This term, Year Two have begun their new English text, Vlad and the Great Fire of London. They have taken part in a range of activities to help them engage with the story and have enjoyed learning about London in 1666.
To launch the book, the children explored what houses were like in London at that time. They studied images of old buildings and noticed that many were made of wood and straw. They then created their own interpretations by sketching designs on paper and attaching them to old cereal boxes. These model houses were arranged on the school field to represent a London street in 1666. One end of the ‘street’ was set alight, and the children observed how easily the fire spread. They discovered that, because the houses were so close together, the flames travelled quickly from one building to the next.
Before reading the text, the children were shown an image of the two main characters. They predicted who they might be and whether they would escape the fire. Some thought one of the characters could be a spider, a fly, or a beetle—but they later found out it was actually a flea living on a rat.
After this, the children used the text to learn more about life in 1666. They discovered that people used carts to transport goods because cars had not yet been invented. They also learnt that many people caught a disease called the plague, which was spread by fleas living on rats.
Next, the children looked more closely at the friendship between the two main characters. They identified that they were best friends because fleas live on rats, and they reflected on how the characters felt at different points in the story.
The children have thoroughly enjoyed the book so far and are excited to find out what happens next!
Article 28: We all have the right to a good quality education
