NEH Summer Teacher Institute 2004 Final Lessons

Historical Disasters and The Great Chicago Fire

Linda Whanger

Grade level: 10-12

Discipline: English, Creative-Writing

Standards addressed

Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.4, LA.A.2.4, LA.B.1.4, LA.B.2.4, LA.C.1.4, LA.D.2.4

According to these standards, students will be able to use reading processes effectively, will be able to construct meaning from a variety of texts, will use the writing process effectively, will be able to write in order to communicate ideas and information properly, will be able to use listening strategies effectively, and will be able to understand the power of Language.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

List the varieties and specific types of historical disasters
Identify and list causes and results in relation to a particular disaster
Identify any myths that might be connected to a particular disaster
Learn from disasters to determine preventative measures
Demonstrate ability to follow model and complete research
Use creativity through production of a final writing piece
Participate actively in a class discussion involving historical disasters
Demonstrate ability to compare and contrast a variety of songs, and evaluate songs through answering questions

Resources

Song(s) used in lesson:

“Billow of Fire,” P.P. Bliss

see score with lyrics at http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu
“Lost and Saved,” George F. Root

see score with lyrics at

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu
“Passing Through the Fire,” George F. Root

see score with lyrics at

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/

Other resources:

All sources used were web sources:

http://www.chicagohs.org/fire This website has a plethora of information!

Song History

All three songs were written in response to the Great Chicago Fire which happened on October 8, 1871. They are used as a example for the kids to follow in researching a historical disaster. One song, “The Billow of Fire,” was written by P.P. Bliss, a popular Christian musician of the time period. He had a short career, dying at the age of 38 in a train wreck along with his wife. He was especially noted for his character songs and hymns. The other two songs, “Passing Through the Fire,” and “Lost and Saved,” were both composed by George F. Root, a rather prolific writer who was best known as a composer of sacred and patriotic music. He published over 500 pieces of music in his lifetime.

The Great Chicago Fire, the disaster which serves as a research model, is most widely connected to the rumor that Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow kicked over an oil lamp which sparked a fire that soon raged out of control. The fire, which occurred on October 8, 1871, burned over four square miles, including the business district, of Chicago, and 300 people lost their lives in the blaze. In addition to the loss of lives, approximately 90,000 people were left homeless. Despite the rumor of the cow, other factors have been established as contributing to the severity of the disaster. These factors include the fact that the busy city was built mostly of wood, there was a severe lack of precipitation, and October was unseasonably warm. A series of technological and human failures also disrupted the alarm system.

Procedure

Students will be shown a powerpoint presentation which reviews what the concept of historical disasters is, and will participate in a discussion of the slides.
Students will be introduced to the concept of basic research (research using newspapers, books, magazines, and the internet) and “Power” research which involves evaluation of music of the time period.
Students will then be shown an example to follow for their research. As a class, we will discuss the causes, results and myths of the Great Chicago Fire. We will also listen to and evaluate three songs written at the time of the fire.
After a discussion of the three songs, students will compare and contrast the three songs as a class (orally with teacher writing responses on the board)
Following the compare and contrast activity, students will then be given their assignment, which is to write a 5 page short story where fiction meets reality. The students will need to research a historical disaster in the same way that the model was presented, create a character or characters and place them within the context of the event. Students will be informed that they may not change the ultimate outcome of the disaster, but must work within the confines of what their research has shown them.

Introductory learning activities:

Through the use of the power point presentation, students will be exposed to what historical disasters are, and will brainstorm a variety of specific disasters.

Song discussion questions and activities:

All three songs will be discussed separately and then will be compared and contrasted. All discussions will be completed orally as a class.

“The Billow of Fire,” P.P. Bliss

What can be learned about the Great Chicago Fire from the song?
What seems to be the tone of the song?
Does the speaker seem positive or negative? What clues indicate this?
What is meant by the lines in the chorus? Explain how it relates to the rest of the song.

“Passing Through the Fire,” George F. Root

What seems to be the tone of the song?
Who is the speaker? What clues indicate this?
How does the speaker seem to feel about the fire?
What can one learn about the Great Chicago Fire from the song?

“Lost and Saved,” George F. Root

What seems to be the tone of the song?
Who is the speaker? What clues indicate this?
What can one learn about the Great Chicago Fire from the song?
The song appears to have a story. Summarize it.

Follow-up learning activities:

Students will choose and research a historical disaster. They will also locate a song to enhance their understanding of the disaster and evaluate it. Following their research period, they will create a character or character and place them within the context of the disaster. They will write a 5-page short story where fiction meets reality.

Assessment

Assessable product or performance:

Students will complete a 5-page short story.

Assessment criteria and performance descriptors

	1	2	3	4	Points
Organization	Sequence of information is difficult to follow	Reader has difficulty following work because student jumps around	Student presents information in logical sequence which reader can follow	Information is in logical, interesting sequence which reader can follow
Content Knowledge	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject	Student is uncomfortable with content and is able to demonstrate basic concepts	Student is at ease with content, but fails to elaborate	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required)
Grammar and Spelling	Work has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors	Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors	Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors
Neatness	Work is illegible	Work has three or more areas that are sloppy	Work has one or two areas that are sloppy	Work is neatly done
References	Work displays no reference s	Work does not have the appropriate number of required references	Reference section was completed incorrectly	Work displays the correct number of references, written correctly
				Total---->