Recently we learned about the Great London Fire that burned 4/5 of London back in 1666. To help Maddie and Caleb understand part of the reason why London burned so terribly and how they finally were able to stop the fire, we did our own experiment in our fireplace.
We made a few paper houses. We set 3 up really close together, just like the London houses were. One house we set a distance away. That house (and the space between) represented how the soldiers blew up parts of the city in front of the fire, creating separation so that the fire didn't have anything to continue to burn.
So we lit our first house and watched it quickly burn...
...and spread nearly right away to the next house...
...and to the next house...
...but then once those houses were burned, the fire stopped because there was nothing nearby left for it to burn. And thus, the last house--set apart--was saved.
I love how taking a few minutes to complete a hands-on activity can reinforce important concepts and events in Maddie's and Caleb's minds. Both of them can now explain the Great London Fire to you. We haven't done many hands-on activities this year because of the little ones. But I look forward to returning to more of these next year. It makes learning memorable and it brings it to life.
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