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Differentiated KS2/KS3 enquiry lesson on the Great Fire of London. Source analysis, evidence grids & writing tasks to decide why the fire spread.

Turn your students into History Detectives as they investigate the big question:
“Why did the Great Fire of London spread so far and so fast in 1666?”

This enquiry-based resource is perfect for KS2/early KS3 learners. Pupils work with a mix of primary sources (like eyewitness accounts and Samuel Pepys’ diary) and secondary sources (historian summaries and modern textbooks). They must weigh up the evidence, challenge their first ideas, and finally reach a reasoned judgement about which factor mattered most.

What’s included:

•Clear introduction & enquiry question

•Source cards (primary and secondary evidence, pupil-friendly)

•Pupil evidence grid to organise findings

•Final extended writing task with scaffolding sentence starters

•Teacher answer guide with model responses for quick feedback

Skills developed:

►Source analysis & inference

►Critical thinking & historical reasoning

►Extended writing (DBQ-style)

►Collaboration & discussion

This resource works brilliantly as:

★A whole-class enquiry lesson (teacher drip-feeds sources)

★A station activity, with pupils moving around to collect evidence

★Or as part of a history skills unit on using sources

Engaging, structured, and curriculum-aligned, this pack makes the drama of 1666 come alive while training pupils to think like historians.