to let DS do school project on Jack the Ripper?

[soupforbrains]

DS is 10. he is bright, loves reading and is a huge history buff.

Summer homework project is "Choose a famous Victorian to learn about and present what you learn in a creative way".

DS wants to do Jack the Ripper, DS is already aware of Jack the Ripper from the Horrible Histories books and some other kids books/shows which have discussed great unsolved mysteries.

I think this is a fun idea, and together we have discussed presenting the finding on a big board like and investigation/crime board. Obviously there will be some glossing over of the details and clearly we're not about to stick crime scene photos up. We've also discussed looking into the living conditions in the east end of london at the time to give more social history learning to it than just the crimes.

I'm not an idiot and I know that this idea is perhaps a bit risky but so long as we do it in an age appropriate and not over gory manner would IBU to let son do this. Additionally would any teachers out there consider it to be interesting and a bit different from the no doubt countless Isambard Kingdom Brunels which turn up, or a step too far?

I'm a teacher and teach a similar age group to your son and I would really enjoy something like that as long as it was (as you say) age appropriate and not overly fixated on the gory parts.

Children tend to do a better job when presenting something that they're interested in, so I'd say go for it! Good luck to your DS.

I think as long as it's age appropriate it's fine

I think you would have to do your own research first to look into age-appropriate resources for him. If he's doing his own 'free' research (i.e. google) he will be coming up with a lot of unpleasant details which you might not be ready to go into with him.

I will caveat it by saying that I'd give the teacher a heads up about it and that you've ensured it was age appropriate and a brief description. As the teacher won't know your son he/she would be reassured by a parent explaining (as they potential wouldn't want to gamble on the fact that it may not be appropriate and have complaints on their hands).

It sounds like a fantastic topic. If it is "self-directed learning", he can take it in any direction that interests him.

I wouldn't. I find the fascination with someone who mutilated and murdered women very disturbing and not something to be encouraged. And if you need to gloss over certain aspects you are glossing over the murder and mutilation..

I was fascinated by things like this as a kid and it's totally harmless. Jack The Ripper would make a great Victorian project so as long as you ensure he doesn't stumble across the photos of the victims I think it would be fine. Sticking to Horrible History stuff would be safe.

phew thanks introverted that's good to hear. I thought the same but you know when you're not quite sure if your opinion would be the same as others.

The plan is to introduce the victims (minus the detail about them being prostitutes), the area of london, show the places where the attacks happen on a map and using non-crimescene photos of the places at the time. We don't intend to go into the detail of how they were attacked and killed beyond saying that he 'cut them open with a knife' and that's what gave him the nickname Jack the Ripper.

Then we plan to look at Inspector Abberline who lead the investigation and at a variety of the suspects which have been posed over the years. we've got some books from the library and there's a lot to be found online too so the research itself isn't going to be too arduous which is always good for a project!

present what you learn in a creative way!

What larks.
There are thousands of famous Victorians. Choose another one.
If he really must research JtheR then do it for himself. Don't inflict it on others.

I think it's great that he's thinking outside the box and I'm sure it'll be a change from the norm for the teacher.

However, I wouldn't want my ten year old knowing the details of what happened to those women.

So, I would do it but I would careful about what he researches.

He slit the throats of prostitutes and mutilated their corpses not sure hoe that can ever be age appropriate

Yes - there's soany angles you could take it, without being fixated on the gore and petrifying level of sexual violence.

How it was reported in the press
The role of the police and the Whitechapel vigilance society
The living conditions in the east end of London on the late nineteenth century and how it appears now.
Suspects who were identified at the time.
Depictions of Jack the Ripper on film, books and songs.

Honestly - I think it's great that your DS is interested in history and that you're encouraging him - and I get why he'd want to do something interesting. And I also get why you want to encourage him to choose his own topic. But people's obsessive fascination with men who commit horrific acts of violence against women makes me feel sick... and I just wouldn't want to encourage that fascination in my DS. I know you say it's a 'fun idea' but these women were human beings who had their internal organs ripped out of them.

And there are so many Victorians who are famous for amazing things, not brutally butchering prostitutes.

His interest in history sounds fab and your encouragement of him is wonderful.

Theres no way I would support a project on a violent murderer of prostitutes though. Can't understand why jr has been so glorified.

Is there no other Victorian that would interest him, really?

I wouldn't.

Im a big enthusiast on crime history but tbh i think it is inappropriate for 10 year olds. Other kids in the class could be very sensitive, who are worriers or have nightmares and over active vivid imaginations or have parents who dont want them knowing about stuff like this. I cant think how theres any way to basically talk about someone who stalked lone women and butchered them that isnt risking upsetting one of the other kids. It doesnt give the other parents the choice to decline having their kids shown/told about someone who was a pretty sadistic murderer.

I loved watching shows about forensics and stuff as a teen but even mid highschool i mentioned things to some other kids in my class and they were horrified and uncomfortable knowing.
I think it is something just too violent and graphic to be a topic that isnt being strictly taught by a pre approved text book where its been carefully written to fit the curriculum with controlled content.

I mean you wouldnt let him do one on peter suttcliffe

There are lots of famous victorians , I don't see why you would choose to do a topic about a murderer who's actual identity is still not categorically known . It seems unnecessary to me . To me it's a bit like saying do a topic on a famous Yorkshireman and the 10 yo choosing to do it on Peter Sutcliffe . ( in an age appropriate manner obviously ) .

Massive x post there .

It can be age appropriate if it is more of a "whodunnit" style presentation (think Cluedo). Children like a bit of horror, hence why Horrible Histories are such popular books. He could always suggest a vote at the end so classmates can vote on who they think was the most likely suspect and link to modern forensics and why it is much easier now (DNA etc).

I think once you take out the facts that the women were sex workers, that they were driven to it by abject poverty and often alcohol and drug abuse; that they were sexually assaulted as part of the brutality; that they were horribly mutilated... how much is left? In context?

I'd be worried that if he presented it with extreme gusto in class, another less prepared child might be tempted to go online and look for further details, which would be a LOT more graphic and upsetting than the version discussed here.

Bertrand I understand your feelings on that. Personally I was always fascinated in it as a child of my sons age or younger, but not actually because of the murder or the mutilation. The fascination is with the unsolved mystery.

Bizzy it is a Self Directed Learning project yes.

pudding my son nevcer has free access to google etc and I am pre-checking all sources as you're right I don't want him confronted with the pics.

We are focussing on the uncolved mystery aspect and the suspects over the years, plus the fact that these crimes along with other violent crime in the last 1880s and early 1890s led to the slums of the east end being cleaned up rather. so actually although the crimes were awful the press coverage and awareness led to a sort of positive legacy.

Thanks everyone.

I'm not sure id be impressed if my 10 year old came home from school asking all about jack the ripper because his school mate decided he was such a clever sausage and so bright that he just had to do his project on a brutal serial killer who mutilated women because its such a "fun" idea.

Isn't it supposed to be his project anyway? What's all this "we?"

I'm going against the grain here. Can see nothing 'fun' about a man preying on a bunch of poor bloody Victorian prostitutes, all of whom had no alternative but to continue with their trade or starve, and who must have lived in terror, and murdering them in a vile twisted way.

Perhaps distance lends enchantment and in a hundred years or so someone will be writing in a 'fun way' about the Moors murderers.