Key Stage 2

Key Stage 2 - Themed study trails

1. Lives of Children 1850 – 1945

   Discover what was significant about the lives of these children?

   See what life was like for real children growing up in the Black Country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

   This fascinating historical enquiry brings the past to life for your students. Using the actual homes displayed at our Museum, students will investigate the real life stories of children who once lived there and uncover what was significant about their experiences.

   For this themed study trail, there are four children whose stories are very different, choose one of the four stories to explore, gather information and develop a profile of their life. (If you have multiple groups of students visiting the Museum they can each explore a different child's story and present their findings to their fellow students).

   Objectives

   • Understand how we find out about and interpret the past 

   • Investigate the lives of real children from the Black Country using a range of different resources

   • Develop historical enquiry skills by asking and answering questions, selecting and recording relevant information and drawing conclusions based on evidence.

   • Communicate their findings, showing knowledge and an understanding of the past in clear and structured ways 

   • Understand that the past can be represented and interpreted differently

    

2. Coal, Iron and Steam

   Investigate the impact of coal, iron and steam on life and industry in the Black Country

   Step into the heart of Britain’s industrial past, as your students walk around historic buildings, landscapes, and artefacts to explore how coal, iron and steam power transformed everyday life, shaped communities, and drove the Industrial Revolution.

   Through hands-on enquiry, pupils will uncover the story of how these resources powered factories, changed transport, and influenced the lives of ordinary people. They’ll learn why the Black Country became one of the most important industrial regions in the world—and how its innovations connected to national and global history.

    

   Objectives

   • Undertake a historical investigation using a range of sources including archives, historic photographs and buildings

   • Develop historical enquiry skills, asking and answering historically valid questions, selecting and organising historically relevant information and drawing conclusions based on evidence

   • Find out about key events and inventions in the development of coal mining and steam power and the impact on local, regional, national and even international history

   • Understand the symbiotic relationship between coal mining and steam power

   • Make appropriate use of dates, terms, and vocabulary to describe the passing of time and historical developments.

   • Communicate the benefits and disadvantages of steam power and it's historical impact

3. Canal Mania

   The development of the canal transport system

   Students will step into the world of historic canal boats and landscapes, for a journey into the age of canals, a time when Britain’s transport revolution changed industry, trade, and everyday life. 

   Investigate why canals were built, how they worked, and how they impacted the lives of real people in the Black Country and beyond.

   Objectives

   • Undertake a historical investigation using a range of sources, including historic buildings, landscapes, artefacts, photographs and archival material 
   • Develop historical enquiry skills by asking and answering historically valid questions, selecting and organising relevant information and drawing conclusions based in evidence

   • Find out about key events and inventions in the development of the canal system

     Identify and record characteristic features of Victorian canals and canal boats 

     Make appropriate use of dates, terms, and vocabulary to describe the passing of time and historical developments.

     Communicate understanding of historical impact, explaining the benefits and disadvantages of canals and their role in shaping the Black Country and Britain.

4. Accident Investigators

   Investigate living and working conditions in the 19th Century.

   Step back into the Victorian era and uncover what life was really like for working families in the Black Country.

   This day can be approached as a pure historical enquiry or as a cross-curricular study, linking history with science and technology to explore how industrialisation shaped society.

   By focusing on a real disaster that occurred in the Black Country, students gain a deeper understanding of the harsh social conditions, values of the time, and the significance of social reform. Using primary sources and first-person accounts, students will experience history in a way that feels relevant and meaningful.

   Objectives

   • Understand how we find out about and interpret the past 

   • Use a range of different sources to examine what life was like in the past for children who lived in the Black Country

   • Develop historical enquiry skills by asking and answering questions, selecting and recording relevant information and drawing conclusions based on evidence 

   • Communicate knowledge and understanding of the past in organised and structured ways 

   • Recognise that the past can be represented and interpreted in different ways. Understand how museums represent history and why interpretations may vary