Fighting the Flames: 17th Century Methods

Hands-on exploration helps Year 2 students grasp the limits of 17th century fire-fighting methods. Moving buckets, pulling hooks, and observing reactions makes abstract challenges visible and memorable for young learners.

• Year 2
• History
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the effectiveness of 17th-century fire-fighting tools like leather buckets and fire hooks against the spread of the Great Fire of London.
2. Explain why the methods used in 1666 were insufficient to control the Great Fire, considering factors like building materials and wind.
3. Identify key differences between fire-fighting techniques in 1666 and modern fire-fighting practices.
4. Analyze primary source descriptions or images to infer the challenges faced by people fighting the Great Fire.

Stations Rotation

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Bucket Chain Relay

Divide class into lines to mimic passing leather buckets from a 'river' (basin) to a 'fire' (marked area). Use plastic cups with water or balled socks; time each relay and discuss spills or delays. Groups reflect on why water barely reached the fire.

Prepare & details

What did people in 1666 use to try to put out the fire?

Facilitation Tip: For the Bucket Chain Relay, set clear spacing between students so they feel the effort of passing water, linking the activity directly to the slow speed of human chains.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Hands-On: Fire Hook Firebreaks

Provide wooden blocks as houses and sticks as fire hooks. Students build rows of structures, then hook some down to form gaps before 'spreading fire' (red tissue waves). Note how gaps slow the fire and link to real 1666 tactics.

Prepare & details

Why was it so hard to stop the Great Fire from spreading?

Facilitation Tip: During Fire Hook Firebreaks, have students work in pairs to build and test gaps so they can see how gaps stop spread, reinforcing cause and effect.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Sorting: Past vs Present Tools

Prepare cards with images of buckets, hooks, gunpowder, and modern gear like hoses. In pairs, sort into '1666' or 'Today' piles, then justify choices. Whole class shares one difference per pair.

Prepare & details

How is fighting a fire today different from how people fought fires in 1666?

Facilitation Tip: In the Sorting activity, ask students to justify their placements out loud to uncover hidden assumptions about modern versus historical tools.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 35 min·Whole Class

Demo: Gunpowder Simulations

Use baking soda and vinegar in film canisters to show controlled blasts safely. Students predict if it creates a 'firebreak' gap, observe pops, and compare to blowing up buildings. Discuss risks in 1666.

Prepare & details

What did people in 1666 use to try to put out the fire?

Facilitation Tip: In the Gunpowder Simulations, keep groups small so every child can observe the reaction and connect it to historical accounts of controlled blasts.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Begin with the Bucket Chain Relay to establish the physical constraints of 1666 methods. Follow with hands-on fire breaks so students experience demolition as prevention. Use sorting to contrast past and present tools, and end with simulations to show both success and failure of gunpowder. This sequence builds from concrete to abstract, addressing common misconceptions through direct experience before discussion.

What to Expect

Students will explain why the Great Fire spread, compare past and present tools, and articulate the connection between tools and outcomes through active participation and discussion.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Bucket Chain Relay, watch for students who assume fire engines existed in 1666.

What to Teach Instead

After the relay, ask students to describe how water moved from the river to the fire. Have them calculate how many buckets one child could pass in a minute and compare that volume to a modern hose to make the lack of engines clear through math and effort.

Common Misconception

During Fire Hook Firebreaks, watch for students who believe fire hooks spread fire by knocking embers.

What to Teach Instead

During the activity, ask students to test two scenarios: one with a gap and one without. Have them mark the spread of ‘fire’ on paper to see how gaps stop flames, directly addressing the misconception through measured outcomes.

Common Misconception

During Gunpowder Simulations, watch for students who assume gunpowder always worsened fires.

What to Teach Instead

After the simulation, guide students to compare controlled blasts with uncontrolled explosions using simple terms. Ask them to draw outcomes and label which one helped or hurt the effort, clarifying the intended but risky use of gunpowder.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Sorting activity, show images of tools and ask students to sort them while explaining their choices for at least two items from each group, using the labeled categories from class.

Discussion Prompt

During the Bucket Chain Relay, pause after the first round and ask students to share what made passing water hard. Encourage them to connect their effort to the difficulty of fighting the Great Fire, using their own words.

Exit Ticket

After the Fire Hook Firebreaks and Gunpowder Simulations, give each student a slip of paper to write one reason why the fire spread easily in 1666 and one modern way firefighting differs, referencing the methods they tested in class.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to design a new tool for 1666 London using only the materials available at the time, sketch it, and explain its purpose.
• Scaffolding: Provide labeled pictures of tools during the relay so students connect the activity to historical objects.
• Deeper exploration: Compare the Great Fire with another historical disaster, identifying similarities in cause and response methods.

Key Vocabulary

Firehook	A long pole with a hook on the end, used to pull down buildings or create gaps in them to stop the fire from spreading.
Firebreak	A gap created by removing buildings or other flammable materials to prevent a fire from spreading to new areas.
Bucket Chain	A method where people stand in a line and pass buckets of water from one person to the next to move water quickly over a distance.
Gunpowder	An explosive substance that was sometimes used in an attempt to demolish buildings and create firebreaks, though it was often ineffective and dangerous.