Students think critically as they research/investigate facts about the Great Chicago Fire and come to a conclusion about its real cause. Was the fire really caused by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow?
fire, Chicago, Great Chicago Fire, fire safety, Fire Prevention Week
One of the greatest disasters ever to strike the United States occurred in 1871. That year, a fire killed 300 people and left thousands homeless as it destroyed three square miles of Chicago. It was believed for many years that the fire -- which has come to be known as the Great Chicago Fire -- started when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern in the barn. That theory appears to have had its origin in the October 9 issue of the Chicago Evening Journal, which reported that "the fire broke out on the corner of DeKoven and Twelfth streets, at about 9 o'clock on Sunday evening, being caused by a cow kicking over a lamp in a stable in which a woman was milking." Illustrations that accompanied that story or appeared soon after also painted Mrs. O'Leary as the cause. And a song made popular at the time
"One dark night, when we were all in bed,
Old lady Leary lit a lantern in the shed,
And when the cow kicked it over, it winked its eye and said,
There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight."
immortalized Mrs. O'Leary as the cause.
But, as it turns out, modern historians believe Mrs. O'Leary, a poor Irish immigrant, was simply a scapegoat. Historian Richard Bales has examined many pieces of evidence -- including county documents, land records, and transcripts of the investigation that followed the fire -- to make a solid case for Mrs. O'Leary's (and her cow's) innocence.
The activity that follows can be done in a computer lab or it could be set up in the one- or two-computer classroom as a learning center. Students can work on their own or in pairs to review the evidence presented with trial-lawyer precision by Richard Bales on his Web site, Did the Cow Do It? As students read the text, they might look for any suggestions about the actual cause of the fire:
A number of other interesting possibilities not covered in "Did the Cow Do It?" have been suggested. Those include that the firefighters were drunk that night and that a a comet could have triggered the fire.
As students research, they will find much evidence that seems to exonerate Mrs. O'Leary. As the read, they should decide to do one of these two note-taking assignments:
Then bring students together to share their thoughts. Do they come to any agreement as to 1) Mrs. O'Leary's innocence or 2) the real culprit?
Finally, have students use their notes and the ideas shared during the discussion to write a one-page summary of who or what they think might have caused the Great Chicago Fire. Remind them that there is no right or wrong error, as nothing has ever been proven, but that their summaries will be graded based on the supporting evidence they provide for their ideas about who or what caused the fire.
Great Chicago Fire: The Web of Memory
Essays and images from the Chicago Historical Society's collection.
Great Chicago Fire
Wikipedia online encyclopedia's account.
Chicago Fire! [archived copy]
National Geographic presents this account from the point of view of Claire Innes, a 12-year-old child at the time of the fire.
The Great Chicago Fire
A poem by Julia A. Moore.
America's Story: The Great Chicago Fire
See before- an after-the-fire illustrations of Chicago.
Fire Prevention week is always celebrated the first full week in October. That week was chosen because it is the week in which the Great Chicago Fire took place.
Assess students’ writing based on their use of supporting information -- information that supports their idea of who or what might have caused the Great Chicago Fire.
Lesson Plan SourceEducationWorld.com
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluation Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
See more Lesson Plans of the Day in our Lesson Plan of the Day Archive. (There you can search for lessons by subject too.)
For additional history lesson plans, see these Education World resources:
For additional language arts/reading lesson plans, see these Education World resources:
Copyright © 2010 Education World
Originally published 09/28/2005
Last updated 09/17/2010