Publisher

Instructional Video

On This Day: The Chicago Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

When sparks ignited a fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago in 1903, it was one of the greatest public safety tragedies of the twentieth century. Even though the theater did not take basic safety precautions, no one was held responsible for the fire. The fire ultimately killed more than 600 people—many of them children—at a performance of a musical. Using clips from an author talk, pupils consider who was ultimately responsible for the blaze.

7 Views 6 Downloads CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

the gilded age, fire, chicago, public safety, workplace safety, the progressive era, american history

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

Offer clips to stimulate a debate on the reforms of the Progressive Era

Classroom Considerations

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Graphic description of the fire may be frightening to some learners

Pros

The author's description is vivid and gripping
Clips are short enough to integrate into lessons in a variety of ways

Cons

None

Common Core

View 89,143 other resources for 7th - Higher Ed Grade Social Studies & History