The British celebrate Bonfire Night every year on 5 November in the memory of a famous event in British history, the Gunpowder plot.
Let's learn more about this tradition with different activities.
After reading the story and answer the questions you can do the following activities:
1. Look at the ‘Remember, Remember’ poem. The whole class could recite this together.
Remember, Remember
Remember, remember
the fifth of November, The gunpowder treason and plot.
I
see
no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, ‘twas his intent
To blow up King and parliament. Three score barrels were laid below To prove old England's overthrow.
By God's
mercy he was catched,
With a dark lantern
and lighted match. Holler
boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King.
2. Now, carry out a storyboarding task in small groups. Put the parts of the story into the correct sequence.
Plotting
Robert Catesby gathers a group of seven men to help him in a plot to blow up the King James I and
Parliament at the Royal State Opening of
Parliament on 5 November. He has to persuade
them to join him. He reminds them that the King is
not
letting Catholics practise their religion. The gang are very angry and think the King deserves to die.
Digging the Tunnel
In May 1604 Guy Fawkes and Thomas Percy find a house very near to Parliament and rent it. Fawkes called himself John Johnson and pretends he is Percy's servant. They then began to dig a tunnel underground from their rented house to Parliament to smuggle in the gunpowder. They dig, and they dig and they dig...
In March 1605 the gang have a stroke of luck. A cellar underneath the House of
Lords
comes up for rent. They can abandon their digging and rent the cellar. They put 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellar ready for the
Royal State Opening of Parliament. They cover the barrels with fire wood
to disguise them
in
case anyone looked inside.
Lord Monteagle’s letter
Lord Monteagle, a very important man and friend of
King James, is
given a letter at dinner on
October 26th 1605. A tall, mysterious stranger had handed it to his servant in the street earlier in
the evening. He takes his mystery letter to show to friends in the government, but they are slow to act. King James I is away hunting and many ministers are suspicious that it is a fake.
Guy Fawkes in the cellar
The gang find out about the letter but they are determined
to
carry out their plot. On the afternoon
of 5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes takes up his
position in
the
cellar with his matches and waits for the ceremony to start. Soldiers come to check the cellar. On first look they find nothing and just
question Guy Fawkes. They return to check again and find the gunpowder. Guy Fawkes is
arrested and taken to see the King.
King, Tower and Torture
King James I is furious. He demands that Guy Fawkes reveal the names of anyone else involved with the plot. Guy Fawkes is
determined not to
give them
up,
even when the King threatens him with imprisonment in the Tower of
London. He is sent to the Tower where
is he tortured on a rack.
He eventually gives them the names of the other plotters.
Hung, Drawn and Quartered!
The gang are caught and publically hung, drawn and quartered. Their heads are placed on sticks
for
everyone to see
what punishment awaits anyone who might plot to kill the King.
3. In small groups, try to write an acrostic poem using the words 'Gunpowder Plot' and selecting key points from the story.
Acrostic poem
G is for the guards searching the cellar for the gunpowder.
U ................................................................................................................................
N ................................................................................................................................
P .................................................................................................................................
O ...............................................................................................................................
W ................................................................................................................................
D .................................................................................................................................
E .................................................................................................................................
R .................................................................................................................................
P ................................................................................................................................
L ................................................................................................................................
O ................................................................................................................................
T .....................................................................................................................
Key words from the story: tunnel, dig, cellar, letter, Lord Monteagle,
Robert Catesby, Parliament, hung, drawn, quartered, Tower of London, torture,
rack, Catholic, Protestant, religion, arrest, barrels, matches, Royal State Opening of Parliament ceremony.
4. Finally, you can discuss different points about the story. Here you have some prompts:
a) Robert Catesby and
the
plotters were all Catholic. The Protestant King and Parliament would not let
them
practice their religion. What do you
think about
this?
b) Do you think Robert Catesby and the plotters were right
to
challenge the
King and Parliament? Explain your answer.
c) What do you think about the way they
decided to take action?
d) Do you think it was right that the plotters were put to death? Explain your
answer.
5. You can fill in the following report file with the information you have learnt.
Born: _____________________________________________________
Died:
_____________________________________________________
Full name:
_____________________________________________________
Nationality:
_____________________________________________________
Children:
_____________________________________________________
Parents:
_____________________________________________________
Occupation:
_____________________________________________________
What was he famous for?:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
If you want to do more activities about this British tradition, pelase CLICK HERE and HERE.
