The circumstances which led to The Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
1. Why did The Gunpowder Plot happen?
The episode begins in the present at a Bonfire Night celebration where we meet a rat called Maureen. Maureen then takes us back through time to introduce one of her ancestors, a rat living in London in 1605 at the time of The Gunpowder Plot.
Pupils will learn that The Plot was a consequence of the continuing tensions between Protestants and Catholics in England and that in 1605 Catholics felt persecuted by James I, who had become king two years earlier.
Pupils are introduced to two key plotters - Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes - and find out about their plan to kill King James I by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.
Further resources
Download / print the notes including illustrations, poetry templates and worksheets (pdf)
Download / print templates for shadow puppets of Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes, Maureen and James I (pdf)
Download / print an illustration of The Tower of London to colour in and label (pdf)
Songs
Consolidate pupils' learning about The Gunpowder Plot with these three catchy songs from our Music pages.
1. Shadows in the night
A hushed, conspiratorial song about the plotters.
2. Hundreds of years ago
A song about the main events of the The Gunpowder Plot.
3. Remember, remember
A song incorporating the words of the famous rhyme 'Remember, remember'.
Teachers' Notes
Before the video
Set the scene for the topic with a slow reveal of a picture, perhaps showing fireworks. What will we be learning about? Listen to the rhyme âRemember, remember the 5th of Novemberâ. What do you know about Bonfire Night? What do you enjoy about it? What is a 'tradition' and why are traditions important to people?
Explain that we will be finding out about an important event that happened in 1605. Share pictures that show the building, people and clothes they wore during this period to give children an understanding of it. Explore James VI of Scotland and I of England.
Discuss the end of the Tudor and beginning of Stuart reign; give children a âsense of periodâ. The animation alludes to âthen and nowâ activities and children could expand on these differences before watching the video in full.
During the video
During the video, the teacher can stop and ask pupils the following questions.
How long ago was the Gunpowder Plot? (Over 400 hundred years ago - in 1605.)
Why would you get in trouble if you didnât go to church? (It was the law to attend Protestant mass and illegal to go to Catholic mass.)
Why did the rat yawn when talking about religious arguments? (Because there had been tensions between Catholics and Protestants for generations - ever since Henry VIII had made himself head of the church in England. When a Protestant monarch was on the throne, Catholics werenât happy and when a Catholic monarch was on the throne, Protestants werenât happy. Arguments about religion were happening all over Europe. This wasnât a stand-alone event, so this is important for children to know and understand the context.)
What was Robert Catesbyâs plot? (The plot was to kill James I and ensure a Catholic monarch would be restored to the throne.)
Who would use gunpowder to destroy Parliament? (Guy Fawkes.)
After the video
Repeat the closing question from the video: what do you think happened when they tried to kill the king? The class could make predictions. What do you think happened to the plotters? What would happen if a similar plot happened today?
Activity: write speech bubbles to show what you think the plotters said to each other when they met in secret.
Hot seating: in role as Catesby try to convince pupils to join your group of plotters.
This video is relevant for teaching History at KS1 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1st Level in Scotland.
More from this series
2: What happened during The Gunpowder Plot? video
We learn how the plotters planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The story progresses to the night of 4 / 5 November and Guy Fawkesâ arrest.
3: What happened after The Gunpowder Plot? video
We learn what happened to Guy Fawkes, how the names of the other plotters were discovered and how the events of 1605 led to modern-day celebrations.
Who were the famous people involved in The Gunpowder Plot? image
An image slideshow showing the main characters in The Gunpowder Plot.
See also...
The Great Fire of London. collection
Three short animations covering the events and conditions that led to The Great Fire of London, what happened when the citizens, Lord Mayor and King tried to put it out â and the consequences of their actions.
Castles and Knights. collection
A series of six animations exploring the topic 'Castles and Knights' with additional photos, illustrations and worksheets.
