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What is a Jubilee?

Suitable for: Key stage 1, Key stage 2, Key stage 3

Time period: Victorians 1850-1901

Curriculum topics: Changing power of monarchs, Events beyond living memory KS1, Significant individuals, The British Empire, Victorians

Suggested inquiry questions: What can we find out about Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee?

Potential activities: Creative writing, artwork, create an illustrated menu

Download: Lesson pack

Tasks

Focus:

To encourage pupils to use original sources to find out about how Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1897.

Part 1: Pupils engage with the starter source, a photograph of a building decorated to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee with prompt questions for discussion. A second photograph expands discussion and encourages pupils to think about how Victoria’s Jubilee was celebrated across the country. There is an opportunity to do a creative activity linked to this source.

Part 2: Pupils engage with a different source using a mystery document approach. This source concentrates on how the Queen herself celebrated her Jubilee. There is an opportunity to do a creative activity linked to this source.

Part 3: Pupils build on Part 1 by looking at further sources to show Queen Victoria Celebrated her Jubilee. They can explore differences between past and present. Are we celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in the same way? What are we doing to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee?

Teachers may prefer to use any of the original sources here to create their own resources and activities or adapt the activities provided here for use in their schemes of work.

Let’s take a look at some photographs from the past to find out about Queen Victoria’s Jubilee was celebrated
What else can these photographs reveal about Victorian times?
What other documents would help us find out more?
Are we celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in the same way?

Tasks

Introduction

Teacher explains the term ‘jubilee’ means a celebration to mark the number of years a monarch has been on the throne. We are celebrating our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 as she has been on the throne for 70 years. Well over a hundred years ago, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 to celebrate 60 years as Queen.

Part 1

How can we use these photographs to find out about Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee?

Show the class on a whiteboard/printed copies: Photograph entitled: ‘Dartford Bank House Club with Victoria Jubilee decoration’ 1897, Catalogue ref: COPY 1/431/34

Ask the pupils the following questions:

What can you see in the photograph?
Can you explain what the words mean?
Why is the building decorated like this?
The date of the photograph is 1897. Whose reign is this?
When did this reign begin? Clue: 60 years have passed!

‘Dartford Bank House Club with Victoria Jubilee decoration’ 1897

2. Show the groups on a whiteboard/printed copies : Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Alston, Cumberland, June 1897, Catalogue ref: COPY 1/430/711

Divide the class into small groups/pairs. Print the questions below on separate cards. Give each group 2 questions each. Ask the pupils to discuss their answers and report back to the class.

Where is this photograph taken?
Did you spot the brass band?
Why are some children wearing medals do you think?
Can you describe the children’s clothes?
What type of clothing is it?
Why might this photograph have been taken?
What does this photograph tell us about Queen Victoria; children’s lives, shopping, housing, cameras?
Do you think this photograph is posed?
If it is posed, does this make it less useful for finding out about the past?
What is the message of the photograph?

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Alston, Cumberland, June 1897

Creative activities

Project this photograph onto a large screen. Ask the pupils to draw/paint a part of the image focussing on particular person(s) or building(s). Display their work with the original photograph.
Creative writing: Imagine you a child standing in this crowd. What can you see and hear. Why are you there? How do you feel? Are you enjoying yourself?

Part 2

How can we use this document to find out how Queen Victoria’s celebrated her Jubilee?

Use the document entitled ‘Buckingham Place, June 21^st, 1897, Her Majesty Dinner’ Catalogue Ref: LC 2/146

Introduce the source as a ‘Mystery Document’ to the class. As the pupils to examine the document as an object, they do not need to read it at first.

What does it look like? (A diagram)
How is the text set out?
Is there a title? Point out key words.
Carefully read the title together
What do they think this source could be? (a banquet seating plan)
Why was this an important event?
What type of people are going to this dinner?
Can the pupils give some examples?
Name 6 countries which the guests come from
How do we know they are important?
What does the position of the tables suggest? (Queen at top table, her family nearest her, position reflects importance)

Buckingham Place, June 21st, 1897, Her Majesty's Dinner

Creative activity

Find some examples of menu cards on Google. Create your own illustrated menu for a celebration of your choice. What would different foods would you have to celebrate a birthday/festival/anniversary/wedding?

Part 3

How can we find out how the people celebrated Queen Victoria’s Jubilee?

Photograph entitled: ‘Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee, 1897, Catalogue ref: COPY 1/431/3

Photograph entitled: Diamond Jubilee Bonfire, Chippenham, Wiltshire, 1897, Catalogue ref: COPY 1/431/4

Divide the class into small groups/pairs. Give them a print out of both photographs, or project the photographs on a white board so you can COMPARE them. Discuss the following questions:

What can you see in each photograph?
What do the photographs show about how people celebrated Queen Victoria’s Jubilee?
Discuss the original caption of each photograph
How are the photographs different?
Which photograph is more useful? Give your reasons.
Can you make a list of other sources that would help us find out about the Queen Victoria’s Jubilee?

Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee, 1897

Diamond Jubilee Bonfire, Chippenham, Wiltshire, 1897

Plenary

Prompt questions:

Are we celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in the same way?
What are we doing to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee?
What are the differences do you think?
What sources could be used to remember Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee for children finding out about this event in the future?