work, particularly physical work, can be referred to as labour.

if you force or oblige someone to do something, you compel them to do it.

a chimney sweep was someone who would clean the channel above a fireplace, which takes smoke out of buildings.

callous people have a cruel disregard for others.

a mercenary is primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics.

Exploring the experience of child workers in the Victorian era

English

Education for poor Victorian children

Exploring youth justice in the Victorian era

Writing a persuasive speech about supporting Victorian children

Preparing a speech about supporting Victorian working class children

Writing speeches about supporting Victorian working class children

Developing active listening skills

Delivering speeches about supporting Victorian working class children

In 'Victorian childhood', pupils develop their spoken language skills through delivering a speech. In 'Perspectives on Gender', pupils build on these skills by writing persuasive speeches and taking part in debates.

In 'Sherlock Holmes', pupils were introduced to the Victorian context. In 'Victorian Childhood', pupils use non-fiction texts to develop their understanding of the era in more detail.

In this unit, pupils read a mixture of contemporary and nineteenth-century non-fiction texts that explore a common theme of childhood. They first read and compare the texts, before then writing and delivering a speech as part of a debate on Victorian working class children.

Victorian childhood: non-fiction reading and writing

if two things have a mutual relationship or connection, they are are said to have a correlation.

illiteracy means being unable, or struggling, to read and write.

destitute means extremely poor and unable to look after oneself.

a plea is a request made in an urgent or emotional manner.

ragged schools were schools which provided education to children who were too poor to receive it elsewhere.

an indictment means a formal charge or accusation.

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

to harbour means to shelter or hide a criminal.

if you discharge someone, you officially tell them they must leave a place or situation.

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

one meaning of corrupt is to make changes or alterations to something.

if you are an innocent person, you can be described as being guileless.

an unscrupulous person has no morals or principles.

to act with humanity means to be humane and kind.

a structural technique used to grab (or hook) your audience’s interest.

a technique where a paragraph, usually an ending or closing, is designed to remind the reader of an earlier section of text.

something that all works well together, having a clear meaning throughout.

to draw out a certain reaction or emotion from your audience.

a request to get your audience to act or behave in a certain way.

a person or area that has been made poor can be described as being impoverished.

desperate means a feeling that a situation is so bad it is impossible to deal with.

a civilised society is one that treats people who live there fairly, with a fair justice system.

to implore means to beg someone to do something.

fully concentrating, understanding and responding thoughtfully to what someone is saying

non-verbal cues or gestures such as facial expressions and posture

actively participating and focused, to be attentive and show interest and enthusiasm

a type of question that allows for a wide range of responses beyond just 'yes' or 'no'

pace describes the speed in which you move or talk.

rhythm describes the pattern or flow of words, phrases and sounds.

a temporary stop in action or speech is called a pause.

to vary means to differ from something else.

an expression is a look on someone’s face that conveys a particular emotion.

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Victorian childhood: non-fiction reading and writing

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