Great Fire of London Knowledge Organiser

Year 2 HistoryThe Great Fire of London1 page

About this worksheet

This one-page Year 2 history knowledge organiser covers the Great Fire of London in September 1666. It sets out why the fire spread from Thomas Farriner's bakery in Pudding Lane, how people stopped it with leather buckets, water squirts, fire hooks and firebreaks, and what changed afterwards. A short timeline runs from 2 September, when the fire started, to 6 September, when it was largely out. Samuel Pepys appears with his diary as a source of evidence, and five key words are defined at the bottom. It is written for the KS1 history objectives in the England National Curriculum.

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Great Fire of London Knowledge Organiser: The Great Fire of London - page 1

Curriculum objectives covered

Events beyond living memory

“Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]”

The whole organiser is about the Great Fire of London, which the statement names. The footer reads 'An important event beyond living memory'.

What's inside this worksheet

Why it spread and how it stopped

Two panels side by side. One names wooden houses built close together, a dry summer and strong winds. The other shows a leather bucket, a water squirt and a fire hook, and explains firebreaks.

People and evidence

Short notes on Thomas Farriner, the baker, and Samuel Pepys, who wrote about the fire in his diary.

Timeline, key words and what changed

Four dates in September 1666, including Old St Paul's Cathedral burning on 4 September. Pupils also get definitions for bakery, diary, source, firebreak and rebuild, and a note that new houses had to be brick or stone.

How teachers use it

Book cover

Stick a copy inside the front of history books at the start of the topic. Pupils can check the four dates whenever they write.

Quiz from the page

Cover the timeline and ask what happened on 4 September. Then ask which three tools people used to fight the fire.

Diary writing

Before pupils write as Samuel Pepys, read the key words together so that bakery, firebreak and rebuild appear in their entries.

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