How did Samuel Pepys write his diary? (learning resource for primary schools, Key Stage 1: Great Fire of London)

This classroom activity for primary school children introduces Samuel Pepys's diary. There are activities to write shorthand and read Pepys's words, building literacy skills. It also features a photograph of Pepys's writing in the diary.

The activity was created by Kate Loveman and James Harrod for the Reimagining the Restoration project. It is part of a set of teaching resources on the Great Fire of London, first published on the Museum of London's website in 2023.

The other resources include a 'Teachers' Guide to Samuel Pepys's Diary'. This introduces Pepys's journal and the activity's exceprt, which features Mingo, a young Black man who lived next door to Pepys. A mini-biography of Mingo can be found in the 'Teachers' Guide to 1660s London'.