Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot - The Complete Series (5 lessons)

Your Year 1/2 class will use timelines to understand that the Gunpowder Plot is an event beyond living memory. They will find out why, when James VI & I came to the throne in 1603, the Catholic population of England was unhappy. After finding out about the early life of Guy Fawkes, children will discover how he came to be a part of the Gunpowder Plot, and will look in detail at the events leading up to, and after, 5th November 1605. Finally, your class will look at how Bonfire Night is celebrated today.

We have more Guy Fawkes, Bonfire Night and firework-themed resources for you to check out in our 'Bonfire Night' collection.

In this first lesson, children will find out what the Houses of Parliament are, and that in the 17th century, there was a plot to blow them up!

Together as a class, children will use timelines to find out when the Gunpowder Plot happened. In the main activity, they will explore what life was like in the Stuart era.

An easy-to-follow plan, an engaging slideshow, and printable resources are all included in this Gunpowder Plot KS1 lesson pack.

Children will find out how, in 1603, James VI of Scotland came to be the King of England and Ireland. They will explore how his reign affected the country.

They will compare and contrast the two main branches of Christianity at that time - Catholicism and Protestantism. Children will begin to think about the restrictions that King James's reign imposed on Catholics and how they could worship.

This Guy Fawkes KS1 lesson pack includes a detailed plan, an informative set of slides for the teaching input and a range of printable resources.

In this lesson, after recapping why Catholics were unhappy with King James VI and I, children are introduced to Guy Fawkes.

They find out about his life, and how he came to meet up with a group of men who were plotting to kill the king. In their independent activities, children write diary entries as Guy Fawkes, stating reasons for and against his involvement in the plot.

An easy-to-follow plan, an engaging slideshow, and printable resources are all included in this Guy Fawkes KS1 lesson pack.

In this lesson, children will explore the events leading up to and after 5th November, 1605.

Children will first recap who Guy Fawkes was and why he and his co-conspirators plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They will then learn about the events of the failed Gunpowder Plot. In their independent activities, children will put the main events in chronological order.

This Gunpowder Plot KS1 lesson pack includes a detailed plan, an informative set of slides for the teaching input and a range of printable resources.

In this final lesson on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, children will explore how 5th November has been celebrated since 1606.

In their independent activities, they will investigate how Bonfire Night is celebrated in their local area, and what people know about why we celebrate it. In the alternative activity, children are challenged to create a poster, leaflet, booklet or short presentation explaining both why and how we celebrate Bonfire Night today.

This final Guy Fawkes KS1 lesson pack includes everything you need - a detailed lesson plan, a set of engaging slides for the teaching input, and printable resources.

This Year 1/2 History Knowledge Organiser has been created to complement our History Events Beyond Living Memory strand. It is designed to support your children’s understanding of key vocabulary linked to this scheme of work. Enquiry questions have been included to encourage your children to think deeply about this topic.