and the second section, arguments for the defense.

So let's get started with a very Victorian punishment.

Let's get started with some facts about crime and punishment.

So did you know that the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years old?

What this means is basically, if you are a child under 10, you cannot be arrested or charged with a crime.

There are other punishments that can be given to children under 10 who break the law, but they're not the same as if you are over 10.

The death penalty, basically being sentenced to death for committing a crime, was abolished.

It was got rid of in the UK in 1965.

But did you know that the death penalty for children existed all the way until 1933?

Today, people under 18 get very different sentences to adults.

It means they cannot be punished by law in the same way as those people who are over 18.

We're now gonna start thinking about what approach to crime and punishment there was in the Victorian era.

So, I want you to have a discussion, do you think there was the same approach to law and punishment for children in the Victorian era as there is today?

Things I want you to consider as you're having this discussion: I want you to use some of the knowledge you've gained in this unit of work.

So I want you to use your knowledge of Victorian values, use your knowledge of Victorian attitudes to the working class and the under classes, and I want you to think about any discussions you already had about the correlation between poverty and crime.

So pause the video and take a few minutes to either discuss with a partner, or if you're by yourself at home, make a few notes on a bit of paper, and think, do you think the Victorian approach to punishment for children was the same as it is today?

Press play when you're ready to continue.

Well done.

I heard some fantastic discussions there, and I can see if you're working at home, you made some great notes as well.

What I want to do now is share and collect some of the ideas, and in particular, I want us to think about some things that are really important for us understanding what life was like in Victorian era.

So first of all, it's really important that we know that Victorians were very tough on crime.

There were severe punishments, because they wanted these to act as a deterrent to stop people from thinking about committing crimes.

We also know that Victorians really valued self-discipline and responsibility.

That was a real value of Victorian society.

Therefore, they had a firm belief that criminals face punishment for their crimes.

This meant that children could be prosecuted and sentenced as if they were adults.

There was some movement away from this idea in the Victorian era, but as we saw, children could still be sentenced to death all the way up until the 1930s, long after the Victorian era had finished.

There was also a very real belief that it was only really the working classes and the under classes who committed crimes.

And we looked at some evidence to suggest that the working classes and the under classes were more heavily represented in prisons when we looked at the amount of prisoners who couldn't read or write, but this isn't to say that crimes weren't committed by the middle and upper classes.

Of course they were, but perhaps they had the money to have good solicitors to defend them, or maybe the type of crimes they committed, like fraud, were less likely to be found out, but that doesn't mean that only the working class committed crimes.

This was a myth that the upper class liked to sometimes spread because it helped create a really clear divide and it helped uphold the class system.

Right, let's do a check for understanding.

Which of the following facts about crime and punishment in the Victorian era is not true?

A, that children could be prosecuted as if they were adults; B, that only the working class committed crime; and C, that the Victorians believed in harsh punishments to ensure criminals took responsibility for their crimes.

Select your response now.

Well done.

It was a middle class myth that only the working class committed crime.

Right, your first task today, you are going to do some independent reading.

You're gonna read a newspaper report estimated to have been published in 1829, and it's entitled "The dreadful life and confession of Thomas Mitchell.

" We are, as ever, gonna start by making some predictions before we attempt to tackle a complex text.

So, use the prediction grid below, start thinking about what kind of content might you expect to see in this newspaper report.

Use the titles and subtitles.

What words do you recognize in the title of the newspaper report, and what clues can you gather from the lesson content that we've done so far?

And also think about your prior knowledge.

If this was written in 1829, what punishments might you expect for Thomas, and what do you think the writer's opinions might be?

Pause the video, either discuss your predictions or have a go at writing some down, and then press play when you are ready to continue.

Great job.

I heard some brilliant predictions there.

I want to share with you how I would use some of these clues to make some predictions about the upcoming text.

Well, I know a confession equals admitting to a crime, and I know the word dreadful equals terrible, so I'm starting to think that this is about Thomas Mitchell who's admitted to potentially committing a dreadful crime.

I'm gonna guess that Thomas is going to be a child, because this lesson is on youth justice.

So using my prior knowledge, well, I know that the punishment for a child in the Victorian era could be anything up to prison and even the death penalty.

Now, I know this is a newspaper report, so the writer may simply just be reporting on the crime, reporting on the crime that happened and explaining what the punishment was.

They may be expressing an opinion on whether the punishment was right or wrong, but as this is a newspaper report, they might just be stating the facts.

Right, we're gonna read this text, you're gonna read this text independently, but before we do that, let's just have one read through so you can get the gist of what the text is about.

"The dreadful life and confession of Thomas Mitchell.

