The Story of Guy Fawkes

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Plunge your students into the heart of British history with this epic ballad about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot! More than just a song, it's a true musical narrative that makes a complex historical event accessible and captivating. It's the ideal resource for working on narration in the past tense (preterite) within a rich and authentic cultural context. A memorable way to link English and History lessons, which is sure to pique your students' curiosity.

W skrócie

Poziom CEFR :A1, A1+, A2

Poziom klasy :Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

Typ :Muzyka

Kultura i cywilizacja :Ludzie i postacie, Kraje i Krajobrazy

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Przewodnik pedagogiczny

Resource Objective & Content

The objectives are to improve understanding of a historical narrative in English, to reinforce the use of the simple past for narration, and to discover the cultural origins of the British tradition of "Bonfire Night".

The song is a ballad that tells the story of the "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605. It explains that conspirators, displeased with King James I (King James), planned to "blow up Parliament House". Guy Fawkes was recruited to prepare the "barrels of gunpowder" in a cellar beneath the building. The plot was discovered thanks to a warning letter sent to Lord Monteagle. The police found Guy Fawkes in the cellar on the morning of "November 5th, they found Guy Fawkes". Captured, he confessed under torture the names of his accomplices. The song concludes by explaining that this event is now commemorated in the United Kingdom with bonfires, fireworks, and by burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes ("We burn a Guy Fawkes doll"). The entire narrative is in the simple past.

Suggested Procedure

Before the activity (~5 min): REMEMBER, REMEMBER...

Write the famous rhyme "Remember, remember the fifth of November" on the board. Ask students if they know it and what it evokes for them. Brainstorm vocabulary related to the conspiracy (king, plot, fire, powder...).

During the activity (~15-20 min): UNDERSTANDING THE STORY

First listening: Provide a worksheet with keywords (names, places, dates: Guy Fawkes, King James, Parliament, November 5th 1605, gunpowder, letter). Students listen and check the words they hear.
Second listening: Distribute a gap-fill timeline with the main stages of the story to put in order (e.g.: "A plan is made", "A letter is sent", "Guy Fawkes is found", "Today, people light fireworks"). Students listen again and number the events.
Correction: Correct the timeline as a large group, focusing on the simple past verbs used to describe each stage.

After the activity (~10 min): WHAT HAPPENED?

In pairs, students use the timeline as a support to retell the main points of the story to each other. This allows them to actively reuse the simple past and vocabulary.

Adaptations

To simplify: Focus only on the first listening (checking keywords). Pre-teach the most difficult vocabulary (gunpowder, treason, cellar) with many images.
To extend: Initiate a discussion: the song mentions that Guy Fawkes is sometimes seen as a "rebel with a cause". Is he a terrorist or a freedom fighter? Students can also do a short research on the history of Guy Fawkes' mask, which has become a global symbol.