Year 2 History – The Great Fire of London

In Year 2, this term, we have had a wonderful time learning all about the Great Fire of London and we know the children have also been teaching their adults at home all about it too! The children have learned about this significant event in British history in many different ways and are now able to recall all the important details. These include:

  • Creating a ‘mini London’ to show how it looked before the fire
  • Working with a film maker to produce, write and direct their own film 
  • Putting together a defence case for the different people who were blamed for starting the fire for a trial in a mock court 
  • Writing statements which may have been said by eye witnesses
  • Writing a diary entry recounting the first 2 days of the fire
  • Redesigning London after the fire in small groups
  • Researching about fire fighters and how these have changed over the years
  • 2CJ really impressed when they put on a play for KS1 and their parents which retold the events of The Great Fire of London. 

Throughout this topic, the children have been considering how trade informed how people lived in London. They considered the importance of the River Thames, how the fire affected trade and the need to rebuild London as quickly as possible to ensure livelihoods were restored.

What The Student Says

"I liked learning about how the fire was so big." Year 2 pupil. "I liked learning about the houses." Year 2 pupil. "I liked the colours of the fire." Year 2 pupil. "I felt sad for the people in the fire." Year 2 pupil. "It must have been scary for the people." Year 2 pupil. "I think the people felt shocked." Year 2 pupil. "I felt scared for the people." Year 2 pupil.

What skills were developed?

  • Followed lines of enquiry through questioning, investigating and discussing possibilities

  • Used oral history, eye-witness accounts and artefacts to inform their learning

  • Retold the events in chronological order

  • Used drama and role-play to foster imagination and empathy

  • Compared different versions of the event to gain a more rounded view

  • Explained why choices were made by different influential people

What the Teacher says

'This was my first time teaching about the Great Fire of London and I have absolutely loved it! The children have been so engaged from the beginning of year 2 right through to our final lesson before Christmas. They have all been able to retain the information given to them whilst also showing empathy for the people who lived through this devastating event. My favourite lesson was definitely the court room when each group took on the role of a different significant character. The children were so passionate! It have been wonderful to see the children really want to know more.' Mrs Jones, 2CJ Class Teacher

School Address:

Clapgate Primary School
10 Cranmore Drive
Belle Isle
Leeds
LS10 4AW

School Contacts:

Headteacher: Mrs Singleton
Deputy Headteacher: Miss Taylor
SENDCO: Mrs Woodhouse
Office: Mrs Austin, Miss Johnson, Mrs Belt
Chair of Governors: Mr Bache

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Tel: 0113 271 6700
Email: clapgate@clapgateprimaryschool.org

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