Online Learning
This section contains information about the economic and social history of the canals in the UK. It is split into enquiries which were designed for children learning transport history at Key Stage 3. There is also a set of online resources about the Victorian ice trade designed for Key Stage 2 upwards.
The transport history resource consists of seven enquiries which the student can investigate online. Each enquiry has a question and six associated slides giving answers to the question and background evidence.
The Victorian ice trade resource consists of one enquiry with a question and six answer slides and additional pop-up information
- 18th Century Goods Transport
- It was not easy to build a canal
- The Bridgewater Canal
- The need for better transport
- The growth of the network
- How canal development became possible
- The economic and social impact
How to Use the Enquiries
The enquiries can be used as a stand alone resource but are best used as preparation for a visit to the museum, perhaps combined with a trip on a canal boat. The museum does not duplicate the online resources. With an understanding of the background, students will be able to see some of what the canals were really like.
The Downloads Page offers lesson plans and variety of activity sheets to download, reproduce in school, and bring with you on your visit to the museum.
There are also online resources on the London Canal Museum main website. These are written primarily for an adult audience but may be useful for projects.