Check it! - Great Fire of London - Year 2

Reflecting on the Great Fire of London offers valuable educational insights for Year 2 students. The lessons learned from this historic event are reinforced through a variety of review techniques designed to ensure children remember key information. Teachers are encouraged to build regular opportunities for students to revisit their learning, using methods such as 'Brain dump', where children rapidly write down everything they can recall, and 'Give me FIVE!', which prompts them to list five specific details about a topic. Other strategies include adding information to an existing mind map, elaborating on facts they already know, and constructing 'Retrieval Pyramids' to structure their recollection in a hierarchical manner.

These review activities are not only engaging but also serve to deepen the students' understanding of the Great Fire of London. For example, 'Give me 5' could be used to list five reasons why the fire spread so quickly or five facts learned from the diaries of Samuel Pepys. Students are also encouraged to 'Expand and Elaborate' on how London improved post-fire and what Samuel Pepys' diaries reveal about the event. Moreover, quizzes that include questions about where the fire started, how firefighting was attempted, and the changes in house building post-fire help solidify the historical knowledge. The expectation is that all pupils will be able to answer the foundational questions, with more challenging ones available for those ready to extend their learning.