A boy 12 years of age, who was tried on five different indictments, and condemned to die at the Old Bailey.

The horrors of a guilty conscience must be experienced while their children's crimes cry to heaven for vengeance against such wretched parents as those which belonged to Thomas Mitchell.

After eloping from their native place, they took obscure lodgings in East Smithsfield, where they harbored the vilest characters, and wickedly encouraged Thomas, their only son, in lying, stealing, and everything that was wicked.

At the age of seven, the parish humanely bound him an apprentice, but his wickedness soon caused his master to discharge him; he was next put to a chimney-sweeper in the Borough, who soon repented having taken him in, for he plundered every place he was set to work at, for which correction and imprisonment ensued.

Lastly, his parents bound him to a gang of thieves who sent him down a jeweler's chimney, where he artfully unbolted the shop window, and he handed a considerable quantity of articles to them, but the noise he made alarmed the family, and he was taken into custody, but the others escaped.

He was tried at the Old Bailey Sessions, found guilty and sentenced to die in the 12th year of his age.

After his sentence, the confession he made struck those around him with horror, stating the particulars of several murders and robberies.

We hope the dreadful example of this youth may prove a lasting warning to the world.

" Okay, that was a really tricky text, so let's do a check for understanding to check that we understand the general gist, what the text was about more generally.

So after your initial reading, which of the statements below appears to be the most accurate description of what the text is about?

Is it A, the article describes the punishment of a boy who has lived a life of crime?

Is it B, the article reports on a trial where a young boy was punished for committing crimes such as robbery?

Or is it C, the article reports on a trial where a young boy was sentenced to death for committing crimes such as robbery?

Make your decision, select your response now.

Well done.

C is the most accurate description here.

All of them are generally correct, but C gives us the most detail about what that text was about.

Okay, now over to you.

You're gonna independently read this newspaper report in more detail.

So first of all, I want you to read the article by yourself.

I've given you some suggested questions.

So if you look, all of my questions are numbered.

If you can find the corresponding number in the text, you can find roughly where you can find the answer.

So use those questions to help you check your understanding.

Once you're done, I want you to answer the following questions to show you understand the text.

What is the article about and why do you think it's been written?

What crime was committed and what was the punishment?

And do they, the author, agree with the punishment?

How do you know?

Make sure you use quotations.

Okay, it's time to press pause, give you plenty of time to read, and then answer the three questions in part B.

Press play when you're ready to continue.

Well done, everyone.

Well done for persevering with that.

It was a very complex text with some difficult language in there.

So what I want to do now is share with you my answers to those three questions that will help us check our understanding.

Of course, you won't have written yours in exactly the same way as me, but it'll be useful to check my answers against yours to see if you've got the main understanding.

So what is the article about?

Why do you think it's been written?

Well, the newspaper article is reporting on the trial and sentencing of Thomas Mitchell.

The article is primarily informing the reader of the outcome.

However, it also acts as a warning against committing crime.

So what crime was committed and what was the punishment?

Well, Thomas Mitchell committed many crimes in his very short lifetime.

However, in this article, he is sentenced to death for helping a gang of thieves steal articles from a jewelers.

After his sentencing, he actually admitted to more robberies and even some murders.

Does the author agree with the punishment?

How do you know?

Well, the author's view on Mitchell's punishment is not made explicitly clear, however, he does hope the "dreadful example" of Mitchell acts as a "warning" to others.

So whilst it's difficult to say whether he agrees or disagrees with it, he certainly hopes other people learn from Thomas Mitchell's punishment.

Right, we're gonna take a quick moment to reread our work and reflect, check it and see if it really demonstrates an understanding of this complex text.

So in a second I'm gonna ask you to pause the video, reread your work, and identify where you've done the following.

Where have you shown an understanding of what the article is about?

Where have you shown an understanding of why the article might have been written?

Where have you shown your understanding of what crime committed and what the punishment was?

Where have you made an inference about the author's views on punishing young children?

And where have you justified your inference about the author's opinions with reference to the text?

Pause the video now and have a moment of reflection.

Okay, we are ready to move on to the second and final part of today's lesson, arguments for the defense.

So let's start with a discussion.

Do you think Thomas Mitchell's punishment was fair?

Some things I want you to consider as you discuss: do you think his parents are more to blame than him?

Is the death penalty too severe a punishment?

What social pressures, such as poverty or a lack of education, may have driven him to crime?

Can children be inherently evil?

Is this a Christian notion of justice?

Got to remember that the Victorian society was predominantly Christian.

So pause the video, discuss, or if you're by yourself, just make a few notes, do you think Thomas Mitchell's punishment was fair?

