Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Great Fire of London News: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Great Fire of London News is a free printable history worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children read a short news story about the Great Fire of London, answer questions about it and write a headline of their own. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children read a short news story about the Great Fire of London. Then they answer numbered questions that use the question words who, what, where, when and why. Each question has space for the answer. Some ask for a name, a place or a date, and one asks for a reason. At the end, children use the lines to write their own headline.
- WHO wrote about the fire in his diary?
- WHAT kind of shop did the fire start in?
- WHERE did the fire start? Write the name of the street.
- WHEN did the fire happen? Write the month and the year.
- WHY did the fire spread so quickly? Give one reason.
How the sheet builds history skills
Reading for facts
Children go back to the story to find each answer. This teaches them that a text holds the facts, and that a good reader checks it rather than guessing.
Using question words
Who, what, where, when and why are the tools reporters use. Children learn that each word asks for a different kind of answer, such as a person, a place or a reason.
Writing a headline
A headline is short and tells the main news. Choosing a few strong words is a different skill from writing a full sentence, and it is good practice for Year 2 writers.
Thinking about the past
Children meet an event from long before anyone alive today was born. They practise asking and answering questions about the past, which is a key strand of Key Stage 1 history.
About the Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London is one of the best known events in English history. It happened in the capital a very long time ago, before photographs or television. That means we learn about it from other sources, such as written accounts, pictures and objects. In Key Stage 1, children learn about events beyond living memory that matter to the nation, and this is a popular choice in schools.
A news story is a friendly way to meet history. Reporters try to answer who, what, where, when and why, so a good news story gives the main facts quickly. Headlines sit at the top and sum up the news in a few words. Children can practise reading carefully, then show what they understand by writing their own.
Fire is dangerous, and the Great Fire is a history topic only. Use the sheet to talk about how fires were fought long ago and how people stay safe today. Remind children never to touch matches, lighters or candles. Adults deal with anything involving fire.
Fun facts about the past and the news
- The Great Fire of London happened so long ago that nobody alive today remembers it.
- A diary is written by one person at the time, so it can tell us what that person saw and felt.
- Historians learn about the past from sources such as diaries, letters, maps and pictures.
- Newspaper headlines are short so that readers can see the main news at a glance.
- London today has the London Fire Brigade, with trained firefighters whose job is to keep people safe.
Skills and curriculum link
- Reading for facts
- Who, what, where, when, why
- Finding answers in a text
- Writing a headline
- Asking questions about the past
- Handwriting
Ideas for helping at home
- Read it aloud firstRead the story to your child once, slowly. Hearing it first makes the second read, alone, much easier.
- Underline the clueBefore writing, ask your child to underline the part of the story that answers the question. Then they copy only the key words.
- Match the question wordAsk what kind of answer is needed. Who wants a person, where wants a place, when wants a time and why wants a reason.
- Talk about then and nowChat about how life was different long ago. Ask what we have today that helps keep people safe.
Key words
- HeadlineThe short title at the top of a news story. It tells the main news.
- ReporterA person who finds out the news and tells it to others.
- DiaryA book where someone writes about what happened each day.
- LondonerA person who lives in London.
- EyewitnessSomeone who saw an event happen with their own eyes.
- Living memoryWhat people alive today can remember. The Great Fire is beyond it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the news story aloud once. Then let your child read it again alone.
- Point out that a headline is short and tells the main news. Look at a real newspaper headline if you have one.
- Work through the questions together the first time. Talk about each choice and ask where in the story the answer is.
- Check against page 2, then come back another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let your child underline the answer in the story before they write it. Do one question at a time and say the question word out loud. Offer a word bank of useful words from the story, and praise each answer found.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to add one more sentence to the news story saying how people tried to stay safe. Then they can write a second headline that says the same news in fewer words, and choose which one they prefer.
Make it a game
Act out a news broadcast. One child is the reporter and asks who, what, where, when and why. Another answers as a Londoner from long ago, using the story. Swap roles, then finish with a headline shouted like a newspaper seller.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes a whole sentence copied from the story for each answer.
Try thisAsk them to underline only the key words that answer the question. Then they write just those words, or a short sentence of their own.
Watch forA child gives the town when the question asks for a street name.
Try thisRead the question again together. Ask, "Is that a whole city or one small street?" Then look back in the story for the exact name.
Watch forThe headline is very long, like a full paragraph.
Try thisShow a real headline and count its words. Ask your child to say the main news in as few words as they can, then write it.
Talk about it
- What would you want to ask a person who saw the fire?
- How is a news story different from a story in a book?
- Why do you think headlines are short?
- How do we find out about things that happened long ago?
- What helps keep people safe from fire today?
- If you wrote a diary today, what would you put in it?
Take it off the page
Model street
Build a street from small boxes and paper. Talk about how close the buildings are and how you would plan a street today. No flames are needed, only card and pens.
Newspaper front page
Fold a sheet of paper into a front page. Add a headline, a drawing and two sentences about a day at home or school.
Colour collage
Tear red, orange and yellow paper and glue it into a picture of a night sky over a city. Talk about the colours while you work.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go, then let them lead. Short bursts work well. Read the story aloud, praise the effort and let them explain their thinking before you check page 2.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity within a unit on the Great Fire of London. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair the sheet with a picture book about the fire, a visit to a museum or a chat about how life was different long ago. Reuse the printable for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in history learning
Before this sheet, children in Key Stage 1 usually talk about their own lives, family and the idea of past and present. They use words such as long ago, then and now, and begin to put events in order.
After it, children can meet other events and people beyond living memory, compare life then and now and ask their own questions about the past. Writing headlines also helps later with summarising and writing news reports in Key Stage 2.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Great Fire of London News for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Older children who find reading hard may also enjoy it, and younger children can join in with a grown-up reading the story aloud.
- What will children practise?
Children practise reading for facts, using who, what, where, when and why, and writing a headline. It also supports Key Stage 1 history on events beyond living memory, and asking and answering questions about the past.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit the topic a few weeks later.
- How do I use it with my child?
Read the story aloud once, then let your child read it again alone. Point out that a headline is short and tells the main news. Work through the first questions together, then check against page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Let your child underline the answer in the story before they write. Do one question at a time and offer a word bank of useful words from the story. Come back to it another day if needed.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Page 1 is for the child, and page 2 is for the grown-up with notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.