Explore one of London’s most recognisable landmarks with this engaging Big Ben reading comprehension resource.

Students will learn an important fact that is often misunderstood: Big Ben is actually the nickname of the Great Bell inside the famous clock tower, while the tower itself is called Elizabeth Tower.

The reading passages introduce the tower’s location at the Palace of Westminster beside the River Thames and explain how it became part of the rebuilding of Parliament after a major fire in 1834.

Students will discover that Elizabeth Tower rises about 96 metres high and contains four enormous clock faces, each around seven metres across.

The resource explores the Great Clock, which began keeping time in 1859, and Big Ben, the 13.7-tonne Great Bell that strikes the hours. Students will also learn about the four smaller quarter bells that play the familiar Westminster Chimes.

The passages introduce the engineering behind the clock and explain how its mechanism was designed to keep accurate time even when wind affects the enormous clock hands.

Students will also discover fascinating details from Big Ben’s history, including how the Great Bell cracked shortly after it began ringing and was later turned and struck with a lighter hammer so it could be used again.

The resource explains that the tower was originally known simply as the Clock Tower before being renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to honour Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

Students will also learn about Elizabeth Tower’s connection with the Palace of Westminster and its place within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The included comprehension questions encourage students to identify key information, recall historical facts, understand vocabulary and distinguish between Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower and the Great Clock.

What’s included:

• Big Ben reading passages
• Landmark facts and history
• Location in London, England
• Palace of Westminster
• River Thames
• Big Ben as the Great Bell
• Elizabeth Tower
• Great Clock
• Rebuilding after the 1834 fire
• Completion in 1859
• 96-metre tower height
• Four clock faces
• 13.7-tonne Great Bell
• Quarter bells and Westminster Chimes
• Clock engineering and accuracy
• Big Ben’s cracked bell
• 2012 Elizabeth Tower renaming
• UNESCO World Heritage connection
• Landmark vocabulary
• Reading comprehension questions
• Written response activities
• Print-and-go worksheets

Perfect for geography lessons, famous landmarks, London studies, British history, architecture, clocks and time, engineering, reading comprehension, STEM learning, social studies, homeschool learning, literacy centres and independent work.

Students can build reading comprehension, vocabulary and historical understanding while discovering the fascinating story behind one of Britain’s most famous landmarks.

File type: Printable PDF
Preparation: Print and use