Teachers’ notes
These activities help your pupils build on their session with Annie through exploration of the Sailortown and Mudlarks galleries. They are designed to focus their time in the museum through guided looking, talking and role-play.
Our aim is that pupils should engage with the museum exhibits rather than worksheets.
You can choose to distribute all the activity cards, or select those you feel are most appropriate for your class. Make sure each adult has a copy of the activity.
Please bring a camera to photograph your pupils at work. You’ll see that many activities suggest that pupils are photographed, which can be a reminder of their visit as well as a way of recording their work. You could even video their role-plays.
Please chip in with further ideas and support to help the activities go well on the day – if you come up with something that works really well, please feel free to share it with us so we can add it to the pack. Email it to or add it to your visit evaluation.
A day out on old London BridgeLondon Bridge model
I spy…
After your session, see if you can spot these things on the bridge:
A house that a rich family might have lived in.
Why do you think this house was built owned by rich people?
How is it different from other houses on the bridge?
Small rooms built onto the side of houses.
What do you think these are? (They are the privies or toilets)
How did they help make the bridge the healthiest place in London to live?
What happened to the river?
Where did everyone else throw their rubbish?
Two men standing near Nonesuch House.
What do you think they are talking about?
A day out on old London BridgeSailortown
Words
While you are walking through the streets of Sailortown, use these thought clouds to write down descriptive words.
Use these words to build a class poem or a piece of creative writing back at school.
Sailortown shops
Find the Ship Chandlers
What is used to light the shop?
Do you light your home with these?
Why didn’t they use electric lights?
Can you see anything in the shop we might use today?
Now find the General Dealer
What can you see in the window?
Do you know where any of these items might come from?
Who brought all these items back to London?
Round the corner is the Stationer and Printseller
The pirate pictures and characters in the window are from toy theatres, a popular toy in Victorian times.
In your group, make up a short pirate role-play and act it out for your adult.
George Bignold’s Animal Emporium
The animal emporium is full of exotic birds and beasts from all over the world! Look carefully through the doors and windows and see if you can spot the animals below. Colour them in when you have found them.
One of these animals isn’t in the emporium! Draw a circle round it, and back at school see if you can find out about the real animal that escaped from Jamrach’s Animal Emporium in London.
Sailortown houses
Find the sailor’s lodging house
There is a sign in the window. Can you read it?
Why do you think sailors might have needed someone to write their letters for them?
Find the flags painted on the window. Do you know which countries they belong to?
What clothes can you see hanging on the walls?
There is a model ship on the mantelpiece over the fireplace. What country do you think it is from?
Find the kitchen
Which piece of furniture is the odd one out?
Which room should it be in?
Why might it be in the kitchen?
Look on the dresser. What are the plates and cups made from?
What are your cups and plates made from?
Where is the cooker? What do they use to cook on?
Where is the sink? Where would water come from?