Packing for the longest journey - Museum of London



Teachers’ notes

By exploring our exhibits and displays about the growth of trade between Britain and the East, it is possible to find information about the work the Lascar sailors would have done and the company that employed them.

Our aim is that pupils should engage with the museum exhibits rather than worksheets. Each activity can be done in pairs, or in groups of up to six. They are designed to focus pupils’ time in the museum through guided looking and discussions.

You can choose to distribute all the activity sheets, or select those you feel are most appropriate for your class. It is possible to keep the class in one gallery at a time, or set groups off on their own with an accompanying adult. Make sure each adult has a copy of the activity.

Please bring a camera to photograph your pupils at work. You’ll see that many activities suggest that pupils are photographed, which can be a reminder of their visit as well as a way of recording their work.

The titles of these sheets refer to display boards or exhibits, and the gallery location can be found at the top of each page.

Lascars in London

Keep this activity in mind as you walk through the museum.

Imagine you are young Lascars arriving in 19th century London for the first time.

What are your reactions to London? Make notes here.

Back at school, use your notes to write a letter home to your family.

The East India Company

Find the case next to the panel titled ‘The East India Company.’

The East India Company sailed between London and the East Indies, China and India.

In the case you can see some examples of the luxury goods that were brought to London from the Far East.

What do you think the muslin was were used for?

Why do you think porcelain crockery became so popular in the 18th and 19th centuries?

List three other luxury items here:

1.

2.

3.

The Falmouth East Indiaman - 1

Look carefully at the cut-away side of the model of the Falmouth.

You can see the cargo stored in the holds, ready for the sailing back to London.

Stowing cargo took lots of skill.

Imagine your group has to load a ship.

1. Where on the ship would you stow the heavy cargo? Why?

2. Where would you put goods that might get damaged by water, like tea and spices?

3. Where would you store delicate goods like silk or china?

3. Where would you store supplies you might need on the voyage like medicine and food?

Sketch a ship here and label the cargo holds.

The Falmouth East Indiaman - 2

Look at the rest of the Falmouth.

The ship has a large crew who are all doing different jobs.

Find the sailors at the top of the masts and on the rigging (ropes used to carry sails).

What do you think they might be doing?

Look at the groups of people around the ship.

What are the different groups doing?

Some of the sailors are children.

How old do you think you had to be to go to sea?

Would you like to be a sailor? Why?

Find the ship’s figurehead. What is it?

The ship is armed with heavy cannon. Why do you think the East India Company’s ships needed to carry guns on their voyages?

Explore the Falmouth interactive game. Can you make it home safely?

The sampling warehouse

Find the sampling warehouse and explore the goods that came to London from all over the world.

Which countries do they come from?

Find and list three things which may have been brought back by the East India Company.

1.

2.

3.

What might they have been used for?

Find the black cabinet full of tea samples.

How many different types of tea can you see?

What surprised you about this exhibit?

Why aren’t there any teabags?

Who drinks tea in your family?

What’s the tea called that they drink?

Where do they buy it from?

How many types of tea have you seen in your local supermarket?

What are the other drinks that people in your family drink as well as tea?

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