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?

You could do something about Mary Shelley. Her inspiration for writing Frankenstein was to do with medical developments of the era eg blood transfusions.
She wrote the book while away in the alps with a bunch of other Romantic writers when they challenged each other to a writing competition.

Agree JTR isn't really appropriate. I prefer the bodysnatchers idea.

Ah sorry I didn't get that bit, yes if it's just presenting it as a piece of work rather than standing up and telling the class about it, I'd go for it TBH

I'd be really really pissed off if my 10 year old came home upset about a man who cut women open with a knife. What's the matter with you?? Just pick someone else. Discuss it at home if you want.

What about Bram Stoker?

My DD did a presentation on him for her Victorian project (and a female author too) after reading Dracula

jacques well said.

I think we've established that lately the body snatchers peak era predates the Victorian era sadly.

nancy nobody has suggested Houdini on here but he's on my list. Personally I think he'd be top of my list but not sure DS will be interested.

Have added all three John snows to the list

Ds is 12 and just finished year 8.

They did Jack the Ripper in history last term. I just asked him what he learnt and he told me that the teacher put a picture of a victim in the middle of the room and they were taught they were prostitutes.
I asked if they learnt about the changes in the policing etc and he said "oh yeah".

So I do honestly think other posters have a point that 10yo will focus too much on the gory bits.

OP would any of these in the link help you with Victorian mysteries?

Ten unsolved Victorian Mysteries

I think it's fine. You learn about all sorts of awful things in history. But they happened. Just because they were unpleasant doesn't mean we should ignore them. I'm sure I learnt about the holocaust at 11.

As long as it's age appropriate and won't upset any other children (because they won't all be as keen as your son I assume) I think it's fine.

Hes 10 not 4.

hygge thanks. I actually looked at that sight with DS at the weekend. Whilst ineresting most of them don't really have the legs to be developed into a project sadly. (Apart from JtR who is on there)

Asalways

Would you be annoyed if they came home after learning about the Holocaust? Or the Siege of Troy? Or the Peterloo massacre?

I ask because all three are on the KS3 syllabus and taught to kids from the age of 11.

History, sadly, is not nice. You can't shield kids from it and only show them nice things. Jack the Ripper isn't being celebrated, but it's a fascinating subject because of all the things we learned from it.

Ugh. Site not sight. Sorry. It's been a long day in the office!

But there's a good chance it will upset other children. 10 is young! I trust my dds teachers to teach the holocaust in an age appropriate way. I cannot see why the OPS ds is so fixated on this and I speak as someone who loves a gory story. The facts that make it such a notorious case are really unpleasant. Spinning it by saying you can study poverty - why? What was it about poverty that is relevant? Because the women were prostitutes. You absolutely can't avoid it.

Asalways

In fact, learning about the holocaust at that age is considered so vital that it's actually law. It HAS to be taught in KS3.

I remember learning about it at the age of 11 and seeing the images. It was awful, we were upset, but I can see now how vital it was to show us. It shocked us into realising how recently it was - because History has a tendency to put things at arm's length.

Ks3 is very different to ks2

Teachers teaching is fine - and our primary wrote to tell us that they were teaching the holocaust in case childrens families had been personally affected and in case we thought our children would be very upset. But a smart arse kid telling everyone that this was a man who cut women open with a knife.. Not so much.

I also know my ds looked at the possible suspects and had to write about why it might have been them. He said they learnt about Whitechapel and how what JtR did changed it.

Teaching the holocaust is NOT THE SAME

Actually AsAlways there's a very slim chance it will upset other kids because they won't see it.

From about Year 4/5 I was obsessed with weird paranormal and murder stories from the library, I used to go straight to the non fiction section every time and take out every book there, which were generally aimed at an age 10/11 age range. It may be worth going there and seeing how they have dealt telling the story of Jack the Ripper there.

Please stop telling me that these are things taught in Ks3.

I have four children and I know what's taught when.

10 year olds in ks2 is a different matter and I expect that's why Jack the ripper isn't discussed then. In fact I'm not sure why he's ever discussed tbh other than being sickly fascinating.

Can anyone remember the name of the lady who was an extremely prolific dinosaur hunter

Umm, dinosaur hunter? dinosaurs were a teensy bit earlier than the Victorian era

Mary Anning

Asalways

10 is one year off the KS3 age range and one year off high school. I would expect someone at the end of KS2 to be able to handle things taught at the start of KS3 by now.

And no, the Holocaust isn't the same, it's far far far worse. Yet we see the value in teaching that, and things like POW camps to KS3 students. Why? Because, as I said, history is awful. Absolutely awful. Most of history is made through violence, death and horrid acts. It's our duty to educate the future so hopefully, a lot of these awful things don't happen again.

Maybe you can protect your child from the story of Jack the Ripper, but you certainly won't be able to protect him from far more harrowing things he's going to learn from Year 7 onwards.

MeanAger wait... you mean my visions of her riding a pteradactyl and shooting T-Rex with a whale harpoon aren't accurate??!

How about Robert Liston / Joseph Lister etc for history of medicine? Lots of gory accounts of surgery and potential for a trip to the old operating theatre museum if you're anywhere near London.