Introducing Whitechapel

My dear Reader,

1-Hour Lesson – Fully Interactive – Ready to Teach

Dear Colleague,

Step back into the dark, crowded streets of Whitechapel in Victorian London, where poverty, disease, and crime were part of everyday life — and where the mysterious Jack the Ripper terrorised the East End. This lesson is the first part of a 5-lesson set on Whitechapel, 1888–1891, exploring how social conditions shaped life and crime in the area. Students will analyse historical sources, investigate causes of crime, and understand why policing Whitechapel was so difficult.

All lessons in this series follow a consistent model to help students learn coherently and always understand where they are in their learning.

Learning Objectives:
LO1: Describe the living conditions in Whitechapel during the late 1800s
LO2: Explain why Whitechapel was a difficult place to police
LO3: Evaluate how social and economic factors contributed to crime in Victorian London

Lesson Features:
Engaging starter slide with revision questions, key vocabulary, and visual prompts
Three tiered tasks developing from knowledge to GCSE-style analysis
Source work and contextual enquiry to build historical understanding
Extension task for further challenge and discussion
Homework, reading resources, and task templates included

This lesson is ideal for GCSE Edexcel Paper 1: Crime and Punishment (Whitechapel) or as a KS3 introduction to Victorian Britain. The PowerPoint is fully prepared, interactive, and ready to teach.

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Best regards,
Alessio