Time Pirates is a huge educational interactive exploring the Port of London from Roman times to the present day. Children complete tasks and follow clues to prevent an evil genius and his time pirates from stealing history. There are animations, hot spots, games and challenges to complete along their journey.
Time Pirates has been written and created by teachers, curators and museum education specialists from the National Maritime Museum, the Museum in Docklands and the Museum of London. It is an excellent resource for the classroom or home. Time Pirates is aimed at key stages 2 and 3 and addresses many aspects of the QCA History units.
Romans
See how the port first developed. Find out why the Romans built a bridge, which goods were exported from London to the rest of the Roman Empire and what was imported by Roman Britain.
History KS1 & 2 Unit 6A:
Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past?
A Roman case study.
Anglo-Saxons
Explore the Anglo-Saxon settlements of Lundenburg and Lundenwic, find out what happened when the Vikings invaded and compare the Roman and Saxon ports.
History KS1 & 2 Unit 6B:
Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past?
An Anglo-Saxon case study.
Medieval
See the medieval London Bridge, play fact or fiction with Dick Whittington and find out how merchants paid taxes in the Middle Ages.
History KS3 Unit 3:
How hard was life for medieval people in town and country?
Tudor & Stuart
Meet Elizabeth I and discover how different life was for rich and poor Tudors. Find out about the vital role London played in funding and building ships for exploration.
History KS1 & 2 Unit 8:
What were the differences between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times?
Unit 19: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?
Georgian
Explore the overcrowded Thames and find out why the docks were built and how they operated. Meet a whaler boiling blubber to light London's streets.
History KS3 Unit 11:
Industrial changes action and reaction.
Victorian
Explore the industrialized river, find out how power stations were fuelled and steam ships were built and see how different life was for rich and poor Victorians.
History KS1 & 2 Unit 11:
What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?
Unit 12: How did life change in our locality in Victorian times?
History KS3 Unit 11: Industrial changes action and reaction.
Unit 12: Snapshot 1900: what was British middle-class life like?
20th century
Investigate the heyday of the port, the bombing during the Blitz and the closure and regeneration of London's docks.
History KS1 & 2 Unit 9:
What was it like for Children in the Second World War?
Unit 13: How has life in Britain changed since 1948?
Each time period stands alone. It can be explored as a one-off study or the resource can be used as a whole to understand fully how the Port of London developed from Roman settlement to today's Docklands. Time Pirates is a wonderful resource for a local history project.
Within the 7 time periods children will find:
- 30 riverside locations
- 18 games
- Many famous characters, including Elizabeth I and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
- A range of characters representing real Londoners throughout history: multicultural, rich and poor, men, women and children.
- Printable resources
- Opportunities to create and annotate a photo gallery from illustrations on the site, which can then be submitted and published online
- Search facilities with relevant links to the key stage 2 and 3 QCA History Units