Key stage 3 & 4 resources
Step into the world of the Victorians with our Key Stage 3 & 4 Learning Resources. Explore real images, newspaper reports, letters, diaries, and objects from the SS Great Britain Trust Collection. Use our hand‑picked highlights to spark curiosity, support lesson planning, and inspire creative work. And when you’re ready to delve even deeper, head over to our Collection Stories for more
The Launch of the SS Great Britain
Making history. Explore the broader historical context behind the launch of Brunel’s revolutionary ship on 19 July 1843 and why it was as groundbreaking as it was.
Follow the key moments of launch day through our highlighted collection, and if creativity strikes, why not muse over some of the paintings as optional writing prompts to craft your own retelling of the historic day.
Read it here first! Dive into the headlines and explore how The Bristol Mirror (22 July 1843) captured the ship’s launch and documented the wider Victorian world of civic pride, daily life, and major local events.
Brunel imagined a new way for shipbuilding. Find his innovative ideas, engineering breakthroughs and ambitious vision that help shape maritime history.
Experience of migration
From 1853 -1876, thousands of travelers boarded the SS Great Britain, with many searching for new lives in Australia. These sources reveal their hardships and everyday experiences.
Greater fortunes awaited many who left Britain for Australia in the 1850s. But what hopes, opportunities, and promises drew these travelers halfway around the world in search of a new life?
The London News publication captured the atmosphere in Liverpool as passengers prepared to depart for Australia in 1852. Through its evocative language and illustration the paper brings the bustling docks to life and offers an inspiring prompt for anyone wanting to retell the scene themselves.
Life aboard wasn’t without its discomforts. Explore the real challenges of seafaring through passengers’ letters and diary entries, along with some complaints that made their way into the press.
After reading the accounts recovered from passengers, imagine yourself in their shoes. Use this prompt to craft your own diary entry and bring your imagined experience to life.