Press play when you're ready to continue.

Right, we are gonna get our persuasive writing skills at the ready, because we are gonna write a persuasive defense of Thomas Mitchell.

That's gonna require you to select persuasive language and structure your response in a persuasive manner.

So which techniques am I gonna challenge you to use today?

Well, rhetorical questions.

So an example of rhetorical question would be, "Is this punishment an overreaction?

" I'm gonna challenge you to use emotive language, language that's really gonna play on and create an emotional response in your listener.

"At 12 years old, he is a mere baby.

" And let's use some direct address.

Let's speak directly to our listeners.

"Imagine your child facing death.

" I also want you to structure your response in a persuasive manner.

So to do that, you're gonna use connectives to order your reasons, such as furthermore or moreover.

I also want you to take some key ideas and make sure they're repeated through your response.

So, "This cruel punishment for a boy who has already suffered a cruel life," the repetition of the word cruel there.

Okay, before you get started with your own writing, I want to check you understand how to recognize and use some of these techniques in your own writing.

So you're gonna read the following persuasive speech, and I want you to tell me which technique has been highlighted in bold.

"He as a mere innocent child.

Should an innocent child really be able to be held accountable for all of their decisions?

Should an innocent child really be sentenced to death?

" So this innocent child, is it rhetorical question, emotive language, repetition?

The bit in bold.

Make your choice now.

Well done if you said that is emotive language.

Let's have a look at another one.

So highlighted in bold in this sentence is, "Should an innocent child really be able to be held accountable for all their decisions?

" Is that a rhetorical question, direct address, or repetition?

A, rhetorical question; B, direct address; C, repetition.

Make your choice now.

Correct.

That was A, rhetorical question.

Well done if you got that.

And final one, innocent, innocent, innocent.

Is this A, a connective; B, direct address; or C, repetition?

Make your choice now.

Well done to everyone who said C, repetition.

That is of course correct.

So over to you now.

You are gonna write a persuasive defense of Thomas Mitchell.

I want you to make sure you include rhetorical questions, emotive language, direct address, connectives to order your reasons, and repetition.

Pause the video, take as much time as you need to write, and press play when you are ready to continue.

Okay, it's time for us to reflect on our writing before we move on to our final task.

So in a second I'm gonna ask you to pause the video, reread your work, and identify where you have done the following.

Where have you used a rhetorical question in your defense of Thomas Mitchell?

Where have you used emotive language to make the audience feel guilty?

Where have you used direct address, speaking directly to your audience?

Where have you connected your different reasons using connectives?

And where have you used repetition to reiterate your views?

Pause your video, read through your writing, and see if you can identify the following.

Okay, our final task today.

Now you're gonna read your argument out loud to an audience.

The audience are going to be your jury.

They will decide whether Thomas Mitchell should be sentenced to death.

If you are doing this lesson at home, find someone you can read your speech to.

It's really important that we practice reading speeches aloud.

So pause your video, read your speech aloud, and let's see if you can clear Thomas Mitchell from being sentenced today.

Okay, it's time for our last little bit of feedback.

This time your feedback is gonna come from the jury.

So jury, once you've listened to a speech, I would like you to reach a decision.

If you have done the speech, you can make a note of the jury's feedback and the feedback you've received.

So jury, you're either gonna decide that Thomas Mitchell is not guilty, and you are gonna explain it to the person who delivered the speech to you, "You persuaded me because you used the sentence.

This was persuasive because.

" So identify something in their speech that was really persuasive and tell them why it was so persuasive to you.

However, if they haven't managed to persuade you, then you are gonna have to find Thomas Mitchell guilty, and you are gonna have to explain to the person making the speech, "You have not persuaded me because," and you're gonna give them a little bit of advice.

"Next time, try using," and give them a strategy they can use to make their speech more persuasive next time.

Okay, pause the video.

Jury, give your feedback.

Right, that's it, we are now at the end of the lesson.

So let's do a quick summary of what we've learnt in youth justice in the Victorian era.

Well, we know that Victorians valued discipline and responsibility.

As a result, they were tough on crime and they administered really harsh punishments.

We also know that the middle class might believe that most crime was committed by working class, but we know this was a myth used to uphold the class system.

We also learnt that when we write persuasively, rhetorical questions, emotive language, and direct address are all really useful techniques to use.

And we've also learnt that techniques such as connectives and repetition are really helpful in helping us structure our work in a persuasive manner.

Well done for your hard work today.

It was great to hear your speeches at the end there.

Make sure you do our exit quiz to check your understanding in everything that's happened in this lesson, and I really hope to see you all soon in one of our future lessons in this unit.

Thank you.