Vlad and The Great Fire of London - Teaching Slides

The educational resource from Focus Education UK Ltd provides an engaging and interactive approach to teaching children about the Great Fire of London through the story of "Vlad and The Great Fire of London." It features a series of teaching slides that encourage students to explore vocabulary, infer meaning from context, and engage with historical content creatively. For instance, students are prompted to define words like 'flea,' 'snack,' and 'plague' using a 'Word Detective' activity, where they guess the meanings and then check them. They are also invited to examine illustrations closely, drawing inferences about what is happening in the scene, the era it represents, and the emotions of the characters involved.

As part of the learning experience, children compare and contrast modern houses with those from 1666, noting differences such as thatched versus tiled roofs. They are encouraged to ask questions about the characters, hypothesise about their thoughts and actions, and use textual evidence to support their answers. Key vocabulary words like 'feasted,' 'flicker,' and 'inferno' are introduced, with students tasked to use context clues to understand their meanings. The resource also prompts critical thinking about historical events, asking students to consider why houses are marked with red crosses and what the implications might be. By engaging with the material in a variety of ways, including thought bubbles, predictions, and sensory descriptions, students can deepen their understanding of the historical context and develop their analytical skills.