The Education Officer provides tours, talks, outreach sessions and educational workshops for primary schools. Workshops are free for London schools, and all materials are provided by the House. We are happy to amend any workshop to complement a particular class's work.

Workshops are:

Frank's Diary: Journey from Jamaica to London
Key Stage 1 & 2 – English, History, Citizenship

We look at the life of Francis Barber, a Jamaican ex-slave who was sent alone at age 8 to live with Dr Johnson, an eccentric stranger whose wife had just died. Students will learn about what it meant to be a slave and what it meant to be a young servant in Georgian times, using a diary format.

The Monster Dictionary of Monsters
Key Stage 1 & 2 – English, History

An introduction to Sam Johnson and his Dictionary using the theme of animals, during which we play animal word games, learn to define words, and create a class Dictionary of Monsters on ‘eighteenth-century parchment'!

A Day in the Life of a Pauper and a Prince
Key Stage 1 & 2 History, English

Learn about daily life in Georgian times – we look at fashion, health, work and play in Georgian London. Using our handmade replica Georgian clothes (see below) we consider the lives of the wealthy and poor London children of the mid-eighteenth-century and contrast them with our own lives and the London we know today.

The Canvas Detective
Key Stage 1 & 2 History and Art

What are portraits for? What are the people in them trying to say about themselves, and how do they say it? Looking at eighteenth-century prints and paintings, classes will learn about the language of portraiture, looking at dress, pose, expression and motifs. They will then draw their own portraits using what they learn.

Please contact Elizabeth Emerson at education@drjohnsonshouse.org for further details or to book any workshop.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Tours, talks and study sessions can be arranged for your high school or university group. We are very happy to discuss a session tailored towards your class.

Please contact Elizabeth Emerson, the Education Officer, at education@drjohnsonshouse.org for further details.

FAMILIES

Free mini-guidebooks with games are available for young visitors from the front desk.

You can also have fun trying on our replica Georgian costumes. See how you would have looked as a child in 18th century London!

Groups of young visitors can also book in workshops outside of school. Please contact Elizabeth Emerson, the Education Officer, at education@drjohnsonshouse.org for further details.