The Great Fire

Lesson Overview

Subject: History
Year Group: Year 7 and 8 (working at Year 3 level)
Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
Class Size: 9 students
UK Curriculum Area: KS1/KS2 History – Significant events beyond living memory
Learning Objective (LO): To find out why the Great Fire of London spread so quickly and stayed alight for so long.

This lesson will be practical, engaging, and interactive, focusing on short bursts of written tasks to maintain attention. There will be a strong emphasis on sensory and hands-on activities to ensure students remain focused and involved.

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Lesson Structure

1. Hook (5 minutes) – "Close Your Eyes…"

• Ask students to close their eyes and imagine they are in 1666.
• Describe the sights, sounds, and smells of London before the fire: narrow streets, wooden houses, no fire brigade, the smell of animals and food cooking over open flames, candlelight in homes.
• Play crackling fire sounds in the background to build excitement.

Question: What dangers might there be in a city made of wood with lots of fire sources?

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2. Background & Discussion (10 minutes) – "How Did It Spread?"

• Show an image of London in 1666 and compare it to modern-day London.
• Discuss the key reasons why the fire spread so quickly:
  • Houses were made of wood and built close together.
  • The summer had been very dry, so wood burned easily.
  • The wind blew flames from house to house.
  • There was no fire brigade, only people working with leather buckets and water.

Active Task:

Build a mini "London Street" from cardboard boxes (pre-made and stacked in a row).

• Place them close together to demonstrate how houses were packed tightly.
• Use a small electric fan to blow a piece of light fabric (representing fire) from one house to another to show how wind spread the fire.

Question: What could have helped to stop the fire earlier?

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3. Sensory Experiment (10 minutes) – "Why Didn’t It Go Out?"

Introduce a simple flame and oxygen demonstration (teacher-led) using LED candles or a controlled tea light in a glass container.

• Show how air helps fire burn by placing a glass over the flame (safely controlled).
• Discuss why the fire in London burned for so long (wind, dry materials, no proper water supply).

Writing Task (Short & Simple)

Give students a simple fill-in-the-blanks worksheet:

"The fire spread quickly because the houses were made of ________ and were very ________ together. There was no proper ________ brigade, only buckets of ________. The wind made the flames move from house to ________."

Students complete this in pairs or with adult support.

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4. The Great Escape! (10 minutes) – Drama Activity

• Pretend they are people escaping the fire.
• Assign roles (e.g., baker, child, sailor, horse-rider, King’s messenger).
• Ask them to act out how they would escape the city—by boat, by running, carrying important things (gold, pets, bread from the bakery).

Encourage expressive voices and small movements to keep physical engagement.

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Plenary (5 minutes) – "Tell Me One Thing"

• Go around the class and ask each student: "Tell me ONE thing you learned today.”
• Give "Fire Expert" stickers to students who give a good explanation.
• Praise and reward engagement with high-fives or small incentives.

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Assessment and Differentiation

• Visual Learners: Use images, props, and demonstrations.
• Kinesthetic Learners: Engage them with hands-on activities (building houses, fanning flames, acting).
• Written Work: Short, structured fill-in-the-blanks to ensure success.
• Behaviour Management: Keep tasks fast-paced and engaging to maintain focus.

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Resources Needed

✅ Cardboard boxes (for mini London street)
✅ Small fan (to demonstrate wind spreading fire)
✅ LED candles or tea light in a jar (teacher demonstration)
✅ Crackling fire sound effects (played during intro)
✅ Fill-in-the-blanks worksheet
✅ "Fire Expert" stickers

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Teacher Reflection After Lesson:

• Did students stay engaged and focused?
• Which activities worked best for sensory learners?
• What can be improved or adapted for next time?

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This lesson is multi-sensory, engaging, and practical, making the Great Fire of London come alive for students with attention difficulties. 🚀🔥