Quizzes!
Text: Could you make it as an 18th century steelworker? Image: two illustrated steelworkers

Derwentcote Steel Furnace near Newcastle was a super-hot oven used to melt iron bars with charcoal to create steel during the Industrial Revolution. Take our quiz to see if you could have worked there…

Image: a sign saying iron

1.  You need iron to make steel. Where do you get it from?

A) England
B) The ironmonger
C) Sweden

 

2.  You need to mix your iron with charcoal in the right way to make steel. How do you do it?

A) Boil the iron with charcoal
B) Seal the iron in long chests with charcoal at 1,100 degrees celsius
C) Shallow fry the iron in a hot pan with vegetables

Image: a boy wearing a welding helmet and thick red gloves

3.  The method of making steel at Derwentcote was known as cementation. Where was it invented?

A) The local cemetery
B) Newcastle
C) Germany

 

4.  Once you have finished making the steel, what do you do next?

A) Take it out and start making tools
B) Wait a week for it to cool down
C) Go on holiday (you’ve earned it!)

 

5.  You need a good name to make your steel recognisable to buyers. What do you call it?

A) Derwentcote Steel
B) Newcastle Steel
C) Steel4U

Image: a scythe, pair of shears and pair of scissors

6. The steel that you have made is in long bars – what do you make with it?

A) Shears and scythes for cutting things
B) Springs and cutlery
C) All of the above

 

7. How much steel did Derwentcote make in a year?

A) 150 tonnes
B) 10 tonnes
C) 1,000 tonnes

  • Answers:

    1. (C)
    2. (B)
    3. (C)
    4. (B)
    5. (B)
    6. (C)
    7. (A)

Results: how many did you get right?

1-3 correct: The heat has muddled your mind!

4-5 correct: Try chimney sweeping instead... 

6-7 correct: You’re forging ahead!

Time to text your metal! See if you can complete these three extra challenges…

  • Metal detector

    Steel was strong and could bend without breaking. Iron was strong and heavy but could be brittle. Can you think of an object in your home made of steel and one made of iron? Why was the material for each object chosen over the other?

  • Perfect match

    To be a successful steelworker you need to know your stuff! We've scrambled up the meanings of these three steel-making words – but can you match each one with the correct meaning? Check your answers at the bottom of this page.

  • Made of metal

    Steel still has lots of different uses today, from making objects you might find at home to constructing buildings! Can you list 20 things you think are made from steel? Ask a grown-up to help you check how many items you got right.

Image: a man and a boy are pushing a heavy cart of coal on a track through a mine. There is a pony and a dead small yellow bird in a cage

KIDS RULE! GUIDE TO The Industrial Revolution

Discover more about the Industrial Revolution with our online guide!

Make your own mini model of Stott Park Bobbin Mill, find out what the industrial revolution was and see what a day working in a mill was like. Plus, colour in your own poster of a busy Victorian industrial city and read Kids Rule! magazine online.

Find out more

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