🐀 Discover the Great Plague Through Song

Uncover the chilling story of the Great Plague with Rats and Fleas! – a primary school song that turns history into an unforgettable musical adventure. Through vivid, engaging lyrics, this song narrates how the deadly disease made its way to London aboard ships, carried by rats and fleas, captivating young learners with its dramatic tale.

Specially written for primary voices, the melody is both accessible and memorable, while the high-quality backing track adds an extra layer of immersion. Perfect for history lessons, sparking classroom discussions, or even as part of an assembly, Rats and Fleas! makes learning about the past exciting and relatable.

🎶 What’s Included in Your Song Pack

• Vocal track – great for supporting teaching and learning

• Backing track – high-quality instrumental for performances

• Printable sheet music – melody line, piano/keyboard part, and lyrics

• Full lyrics (PDF and PowerPoint) – easy to print or display on screen for rehearsing

💡 Music Education Benefits

• Reinforces historical knowledge through music and storytelling

• Encourages expressive singing with dramatic phrasing

• Supports cross-curricular learning between history and music

• Builds classroom engagement by turning history into performance

💛 Why Teachers Love Rats and Fleas!

Teachers love how this song brings history to life in a way children remember. The dramatic storytelling, memorable melody, and immersive backing track make it a standout resource for history lessons, assemblies, or school performances.

🌟 A Must-Have for Your History Curriculum

Rats and Fleas! is more than just a song – it’s a teaching tool that helps pupils connect emotionally with the past. Whether used in a history project, a classroom performance, or a whole-school assembly, it sparks curiosity and lasting understanding.

👉 Download Rats and Fleas! today and watch your students sing, learn, and explore history like never before!

Looking for more history song inspiration? Explore our full History song collection for schools – a great resource to develop both historical knowledge and musical skills.

Included in your song pack:

1. Audio file of backing track with instruments playing the melody in mp3 format
2. audio file of vocal track in mp3 format
3. Song words in PDF format
4. Sheet music in PDF format
5. PowerPoint of song words

Simply add this item to your basket and then proceed to checkout. You can use either a debit/credit card or a PayPal account on the payment platform.
All the files will appear in your account ready to download with one click as a compressed ‘zip’ file and you’ll have everything you need to get singing straight away!

Rats and Fleas!

Verse 1
A tiny flea upon a rat was how it all began,
It took a ride and there did hide to hatch it’s little plan.
From distant lands it crossed the seas and London occupied,
Ships brought the fleas which spread disease and many people died!

Chorus
Rats and fleas they brought disease,
Of this we are not vague.
Came in sixteen sixty-five,
Oh no! It was the Plague!

Verse 2
It moved so fast to humans that it caused an awful fright,
A cough and sneeze sometimes a wheeze all caused by one small bite.
The people wondered what it was that made them all so ill,
They had no clue of what to do for fever and a chill.

Chorus

Verse 3
The doctors tried to find a cure with potions, pastes and creams,
And all stay clean and quarantine was central to their scheme.
A man called Samuel Pepys did write about this plague so dire,
The people’s plight no end in sight until the London fire.

Chorus x2

© A M Dilkes 2023 primarysongs.co.uk

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www.HistoricWorkshops.com