This section features historians living as period people, performing tasks that our ancestors had to do, all the while dressed in period costumes.  Any one of these series would be an excellent addition to the classroom.  Not only do is this historical base reality TV, but several of these series can also be used in a science or agricultural classroom.

Secrets of the Castle - Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4
Tom Pinfold, Ruth Goodman, and Peter Ginn explore medieval lives and how to build a castle.  This series shows off one of the longest historical experiments in history.  Pinfold, Goodman, and Ginn explore a variety of aspects of castle building.  They kick off the series by establishing their base and then move on doing building projects.  This is a STEM and STEAM-heavy series. *Highly recommend for a middle school and high school history and science classroom.*

Victorian Pharmacy - Episode 1   Episode 2   Episode 3  Episode 4
The Victorian Pharmacy was the place where cures could be found.  It was the place where both the poor and rich could find medical care.  Ruth Goodman, Ruth Barber, and Tom Quick work in a real Victorian Pharmacy, finding alternatives for the popular cures of the day.  They how pharmacists made their medicines, brought people into the business, as well as how the industry became regulated.  *Recommend for a science and history classroom.  Highly recommend independent study and clips for a lecture.*

*Full Steam Ahead: YouTube
Peter Ginn, Alex Langlands, and Ruth Goodman explore the history of British Railways in this series.  They start with how the railroads impact mining and local areas before going into how the railways impact Britain as a nation.  The railroad had as big an impact as the internet had.  Ginn, Langlands, and Goodman demonstrate the changes the railroad brought over the decades.  *Highly recommend for a middle school and high school history classroom.*

Turn Back Time - The Family - Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4 Episode 5 
This earlier series is where three families discover how families lived over several different periods including the Edwardian Period, Depression, World War II, and the 1960s.  Three houses were transformed throughout the series to reflect the decade they are in.  They lived in each house for a week.  The families are living the lives of their ancestors.  *Highly recommend for a history classroom and a family and consumer classroom.  Good series for independent study students.*

Turn Back Time - The High Street - Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4  Episode 5  Episode 6
Four families participate in reviving the High Street through different eras: Victorian, Edwardian, 1930's, World War II, 1960's and the 1970's.  They operate a grocer, butcher, blacksmith shop, dressmaker shop, and bakery.  The Chamber of Commerce explores whether or not the High Street can be revived through this experiment.  The participants are selected from locals and they promise to shop in only the period stores.  *Recommend for a history classroom and independent study classroom.*

Farm Series
*Tales From Green Valley: Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4  Episode 5  Episode 6  Episode 7  Episode 8  Episode 9  Episode 10  Episode 11  Episode 12
A group of historians and archeologists work on a farm that was established during the Jacobean Period.   They make repairs around the farm, raise animals, and live the way farmers lived during the Jacobean Period.  They build a new barn as well as a new privy.  They work the farm during a calendar year, except they do not live on the farm.  At the end of the year, many of the buildings were restored.  *Highly recommend for both history and agricultural classroom.*

*Edwardian Farm: YouTube  Amazon Prime
Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langladas live as farmers during the Edwardian Period.  Goodman, Ginn, and Langladas plant market gardens, raise livestock and keep house using Edwardian methods.  They participate in daily Edwardian life and show how the Edwardian period brought changes to England.  *Recommend for a history classroom, highly recommend for an agricultural classroom.  Excellent series for an independent study student.*

*Victorian Farm: YouTube  Amazon Prime
Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langladas live as farmers during the Victorian Age.  They work on the Acton-Scott estate for this series.  The first restore a Victorian's farm workers cottage, prepare cider, and plant their fields.  They participate in daily Victorian life.  They celebrate the holidays Victorian Style.  Recommend for both history and agricultural classroom.  Highly recommend it for independent study students and clips in a lecture.*

*Tudor Monastery Farm: YouTube Amazon (Region 2 DVD)
Ruth Goodman, Tom Pinford, and Peter Ginn live life as farmers during the Tudor period for a full calendar year.  Monasteries were an important part of Tudor Life and they were the landlords during this period.  They plant a field, raise livestock, and keep house using Tudor methods.  Ruth manages the house and dairy while the boys' Tom and Peter manage the fields.  This playlist includes Tudor Feast at Christmas.  *Recommended for all ages as well as for both a history classroom and agricultural classroom.*

*Wartime Farm:  YouTube
Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langladas as well as new team member Henry live as farmers facing the conditions of World War II.  Goodman, Ginn, and Langladas startup with setting up the farm for war conditions, planting the fields, and trying their hand at recycling.  They deal with rationing.  They also take in war refugees, participate in home defense and welcome the Americans.  *Highly recommended for both middle school and high school history and agricultural classrooms.  Highly recommend it for independent study students and clips.*

Ruth, Peter, and Alex finish their year on the Victorian Farm.  With the failed hay harvest, the team looks to recover with the wheat harvest.  They finish off their year celebrating the harvest with a feast.

Peter and Alex get to grips with Victorian technology in preparation of the wheat harvest.  The harvester that was used had a device that helped tie wheat bundles and was invented by a Wisconsin farm hand.  Ruth learns the art of plaiting straw stalks and discovers how addicting it can be.  It was a simple skill that could make a farmer money.

