Home Learning: Jack the Ripper

Subject: History | Year: 8

Estimated Time: 30-40 Minutes Name: _________________________ Class/Set: ____________ Due Date: ____________

The Purpose

Why are we doing this? To investigate how the social conditions of Whitechapel and the limitations of Victorian policing allowed Jack the Ripper to remain unidentified.

Instructions

1. Define: Write a short definition for the following three terms used to describe Victorian London: 'Slum', 'Common Lodging House', and 'Workhouse'.
2. Analyse: Imagine you are a Detective Inspector in the Metropolitan Police in 1888. List three specific problems you face while trying to catch a killer in Whitechapel. (Think about the environment, the technology available, and the local population).
3. Apply: Read the following short description of Whitechapel in 1888: "The streets are narrow, unlit, and filled with thick 'pea-souper' fog. Over 70,000 people are packed into a small area, many living in absolute poverty and suspicious of the police."
4. Draft: Using the description above, write one detailed paragraph explaining why the geography of Whitechapel was a 'criminal's paradise'. Use the PEEL structure (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link).

Success Criteria (Checklist)

• ☐ I have defined the three key terms relating to Victorian poverty.
• ☐ I have identified three distinct obstacles faced by the Victorian police.
• ☐ I have written a PEEL paragraph that links the physical environment to the difficulty of the investigation.

Challenge / Extension (Optional)

• Research: Find out what the 'Dear Boss' letter was. Briefly explain why this letter made the police's job even harder during the 'Autumn of Terror'.

---

⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE & MARK SCHEME (DO NOT PRINT FOR STUDENTS)

💡 Teacher’s Post-Task Briefing

📋 1. Model Answers / Expected Outcomes

• Definitions:
  • Slum: An overcrowded, squalid urban area inhabited by very poor people.
  • Common Lodging House: A 'doss house' where people paid a few pence for a bed (or a rope to lean on) for the night.
  • Workhouse: A place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment in harsh conditions.
• Police Obstacles: Lack of forensic science (no DNA/fingerprinting), jurisdictional rivalry (Metropolitan vs. City Police), overcrowding/anonymity of the East End, and poor lighting/smog.
• PEEL Paragraph: Students should identify that narrow alleys (Point) allowed for easy escape (Explanation). They should cite the fog or overcrowding (Evidence) and conclude that the environment favoured the killer over the police (Link).

🔍 2. Common Misconceptions to Flag

• Forensic Capability: Students often assume the police were "lazy" or "incompetent" because they didn't use DNA or fingerprints. It is vital to remind them that these technologies did not exist or were not yet accepted in 1888.
• The "Gentleman" Killer: Many students believe Jack the Ripper wore a top hat and cape (the 'Hollywood' image). Remind them that the killer likely blended into the impoverished local crowd.
• Police Effort: Clarify that the police actually used innovative methods for the time, such as bloodhounds and plain-clothes patrols, but were overwhelmed by the social conditions.

💬 3. Classroom Discussion Starters (The 'Journey')

• The Media: How did the 'Penny Dreadfuls' and sensationalist newspapers change the public's perception of the police?
• Poverty vs. Crime: If the government had invested in better housing and street lighting in Whitechapel before 1888, do you think the murders would have happened?
• Modern Parallels: How does modern 'CCTV Britain' change the way we investigate crime compared to the Victorian 'unseen' streets?