Samuel Pepys' Diary

Overview

This 30-minute lesson is the third in a six-lesson unit titled London’s Fiery Past, designed for Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 students. The focus is on introducing Samuel Pepys, a primary eyewitness of the Great Fire of London, using excerpts from his diary. The lesson encourages understanding of historical perspectives and empathy through role play and creative writing, in line with the National Curriculum for England History and English programmes of study for KS1.

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Curriculum Links

History (Key Stage 1)

• Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time (NC ref: KS1 History Purpose of study).
• They should know where people and events fit within a chronological framework (NC ref: KS1 History Aims).
• They should understand some of the ways the past is represented (NC ref: KS1 History Aims).
• Pupils should be taught to: talk about changes in their own life or family, and begin to understand why something might have happened in the past (NC ref: KS1 History Attainment Target).

English (Key Stage 1)

• Pupils should be taught to understand and use a wide vocabulary related to topics they are studying (NC ref: English KS1 Vocabulary).
• Develop their own writing with a clear purpose, including narratives and imaginative writing (NC ref: English KS1 Writing Composition).
• Begin to write simple sentences, often using phonic knowledge to help, and use capital letters and full stops (NC ref: English KS1 Writing - transcription and composition).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Recognise Samuel Pepys as a historical eyewitness of the Great Fire of London.
2. Understand how primary sources like diaries provide a personal perspective on events.
3. Develop empathy by imagining and writing a diary entry “in character” as Samuel Pepys.
4. Use simple sentences with correct capitalisation and punctuation to express ideas.

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Resources

• Age-appropriate, simplified excerpts from Samuel Pepys’ diary describing the Great Fire of London (prepared on colour-coded cards).
• Large illustrated timeline showing the Great Fire of London and Pepys’ role (visual aid).
• “My Diary Entry” worksheet with lines and prompts suitable for R–Y2.
• Whiteboard/flip chart and marker pens.
• Paper, pencils, crayons for creative writing.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes): Introduction to Samuel Pepys

• Activity: Use the illustrated timeline and a simple map of London to introduce Samuel Pepys. Explain that he was a real person who wrote down what he saw during the Great Fire.
• Engagement: Show a replica old-fashioned quill pen and diary to spark curiosity.
• Ask: “Why do you think it is important to have someone writing down what happened during something big like a fire?”

2. Main Activity (15 minutes): Diary Reading and Discussion

• Reading: Divide students into small groups (4-5 each). Give each group colour-coded diary excerpt cards, read aloud together with adult or peer support.
• Discussion: Prompt with questions:
  • What did Pepys see?
  • How did Pepys feel?
  • What did Pepys do to help?
• Teacher models: Use a first-person, simple statement on the board (“I saw the fire spreading very fast and I was worried.”) to illustrate perspective.

3. Creative Writing (7 minutes): Write a Diary Entry

• Instructions: Students write a short diary entry “as if they are Samuel Pepys.” Use sentence starters on the worksheet like:
  • “Today I saw...”
  • “I felt...”
  • “I helped by...”
• Support: Encourage use of capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops. Post simple word mats on desks with fire-related words and feelings.

4. Plenary (3 minutes): Share and Reflect

• Invite 3-4 volunteers to read their diary entries aloud.
• Discuss how writing their own diary entry helped them understand Pepys’ feelings and experiences.
• Reinforce that diaries help us learn what it was like at the time from someone who saw it happen.

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Assessment & Differentiation

• Formative observation: Listen to group discussions to check understanding of Pepys’ perspective.
• Written outcome: Completed diary entries assessed against simple criteria: clear sentences, appropriate capitalisation, and punctuation, relevance to the fire event.
• Differentiation:
  • Support lower attainers with cloze diary templates and key vocabulary prompts.
  • Challenge higher attainers to add a drawing to accompany their diary entry or include an additional sentence describing how the fire changed London.

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Additional Teacher Notes

• Connect the lesson to previous learning about the Great Fire timeline to reinforce chronological understanding.
• Consider recording diary readings for playback, enabling auditory learners to revisit the voice of Pepys.
• This lesson bridges History and English, enhancing cross-curricular literacy through historical empathy.
• Use positive reinforcement to make students feel proud of “writing history” themselves!

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This lesson meets National Curriculum requirements for KS1 History and English and engages young learners actively with a primary source to bring history alive in a meaningful, memorable way.