Key Stage 3-5

Duration: 1 hour 
Location: Medlock Education Centre 

Find out about real passengers who travelled on the SS Great Britain.  

Pupils will: 

• Trace the journeys of the SS Great Britain 
• Work with real objects and transcripts 
• Investigate the stories of real passengers 
• Explore themes of migration, empire and travel  

Duration: up to 1 hour 
Location: On board the SS Great Britain 

Explore the ship with one of our knowledgeable volunteer guides. 

Your group will: 

• Discover the ship’s long and adventurous life 
• Hear stories of passengers and crew 
• Visit key spaces across the ship 
• Learn how the ship was built, used and saved  

Duration: 1 hour 
Location: On board the ship

Chart Your Own Course is a fun, interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ style activity, that allows students to put themselves in the shoes of Victorian sailor making a 60-day voyage to Australia on the SS Great Britain. 

Chart Your Own Course is free but must be booked in advance. For more information download the Teacher Guide 

Duration: about 40 minutes 
Location: On board the ship 
Equipment: Phone, tablet or digital camera. Optional – pen/pencil to tick off items as the go along

Find and photograph up to 16 things as you look around the SS Great Britain. The Photo Challenge has been designed to be carried out while students explore the ship. There is no specific route, and items can be found in any order. Some items can be found in multiple areas of the ship. 

If students have not got access to a camera, they can use the Photo Challenge as a scavenger hunt. 

Download the Photo Challenge