Modern History

Assessment 1: Queen Victoria Online Museum Exhibition

Context:
Students have been conducting a biographical study of Queen Victoria’s life as part of the Preliminary
Modern History unit ‘The Nature of Modern History: The Construction of Modern Histories’. This has
included an investigation of the various ways in which Queen Victoria’s life has been represented and
interpreted throughout history.

Task Type: Online Museum Exhibition

Length: 8-10 exhibit pieces/sources, between 800-1000 words, plus bibliography
Due date: In class on Friday 1st December 2017 (Week 8)
Weighting: 30% of Yr 11 Modern History, mark out of 30
How to submit: Submit your online museum link in class. Bring a written copy of your
accompanying introduction, source annotations and bibliography.

Description of activity:
Your task is to curate an online museum exhibition portraying the
life of Queen Victoria and the varied ways in which she has been
represented and constructed over time.

Your exhibition must include 8-10 sources, with accompanying

annotations (explanatory notes) on the source and how this item
contributes to a particular interpretation of Queen Victoria’s life.

To complete this task:

1. Create a free exhibition account at http://www.classtools.net/3D/
2. Find and select your sources – choose sources you think best portray the varied
representations of Queen Victoria’s life. Examples of sources include photos, letters, diary
entries, newspaper articles.
3. Write accompanying annotations for each source (80 words), which introduces the source
(i.e. its context, whether it is primary or secondary), explains what perspective it gives of
Queen Victoria’s life and why you have decided to include this source in the exhibition.
4. Write a 200-word introduction for those visiting the museum, introducing the exhibition and
what the collection of sources tells us about the way history can be constructed.

You will be assessed on how well you:

- Select and analyse a range of relevant sources
- Discuss and evaluate differing interpretations and representations of Queen Victoria’s life
- Use relevant historical information, concepts and terms
- Present a creative, logical and well thought-out online exhibition

Relevant Outcomes:
A student:
• analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or
argument (MH11-6)
• discusses and evaluates differing interpretations and representations of the past (MH11-7)
• communicates historical understanding, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms, in appropriate
and well-structured forms (MH11-9)
Marking Rubric:

Total marks: 30

Range A student in this range:

A • Selects a broad range of highly relevant historical sources and demonstrates

25 – 30 extensive, very high level of competence in source analysis
• Discusses and evaluates differing interpretations and representations of Queen
Victoria’s life in a highly effective way
• Shows appropriate and thoughtful use historical terms and concepts
• Presents a highly creative, logical and well thought-out online exhibition

B • Selects a broad range of relevant historical sources and demonstrates

19 – 24 thorough, high level of competence in source analysis
• Discusses and evaluates differing interpretations and representations of Queen
Victoria’s life in an effective way
• Shows appropriate use historical terms and concepts
• Presents a creative, logical and well thought-out online exhibition

C • Selects an adequate range of relevant historical sources and demonstrates

12 – 18 sound, adequate level of competence in source analysis
• Describes differing interpretations and representations of Queen Victoria’s life
• Shows appropriate use of some historical terms and concepts
• Presents a clear and coherent online exhibition

D • Selects some relevant historical sources and demonstrates basic, limited level
5 – 11 of competence in source analysis
• Describes limited differing interpretations of Queen Victoria’s life
• Shows limited use of historical terms and concepts
• Presents a clear and coherent online exhibition

E • Selects a limited range of relevant sources and demonstrates elementary, very

1–4 limited competence in source analysis
• Identifies differing interpretations of Queen Victoria’s life
• Shows limited use of historical sources, terms and concepts
• Demonstrates limited ICT ability
Year 11 Queen Victoria Content Overview
Investigating Modern History – The Nature of Modern History: The Construction of Modern Histories

Content Focus
Students investigate methods and issues associated with constructing accounts about the past. The
Historical concepts and skills content is to be integrated as appropriate.

Content Overview Map (10 hours)

Unit Title: Can the Real Queen Victoria Please Stand Up?
1 One True History?
2 Queen Victoria’s
Many Identities
3 A Life Reflected
4 Victoria on Screen
5 Royally Censored I
6 Royally Censored II
7 The Family Tree
8 The Anti-Suffragist
Feminist?
9 New Discoveries
10 Conclusions
Intro to concept of different histories/types of history according to
perspective, purpose, genre
Discussion of living history – how narratives can be
contested/reconstructed based on new evidence
Intro to Queen Victoria and multiple narratives of her life – bad
mother/loving, honest about motherhood; grieving, uninterested in
ruling/deeply involved in politics with very strong opinions imposed on
PMs
Recent challenges to accepted narrative – Julia Baird’s biography of QV
Queen Victoria’s depiction of her own life – letters, books, diaries,
sketches to depict a certain narrative
Contemporaneous constructions of QV – reasons for this,
perspectives/agendas/values on show.
Abundance of documentation about QV’s life – problems this may cause in
constructing a coherent history
Constructions of Queen Victoria through film, television series. Study of
(parts of) film/TV over time: Sixty Years a Queen (1913), Victoria the Great
(1937), Mrs Brown (1997), Victoria (2016).
What is the focus/angle/construction of the character of Queen Victoria?
Censorship of Victoria’s diaries and letters by daughter Beatrice
Selectivity, emphasis and omissions– effect on the construction of QV
history
Class discussion: Public interest vs family wishes?
Barriers to access to Royal Archives, discussion of who owns this
information? Who gets to say how it is accessed? Study of Julia Baird’s
difficulty in access to archives.
Construction of histories around Victoria’s children and grandchildren –
future leaders of Europe, enemies leading to WWI. Perspective/different
agendas at play – construction of history by the victors?
Construction of history through different lenses. QV through a feminist
lens – a contradiction: against feminism in word, but powerful female
leader, keen to exercise great authority and influence.
The impact of recent discoveries on the construction of the history of QV.
Investigation of recent diaries uncovering new details.
Summary lesson of how histories are constructed, contested and
constantly reviewed.