4. How much did people's ideas about the world change between 1500 and 1900?

This lesson focuses on ideas.

It gives students the chance to consider the extent to which people’s attitudes and beliefs changed during the period 1500-1900.

What might well appear to be a fairly abstract concept is made accessible through the use of case studies, as students are challenged to decide how far changing ideas are exemplified through four engaging stories.

The stories include: those of Robert Blincoe (inspiration for the character of Oliver Twist), Mary Slessor (19th century ‘do-gooder’ and missionary to Africa and shown in the image here), Emma Hamilton (famed for her relationship with Lord Nelson, but also originator of an innovative new art form) and Rose Frances Swiney (early advocate for feminism, though within a strangely imperial context).

Then, armed with further contextual knowledge about ideas and attitudes, students must make various judgements about the extent of change.

Finally, an engaging end task sees students imagine themselves as historical time-travellers, as they are tasked with travelling back to the 1500s and outlining – in speech form – which of the commonly-held ideas and assumptions are likely to be challenged in future centuries.