Ruth also explores the impact of the Empire on the Victorian Kitchen.  She uses curry mix to prepare the boys a meal.  Peter arranges to have the cart they plan to use to haul the wheat in repaired since it was not used in decades.

They celebrate the end of the time on the Victorian Farm with a party.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Victorian Farm Episode 6 Questions:

1. What crop failed?
2. What crop did they want to succeed?
3. How long does it take to harvest what by hand?
4. What new skill did Ruth learn?
5. What did Ruth try in the kitchen?
6. When was the first curry house opened in London?
7. What did the boys make to bring in good workers?
8. What did the boys want to put on the poster?
9. What type of berries did Ruth pick?  What are they known in America as?
10. How did the team celebrate the harvest?

Victorian Farm Episode 6 Answers:

1. What crop failed? - hay
2. What crop did they want to succeed? - wheat
3. How long does it take to harvest what by hand? - One week
4. What new skill did Ruth learn? - Straw platting
5. What did Ruth try in the kitchen? - curry
   
6. When was the first curry house opened in London? - 1811
7. What did the boys make to bring in good workers? - beer
8. What did the boys want to put on the poster? - “Best beer around.”
9. What type of berries did Ruth pick?  What are they known in America as? - Windberries/bilberries, Blue Berries
10. How did the team celebrate the harvest? - Harvest fest

It's May and the boys are tending sheep.  Ruth starts dairying, Alex gets involved with beekeeping and Peter learns how to make cricket bats.

Once the sheep give birth, they are sheered with an electric sheerer.  This sped up the process for the Victorian farmer.  In order to speed up the process, Peter and Alex bring out something that their land agent invented to help the farmers from hand cranking the sheers.  The inexperienced sheers discover that their fleece is infected with maggots.

Alex gets help with a bee swarm in order to start up bee keeping while Peter learns to carve a cricket bat.  Peter and Alex take in a game of cricket where Peter has an embarrassing situation.

Ruth starts operating the dairy in order to make cheese.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Questions

1. What needed to be done after the sheep gave birth?
2. What was the name of the cow?
3. How many acres did a farmer need to break even?
4. How many acres did a dairy farm need to break even?
5. What was invented in the 1870’s?
6. What became a popular sport during the Victorian Period?
7. What did Ruth make for the garden?
8. What did Alex get involved in?
9. When was the modern beehive invented?
10. How far does bees create their honeycombs?

Answers

1. What needed to be done after the sheep gave birth? - Shorn/fleece cut
2. What was the name of the cow? - Forget me not
3. How many acres did a farmer need to break even? - 50 acres
4. How many acres did a dairy farm need to break even? - 5 acres
5. What was invented in the 1870’s? - Sheering machines
6. What became a popular sport during the Victorian Period? - cricket
7. What did Ruth make for the garden? - pesticide
8. What did Alex get involved in? - Beekeeping
9. When was the modern beehive invented? - 1855
10. How far does bees create their honeycombs? - 8 millimeters

Springtime on the Victorian Farm; lambs are being born as well as piglets.  Ruth starts a chicken concern.  Peter has an all night vigil with the pigs.

The boys bring out a sheepherders wagon in preparation for lambing season.  It's something that the boys will use to sleep in while keeping watch over the flocks.

Ruth starts cleaning out the cottage as part of spring cleaning.  She uses a variety of Victorian methods to sweep up the dust and clean the cottage from top and bottom.  Alex keeps an eye on the wheat and grows concerned that it's not doing well.  He takes advice from other farmers and the Book of the Farm.  He is determined that the crop will not fail. 

Ruth makes a new dress with the assistance of a historic costumer.  She tries to get a grip with a Victorian sewing machine.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Victorian Farm Episode 4 Questions

1. What Month are they in?
2. What did they park next to the sheep pen?
3. This activity was a Victorian obsession.
4. Ruth tossed this down to the floor while sweeping.
5. What was cheaper to import from America?
6. What did Ruth use to clean the pots?
7. Who comes and pick up the bones?
8. What attacked the chickens?
9. Who keeps an eye on Princess?
10. How many piglets did Princess have?

Victorian Farm Episode 4 Answers

1. What Month are they in? - March
2. What did they park next to the sheep pen? - Shepherds Hut
3. This activity was a Victorian obsession. - Spring Cleaning
4. Ruth tossed this down to the floor while sweeping. - Tea leaves
5. What was cheaper to import from America? - wheat/grain
6. What did Ruth use to clean the pots? - Brick dust and vinegar
7. Who comes and pick up the bones? - Rag and bone man
8. What attacked the chickens? - A dog
9. Who keeps an eye on Princess? - Peter
10. How many piglets did Princess have? - 8, one died

Episode 3 explores trying to control the animals on the farm, keeping an eye on their pregnant animals, and  exploring old Victorian crafts.  The team is four months into their Victorian Farm Experience.

Princess, the pig, joins up with the farm and pigs cause trouble on the farm.  Peter works to divide out the farm yard.  The team turns to a blacksmith, woodsman, and a basket maker to do some repairs around the Victorian Farm as well as learn the secrets to Victorian Crafts.

