Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension

Year 2 HistoryThe Great Fire of London7 pages

About this worksheet

A Year 2 history reading comprehension about Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of 1666. The story, 'The Secret Diary and the Buried Cheese', runs over two pages. It starts with his maid Jane waking him on Sunday 2 September and ends with the Parmesan cheese he buried in the garden. Ten questions follow in three parts, from fact retrieval to a final question on whether Pepys was helpful. The sheet is matched to KS1 history in the England National Curriculum. Two answer pages give model answers and say what to accept for the open questions.

Remix for free

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 1

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 2

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 3

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 4

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 5

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 6

Samuel Pepys Diary Reading Comprehension: The Great Fire of London - page 7

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 passage is about the Great Fire of 1666. Questions 2 and 5a ask where it started and why it spread so fast.

Lives of significant individuals

“The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]”

Pepys is not one of the named examples, but question 10 asks pupils to judge his part in the fire, and the last paragraph explains why his diary still matters.

What's inside this worksheet

The Secret Diary and the Buried Cheese

Pupils read six short paragraphs. Pepys goes back to bed, watches from a boat on the Thames, warns King Charles II at Whitehall Palace and buries wine, papers and cheese.

Part 1: Find the Facts

In questions 1 to 5, pupils name who woke Pepys and the lane where the fire started, tick the three things he buried and mark two sentences true or false with evidence.

Part 2: Read Between the Lines

Questions 6 to 9 ask why Pepys went back to bed, which word makes the flames sound hungry and what 'pit' means. Question 9 asks why he buried cheese and not his tables and chairs.

Part 3: Think and Respond

Question 10. Pupils tick Yes or No to whether Pepys was helpful, then back up their choice with something he did in the story.

Answers

Short answers for questions 1 to 8. For questions 9 and 10 there are example answers, including a Yes and a No for question 10.

How teachers use it

Before reading

Ask pupils what they would save from a fire. Return to their lists at question 9, when Pepys picks wine and Parmesan cheese.

Class debate

Split the class for question 10. One side says he helped by warning the King, the other points out he went back to bed first.

Shared reading

Read the passage aloud on day one and keep the questions for day two. The words pitch, tar and shorthand need a quick explanation first.

More Year 2 History worksheets

Explorers: Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong Transport Through History

Get started today

Create your own lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom activities in minutes using our AI-powered tools.

Try Chalkie for free