I have always been fascinated by the Victorian Era. My first exposure to history was reading the Samantha American Girl books when I was in first or second grade. I quickly became obsessed with petit fours and fancy dresses and my love of history has never gone away! And I keep finding myself coming back to the Victorian Era recently.

This past weekend I volunteered at my local historical society’s annual cemetery walk. I portrayed Sarah Flowers, who died in 1892 at the age of 29 due to childbirth complications. I spent hours digging into the census records, her marriage record, death certificate, etc. It was so interesting to piece together a story of her life and imaging what it must have been like to be living in rural Michigan during the Victorian Era. I dressed the part and memorized her life story and headed to the museum. The event at the museum included a speakeasy and a variety of historical props such as this sign from a famous Temperance Movement photograph – this Victorian Era lady couldn’t resist getting a photograph! Then, I headed out to the cemetery to pay my respects at Sarah’s grave and shared her story with dozens of local history buffs.

I have also been digging into my own family history recently. The couple in this photograph are my great-great-grandparents, along with the baby who would be a great aunt of mine. This photo was taken in 1899 in Vassar, Michigan – according to the writing on the back. If only I could time travel back to meet them and find out more about their lives!

Another recent encounter with the Victorian Era was a visit to this amazing house in Detroit. Believe it or not, this used to be a private home from the time it was built in 1888 up until the 1920s. It is now the alumni house for Wayne State University. I was there for a history lecture and wished I would have packed my things so that I could move in…

You guessed it – I also LOVE teaching about the Victorian Era in my history classes! I start this time period in class with a day of stations so that students can experience Victorian hobbies, fashions, science, literature, and more. The class period starts by giving each student a new name – choosing from a list of popular names during that era and then having fun referring to everyone by their new name. Students then use their checklist to visit each station and try out a different part of life in the Victorian Era, such as drawing a still life scene in the photo above. Class wraps up with a quick reflection writing, and students are hooked and ready to learn more about this time period!

If you are interested in time traveling back to the Victorian Era with your students, you can find my stations here:

Amped Up Learning (Use code Rosie10 for 10% off all lessons on the site!)

Teachers Pay Teachers

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