Ruth gets to grip with bathing in the Victorian Period as well as making Victorian home remedies, Alex fixes his boots with a Victorian Shoe polish recipe.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Victorian Farm Episode 3 Questions:

1. What was the name of the newest pig to the farm?
2. How many piglets did they expect to have?
3. What was does Peter built to control the animals?
4. What Victorian craft did Peter explore to make a fence?
5. What birds caused problems on a Victorian Farm?
6. How did they determine if a sheep was pregnant?
7. What was the basket made from?
8. Who coined the term “horse power?”
9. What was the test Ruth did to prove the basket’s strength?
10. Who pulls the lamb out first?

Victorian Farm Episode 3 Questions:

1. What was the name of the newest pig to the farm? - Princess
2. How many piglets did they expect to have? - 8-9
3. What was does Peter built to control the animals? - Fence
4. What Victorian craft did Peter explore to make a fence? - Woodsman
5. What birds caused problems on a Victorian Farm? - Pheasants
6. How did they determine if a sheep was pregnant? - Milked the teat to see if there was a wax that came out
7. What was the basket made from? - Oak and hazel
8. Who coined the term “horse power?” - James Watt
9. What was the test Ruth did to prove the basket’s strength? - Stood on it and jumped
10. Who pulls the lamb out first? - Alex

Ruth, Peter, and Alex settled in to Farm Life while preparing for Christmas.  Peter and Alex work on the pigsties, and Ruth prepares a Victorian Christmas Feast after spending four days in the laundry.

Alex and Peter as well as Alex's brother work on building and putting a roof on the pigsties.  The weather turns cold and it's not the best time of year to build pigsties.  It begins to snow on the farm.  The team adds a ram on the farm and they create a rattle to help determine whether or not the ewes are pregnant.

Ruth works in the laundry for three days in order to prepare for Christmas.  She explains the laundry process during the Victorian Period, you used stain remover on what needed to be removed and not the whole garment.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Victorian Farm Episode 2 Questions:

1. When could the boys expect their first sheep?
2. What does Ruth use for each laundry stain?
3. What was the most important letter on the Victorian farm?
4. What did they build in the middle of winter?
5. What did they use to insulate the floor?
6. How many days did Ruth stay in the laundry?
7.  What did Ruth use to counter the yellow soap?
8. What Christmas tradition came out of the Victorian Period?
9. How much did Ruth put into the pudding?
10. What did Ruth make Peter for Christmas?

Victorian Farm Episode 2 Answers:

1. When could the boys expect their first sheep? - April Fools Day
2. What does Ruth use for each laundry stain? - Ink: Milk; Fruit Stains: Butter; Glue - Whiskey
3. What was the most important letter on the Victorian farm?  Why? - Pigs, they ate everything and fattened up the quickest
   
4. What did they build in the middle of winter? - Pigsties
5. What did they use to insulate the floor? - Bottles
6. How many days did Ruth stay in the laundry? - Four days
7.  What did Ruth use to counter the yellow soap? - Synthetic blue
8. What Christmas tradition came out of the Victorian Period? - Christmas Pudding
9. How much did Ruth put into the pudding? - 4 pence
10. What did Ruth make Peter for Christmas? - Braces

Ruth, Peter and Alex are now working on a Victorian Farm.  The first step to their journey into the Victorian Period is to restore an abandoned cottage, harvest and thresh wheat, and plant a wheat crops: even if the weather is against them.

They take over a cottage that was abandoned in the 1950's and restore it.  They use Victorian Techniques to bring it back to livable condition.  A new range is installed and a bedroom is redone in this episode.

The Estate where the Farm was on: https://www.actonscott.com/

If you're ever in England, you can rent the cottage Ruth, Peter and Alex stayed in on the Acton-Scott Estate.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Victorian Farm Episode 1 Questions:

1.  Who of the team was responsible for what?
2. How long has the Acton-Scott Family been on their estate?
3. How long was the farm abandoned?
   
4. What did Ruth discover in the barn?
5. What was Ruth nervous about cooking with?
6.   What book did the team use to guide their farming endeavors?
7.  What was invented due to industrialization?
8. What type of plow was used before?
9. Why was the stove blacked?
10.  What replaced roasting over a fire due to coal?

Victorian Farm Episode 1 Answers:

1.  Who of the team was responsible for what? - Ruth – Cottage, Poultry and Dairy / Alex – Growing Crops and rearing animals / Peter – Day to day living / Steam and horse powered technology
2. How long has the Acton-Scott Family been on their estate? - 1255
3. How long was the farm abandoned? - 50 years ago
4. What did Ruth discover in the barn? - Milk Stool
5. What was Ruth nervous about cooking with? - Coal Range
6.   What book did the team use to guide their farming endeavors? - Book of the Farm
7.  What was invented due to industrialization? - Steel plows
8. What type of plow was used before? - Wooden plows
9. Why was the stove blacked? - To prevent rusting
10.  What replaced roasting over a fire due to coal? - Roasting in the oven