Crime and Punishment
History | LKS2 | Unit Overview
Introduction
This Crime and Punishment unit will teach your class to develop their chronological knowledge beyond 1066 through studying this
aspect of social history. The children will find out about the legacy of the Roman justice system and crime and punishment through
the Anglo-Saxon, Tudor and Victorian periods. They will also deepen their historical awareness and understanding of how our past is
constructed through studying the famous highwayman Dick Turpin. The final lesson allows the children to reflect upon and evaluate what
they have learnt in this unit, as well as comparing modern day crime prevention and detection methods with those from the past.
Assessment Statements
By the end of this unit...
...all children should be able to:
Home Learning
Letter to Queen Victoria: In this task, the children are asked to
imagine that they are living during the Victorian period. They want
the Queen to abolish hanging and increase the size of the police
force. Can they think of reasons to persuade the Queen to do this?
Family Fingerprints: In this task, the children pretend to be a forensic
investigator by printing their own and their family's fingerprints,
then identifying what type of fingerprint they have.
Wider Learning
The local courts or a police station would make a good visit.
The Clink Prison Museum: 1 Clink Street, London, SE1 8DG.
York Castle Museum: The Castle, York YO1 9RY. See where Dick
Turpin was held before his execution.
Guildhall Museum, Rochester, Kent: There is a full-size reconstruction
of a prison hulk.
• Talk about some of the key facts about
punishments that were used during the
Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Tudor and Victorian
times.
• Recall key facts about the life of Dick Turpin
and talk about differences in how he is
portrayed in various historical sources.
...most children will be able to:
• Talk about and compare the punishments
that were used during the Roman, AngloSaxon, Tudor and Victorian times and give
some reasons for them.
• Explain some key terms in the history of
crime and punishment in Britain, such as
wergild, trial by ordeal, tithings, hue and
cry, treason, transportation and hard labour.
• Use primary sources to decide what are
facts, what opinions can be formed from
the evidence, and identify the questions
they have about the life of the highway man
Dick Turpin.
• Compare modern day crime and
punishment with those from the past, and
talk about the legacy of past methods of
crime prevention and detection with those
of the present day.
...some children will be able to:
Weblinks
National Archives: A wide range of resources and information.
Victorian Crime and Punishment: Contains a wealth of information
about Victorian Crime and Punishment.
To look at all the resources in the Crime and
Punishment unit click here.
• Explain their understanding of the different
experiences of people who may have
committed crimes according to their status
in society e.g. a slave compared with a
noble during the Roman period.
• Compare and contrast a variety of historical
sources to form their own conclusions and
questions regarding the life of the highway
man Dick Turpin.
• Imagine and write about the experiences
of people living during the historical periods
studied based on factual evidence.
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Lesson Breakdown
1. The Roman Legacy
I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past
with my own by using historical evidence or the experience
of recreating an historical setting. SOC 1-04a
Resources
• Scissors
• Glue
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
2. Anglo-Saxon Laws and Justice
I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past
with my own by using historical evidence or the experience
of recreating an historical setting. SOC 1-04a
• Sticky notes or labels
• Felt tip pens
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
3. The Torturing Tudors!
I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past
with my own by using historical evidence or the experience
of recreating an historical setting. SOC 1-04a
• Scissors
• Whiteboards and pens
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
4. The Highway Man: Hero or Villain?
I understand that evidence varies in the extent to which it
can be trusted and can use this in learning about the past.
SOC 1-01a
• Envelopes
• Sticky notes
• Clipboards (optional)
I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to
research events in the past. SOC 2-01a
Having selected a significant individual from the past, I can
contribute to a discussion on the influence of their actions,
then and since. SOC 1-06a
I can discuss why people and events from a particular time
in the past were important, placing them within a historical
sequence. SOC 2-06a
5. Victorian Prisons
I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past
with my own by using historical evidence or the experience
of recreating an historical setting. SOC 1-04a
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
6. Through the Ages
• String that can be picked apart
• 6 buckets of sand (or another
heavy item)
• 6 skipping ropes
• Bench
• Stopwatch or timer
• Glue sticks
I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past
with my own by using historical evidence or the experience
of recreating an historical setting. SOC 1-04a
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
To look at all the resources in the Crime and Punishment unit click here.
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Lesson Breakdown
1. The Roman Legacy
To continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of British history, studying a theme that
extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066,
such as changes in an aspect of social history by learning
about the legacy of Roman crime and punishment on the
current legal system in Britain.
•I can understand some of the terms used in crime
and punishment.
•I can find out about what the Romans believed about
crime and punishment.
2. Anglo-Saxon Laws and Justice
Be able to address historically valid questions about
change, cause, similarity and difference and significance
by learning about the Anglo-Saxon legal system and how it
is similar and different to both the Roman system and the
modern legal system in Britain.
•I can find out how the legal system worked in AngloSaxon Britain.
•I can compare both the modern British and Roman
justice system with that of the Anglo-Saxons.
3. The Torturing Tudors!
Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of British, local and world history,
establishing clear narratives within and across the periods
they study by learning about crime and punishment during
the Tudor era.
•I can find out about different punishment methods
that were popular during the Tudor period.
4. The Highway Man: Hero or Villain?
Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed
from a range of sources and that different versions of past
events may exist, giving some reasons for this by finding
out about Dick Turpin through studying various historical
sources from the 18th and 19th century.
•I can find out about the life of Dick Turpin based on
historical sources.
5. Victorian Prisons
Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of British, local and world history,
establishing clear narratives within and across the periods
they study by learning about the development of crime
and punishment during the Victorian period and what
happened in Victorian prisons.
•I can understand the experiences of Victorian
prisoners.
6. Through the Ages
Resources
• Scissors
• Glue
• Sticky notes or labels
• Felt tip pens
• Scissors
• Whiteboards and pens
• Envelopes
• Sticky notes
• Clipboards (optional)
• String that can be picked apart
• 6 buckets of sand (or another
heavy item)
• 6 skipping ropes
• Bench
• Stopwatch or timer
• Glue sticks
Note connections, contrasts and trends over time and
develop the appropriate use of historical terms by bringing
together and evaluating knowledge gained of the history
of crime and punishment in Britain since the Roman period
and comparing this with modern-day Britain.
•I can reflect on what I have learnt about the history
of crime and punishment in Britain.
•I can compare modern methods of crime prevention
and detection with what existed in the past.
To look at all the resources in the Crime and Punishment unit click here.
National Curriculum Aim Lesson Context Child Friendly
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