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?

imposter thanks. Have bookmarked those pages. Yes there are lots of good graphs and pics that can be used but that could be said of a lot of the topics, it's just trying to think of a way of doing it which it a bit more creative. I'll have a think... I'm sure we can come up with something.

If it's 'pearl clutching' to think it's inappropriate for a 10-year-old to do a project on a serial killer who cut women's throats, disembowelled them, tore their faces off and shoved objects up their vaginas, then count me among the pearl-clutchers.

Not directed at you, OP - I know you've changed your mind!

As I said before it's the unsolved mystery aspect that I think captures his imagination so I will definitely suggest he look at that one. Any others you're aware of?

The Titcbourne claimant is pretty interesting

Looking at John Merrick the so-called Elephant Man could be an interesting way of looking at the way people with disabilities were treated. Coincidentally he was living in Whitechapel hospital at the same time as the 'Jack the Ripper' murders.

And I am fascinated to hear how you can deal with a serial killer who mutilated prostitutes in an "age appropriate way" for 10 year olds

Really? You can't? And you're a teacher.....?

Hi Persian well the original project was going to look at that exact fact, focus on the police investigation and the techniques they had (or rater didn't) and discuss (some of) the various suspects.

However it's now not happening and we are looking for alternative inspirational figures who will capture my son's imagination. Generally any very worthy (but actually dull) philanthropists are not great, so far people associated with poo are doing well (typical 10 yo)

Any suggestions welcome. Especially suggestions which include an original/creative format for presenting said suggestion

OP - small children are fascinated by gore, whether we like it or not! If you're supervising it's bound to be age-appropriate, but agree that it'd be sensible to give the teacher a warning nod.

Thanks Fee

I had to do a similar project on a famous Victorian at that age and my parents did help me to think outside the box and we came up with Thomas Cook and the start of foreign travel. It was actually really interesting and could tie in very well with the fact that this is a summer holiday project and his classmates will have had lots of different holidays.

The company archive was also fab- we wrote to them and got lots of information and loads of facsimiles of their old adverts etc. He could make a travel brochure.

Whoever you end up doing, good luck!

Sorry Joseph Merrick, not John!

What about a video?

Ooh that Thomas Cook suggestion of the Travel Brochure is fantastic Hathaway I'll put it to the DS

P.S. I agree about DS Hathaway.

What about the people who invented the railways or people who designed big buildings?

Problem is, no one person 'invented the railways' their genesis was long and complex and a lot of the development of the steam engine had taken place in the late 1700s.

Thomas Crapper?!?

What about Ada Lovelace?
She basically invented computer programming. I know it's not poop & gore, but she was an absolute trailblazer, and what she did basically allowed for computers, the internet, smart phones.

I'm pretty sure there'd be some fun ways to present it, as a web page, on through 'computers' through the ages or something?

"Really? You can't? And you're a teacher..."

Ex teacher. And no I can't. Oh, unless skating over his crimes and miniimizing the whole idea of violence against sex workers in paritcular and women in general and presenting it as a sort of game of Cludo-what a clever chap beating the Police- is what you're thinking about.......

I love the Thomas Cook idea.

If you were doing John Snow you could write it as a newspaper article saying he's discovered etc.

Otherwise could you film DS doing it as a news report? He could be a presenter, then cut to being a reporter in the street etc.

@soupforbrains another suggestion, if he wants to stick to something edgy but less controversial than JtR is to look at a Victorian painter who used painting as social commentary. You can stick to something really tame like the huge railway station panorama by Frith, I think? It depicts every level of society within the station - an epic Victorian setting.

I did far too many Victorian Lit/Social History modules during my English degree!

If my child came home from school saying they had learnt about Jack the Ripper in class I would be complaining to the headteacher. Primary age children learning about a man who was famous for sexually assaulting, mutilating and murdering prostitutes? Nice. As another poster said, those poor women were human beings with lives and families, not entertainment.

The fact that they were prostitutes is incredibly important when considering the crimes and the context.

There's no part of the Jack the Ripper case which can be glossed over without rendering the whole thing futile, and there's no part of the case which is appropriate for a 10yo, especially not as a school project

I wrote on Charles Manson in the context of the violent 60s in uni and I wasn't even sure that was appropriate.

Glad you say it's not happening, OP.

Just to clarify yet again, nobody would be 'learning in class about jack the ripper' even if it was still going to be the topic of DS's project. It's a piece of self directed learning homework that will be handed in to teacher. Only DS and Teacher will see it.

If he's determined to go for blood and guts, Dr William Palmer is a fascinating one. He wasn't as violent as JtR as he poisoned his victims. It's interesting because he was a well respected GP and also because it was the first ever case where the police caught someone based on blood toxicity levels.

In fact, there's a few Victorian murder cases where criminals were caught based on new scientific practices, so it's an area rich for picking, really.

Charles Booth is a great idea.

Problem is, no one person 'invented the railways' their genesis was long and complex and a lot of the development of the steam engine had taken place in the late 1700s
I meant that he could choose someone who had a specific role.