Charles enjoys farm work while his older brother John avoids it. When Charles meets the runaway convict Liam and helps him, the boys face choices about loyalty, class expectations and what it means to be ‘refined’, as both boys will soon be sent to England to learn how to become refined young gentlemen.

Provocation question

How do rules about class, manners and work shape who we include or exclude in our communities?

Unlike his posh older brother John, Charles is enjoying building a fence on the farm. At the end of the fence line he encounters Liam, a convict who is on the run. Liam asks Charles to bring him some food and boots.

Tuning In

Stories about work and meeting strangers can be surprising and revealing. As you watch, think about:

• How Charles feels about work compared with John
• The moment Charles meets Liam and how he reacts
• What the fence and boots tell us about class and survival.

As a class, discuss:

• What expectations do families have about work and manners?
• How might those expectations make it hard to be friends with someone different?
• When is it right to help someone who is breaking the rules?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Work together to explore how class expectations, labour and kindness shape choices. In small groups, brainstorm:

• Who does what work on the farm and why?
• What does “being refined” mean in this story?
• Why might someone run away and what risks do they face?

Create a Roles & Consequences Map using images, words and arrows to show:

• The farm roles (Charles, John, parents, convicts)
• How those roles shape expectations and choices
• The immediate consequences of Charles helping Liam

Share your map and explain one change that could make the farm fairer.

Making Connections

Charles chose to help someone who might be in trouble. Think about a time you had to decide whether to help; what did you consider?

Charles helps Liam even though it is risky. Imagine you are part of the scene and explore the choices people make

Work in a group of four or five. Each person takes a role: Charles, a parent, the farmer neighbour, Liam (or a spokesperson for someone in need) and a facilitator.

Rehearse a short town meeting. The group explains why Charles made his choice, listens to different concerns, and agrees on one fair outcome that balances safety and compassion.

Use evidence from the clip, show at least two different perspectives, and suggest a clear and realistic solution.

Charles brings Liam some bread but only agrees to bring boots if Liam agrees to help him finish the fence. Liam tells Charles the story of how he ended up as a convict and of his dreams for the future.

Tuning In

Hearing someone’s story can change how we see them. As you watch, notice:

• How Liam tells his story and what details he chooses;
• How Charles listens and what that listening does to his thinking;
• Moments that show trust beginning to form.

As a class, discuss:

• How does hearing a person’s past change our judgments?
• What makes someone a trustworthy listener?
• How can stories help repair misunderstandings?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Work together to explore how personal stories build empathy and shift attitudes.

In small groups, brainstorm:

• What parts of Liam’s story are most important for understanding him?
• How does cooperation help people learn about each other?
• What questions would you ask to learn more respectfully?

Create a Life Story Timeline for Liam showing key events, choices and turning points.

Add a short Interview Script where Charles asks two respectful questions that help Liam feel heard.

Present your timeline to the class and read the script aloud. 

Making Connections

Listening to someone’s story can change how we think. Hearing Liam’s story changes Charles’s view. Turn that listening into a short audio interview.

Work in pairs or small groups to produce a short podcast that helps listeners better understand Liam. Each person takes a role: host, Liam speaking in first person, and researcher or producer.

Plan and record a 3-4 minute podcast segment. Begin with a 30-45 second introduction that sets the scene. Follow this with a 2 minute interview that includes three main questions and short follow-up questions. Finish with a 30-45 second reflection explaining what changed in understanding Liam. Use evidence from the clip and include one historical fact from this decade.

Ask clear questions that build empathy, use accurate details from the clip, and end with a reflective closing that links to the class discussion.

Charles' mother educates him on the difference between Sarah and 'a lady'. Charles steals some of his mother's clothes in order to create a disguise for Liam, but is surprised when Liam uses the disguise to gatecrash Sarah's wedding.

Tuning In

Disguises and rule‑breaking in the 1810s raise questions about identity, respectability, and social order. As you watch, notice:

• How expectations about behaviour, appearance, and manners are taught and enforced within the household
• Why Charles chooses to borrow his mother’s clothes in this period, and what personal and social risks that decision carries
• How neighbours and authorities respond when established social rules are challenged

As a class, discuss:

• What do early 19th‑century rules about manners and appearance reveal about who was accepted and who was excluded?
• In the context of the 1810s, when might breaking a social rule be seen as a moral or compassionate act, and when might it be judged as dangerous or unacceptable?
• How did communities in the 1810s typically respond when individuals failed to meet social expectations, and what did those responses aim to protect?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Work together to explore ethics, identity and community repair. In small groups, brainstorm:

• What motives might justify breaking a social rule?
• What harms can follow from disguises or deception?
• How can a community balance consequences with repair?
  
  

As a class, create an Ethics Chart listing: motive, action, immediate consequence, and possible restorative steps.

Then draft a short Restorative Response Plan (RRP) - 3 steps the community could use to repair harm while recognising why the rule was broken. Share your chart and explain why your restorative steps are fair and achievable.

Making Connections

Disguise and rule‑breaking force us to weigh kindness against consequences. Charles and Liam break social rules to help each other. When is breaking a rule okay, and when does it cause harm?

Choose a creative way to explore moments of tension, such as a comic strip or storyboard.

Work on your own or with a partner to create a 6‑panel comic. Your panels should show these moments in order: a rule being broken, the discovery, the community’s reaction, an apology or attempt to repair the harm, restitution and a repaired relationship.

Add short captions to explain why characters act as they do. Include one speech bubble that shows a restorative step being taken.

Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end. Show how actions lead to consequences and include at least one restorative action.