KS1 History: Great Fire of London Teaching Resource
Mr Dilly’s KS1 GREAT FIRE OF LONDON free history teaching resource
Discover more about two momentous events that would change the city of London forever! Mr Dilly’s Key Stage 1 The Great Fire of London is an explosively entertaining and informative educational video resource that presents an overview of the events, places and characters involved, bringing to life the devastation of the Great Plague and the destruction of the Great Fire. The KS1 teaching resource can be used to introduce the topic of Samuel Pepys, the Plague and the Great Fire to children, reinforce their learning and celebrate topic work. Run time: 29 mins
KS1 The Great Fire of London - Discover more about:
Burt the Gong Farmer – Talking about the filthy streets of London and his job cleaning the privies and cesspits and his concerns over a few cases of the plague in his parish. In conversation with his friend the hilarious Monsieur Poop!
Steve the Stink – Rat reporter for The Daily Vermin updating on the spread of the plague, its impact in London and plague doctors. Later, he interviews the baker Thomas Farrinor on the eve of the fire, and finally reports on the terror on the streets of London as the fire rages
Samuel Pepys – Royal Navy clerk and diarist at at his house in Seething Lane, talking about wigs,the plague, and his diary. He appears throughout the film charting the events of the fire and the destruction of London, and as he races to find the Lord Mayor to tell him the King wants the houses pulled down to create firebreaks. Finally, we meet him at his home digging a pit in thegarden burying his wine and his parmesan cheese!
King Charles II – ‘The Merry Monarch’ – we learn of how popular he is, and that he’s fond of a good time! Then as the fire takes hold, how he and his brother the Duke of York take charge of the fire-fighting efforts as he rides his horse through thecity streets. Finally we see him in the refugee camp with his royal offers of help for the thousands left homeless after the fire
Lord Mayor Thomas Bludworth – A brief glimpse of the man who’s bad leadership is credited with the fire spreading so quickly, as he find him panicking in the London streets with nobody listening to his instruction
Thomas Farrinor –The Baker, being interviewed by Steve the Stink in Pudding Lane the eve before the fire, we learn about his job and life. We then see Thomas trying to escape his burning bakery and learn what happened to start the fire
Narrative throughout adds further content including facts about the filth of London and the Plague outbreak, plague pits, death tolls and impact on London of the plague and how it stopped; the background of Samuel Pepys and his diary including his writing in Sheltons’ tachygraphy; the condition of London’sbuildings and use of fire in the city and how combustible everything was; the Great Fire and how it started, how communities tackled fire in the time with watchmen and fire fighting equipment; the spread of the fire and how the indecision of the Lord Mayor contributed to its spread; the fleeing of people on the river; the scale of the fire, the danger to famous landmarks and the destruction of the city and how the fire was stopped and the rebirth of London including Christopher Wren and St Pauls Cathedral and the Monument
How to use Mr Dilly’s KS1 Great Fire of London video:
Mr Dilly’s Great Fire of London video would work well as part of a whole year group or class topic introduction and for general lesson enrichment, or as an end-of-topic celebration. We suggest you watch the video before sharing it with children so you can see what content links you could make with lesson plans. Once you have viewed the video, we would suggest children watch it through initially for enjoyment and enrichment and then following this, watch it again and this time complete Mr Dilly’s Great Fire of London Quiz to reinforce their knowledge. You might like to introduce a fun, competitive element and invite children to work in pairs to answer the quiz questions, with prizes for the winners. The video can then be used to support ongoing topic work, using sections as required as a reminder or to focus on particular aspects of Samuel Pepys, the Plague and the Fire. Children can then build on knowledge gained with further research.
KS1 Great Fire of London - Video Chapters:
(video chapter links will play on YouTube)
00:39 What was a Gong Farmer? Why was London so dirty? Meet Burt and Monsieur Poop!
02:57 Where did the 1665 Plague outbreak in London begin?
03:20 How did people try and stop the Plague? With Rat Reporter Steve the Stink
05:10 What were Plague pits and how many people died from the Plague?
05:42 Why did men wear wigs? Meet diarist Samuel Pepys!
06:34 Who was Samuel Pepys? What was Samuel Pepy's diary?
07:03 What did Samuel Pepys do during the Plague in London?
07:31 How did the Plague of 1665 end?
08:10 Meet King Charles II, the Merry Monarch!
10:00 What were the buildings in 1666 London made from? And how were they made?
10:59 Who was Thomas Farrinor? Interview with Steve the Stink
13:16 What happened in Thomas Farrinor's bakery in September 1666?
13:44 When did the Great Fire of London start?
14:27 How did the Great Fire of London start?
15:38 Day 1 - The Great Fire begins! What did Samuel Pepys see?
16:33 What did King Charles II command the Lord Mayor to do to stop the fire?
17:29 Who were Bellmen and how did people stop fires in the 17th century?
18:11 Was the Lord Mayor's lack of leadership responsible for the spread of the fire?
18:52 What did Samuel Pepys see from the River Thames?
19:38 Did Samuel Pepys ride a horse and cart in his nightgown?
20:00 Day 2 - How did King Charles II help the people of London in the Great Fire?
21:15 What was the most paid for a boat to escape the fire?
21:52 Who did some people think the Great Fire was started by? Live with Steve the Stink
22:45 Day 3 - How big and hot did the Great Fire of London get?
23:03 What did Samuel Pepys bury in his garden to keep it safe?
23:17 When did St Paul's Cathedral burn?
24:00 What was inside the Tower of London?
24:16 Day 4 - How was the Great Fire of London stopped?
24:44 What was destroyed and how many died during the Great Fire?
25:42 How did King Charles and the country help the people of London?
27:17 How was London rebuilt after the Great Fire of London?
27:35 How did a new London emerge from the ashes? Monsieur Poop will let you know!
