What's included in The Great Fire of London History at Home resource and why is it useful?

KS1 The Great Fire of London History at Home is a one-page activity sheet to send home to parents and carers at the start of the topic. It includes what children will be learning, great conversation starters, ideas to try at home, famous figures to explore and places to find out more, covering what happened in 1666, how London was rebuilt and why Samuel Pepys' diary matters.

What's on the sheet?

Learning: what life was like in London in 1666, where the fire started and why it spread so quickly, how people tried to stop it, how London was rebuilt and why Samuel Pepys' diary is such an important historical source.

Conversation starters: questions such as "How do we know what happened during the fire?" and "How do you think people felt when they had to leave their homes during the fire?"

Ideas to try at home: comparing homes then and now, a bucket-chain challenge, map spotting, diary writing and talking about fire safety today.

Famous figures: Samuel Pepys, King Charles II, Sir Christopher Wren and Queen Catherine of Braganza, with dates and a line on each.

Books and websites: The Great Fire of London by Emma Adams and James Weston Lewis, the Museum of London's Great Fire of London site and BBC Bitesize KS1 History.

How do our History at Home resources work?

Our History at Home resources sit alongside our history scheme. Send them home to parents and carers at the start of each topic to promote learning at home without it being a taxing homework-style resource. They also help parents build their own knowledge of the topic, so they can connect with what their child is learning in school.

Teach the full unit with our six Great Fire of London lessons.