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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

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Use I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Already apprehensive about moving from his farm in Minnesota to Chicago, Oscar is devastated when his suitcase, containing the only memento of his father, is stolen at the train station. In a split-second decision, Oscar takes off after the thief and soon finds himself in a city engulfed in the flames of The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Like all the books in the I Survived series, this chapter book is the perfect blend of fact and fiction. The author's sequencing of events creates a fast-paced historical fiction that students will enjoy reading, making it a smart choice for a Book Club focused on sequence of events.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

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Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for sequence of events, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to the I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 Book Club.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
  • RL.4.7RL.4.6RL.4.5RL.4.4RL.4.3RL.4.2RL.4.1RL.4.9L.4.6W.4.9L.4.5cL.4.4aW.4.8SL.4.1cSL.4.1bSL.4.1aRL.4.10
TEKS Alignment
  • 4.7E4.9B4.9A4.8D4.8C4.8B4.8A4.7G4.7F4.9D(i)4.7D4.7C4.7B4.7A4.6I4.6H4.6G4.6F4.10C4.13H4.13E4.13C4.13A4.10G4.10F4.10E4.10D4.6E4.10B4.10A4.9F4.9E(iii)4.9E(ii)4.9E(i)4.9D(iii)4.9D(ii)4.6D4.6C4.6B4.6A4.1D4.1C4.1A
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Management Resources

1871 Instructional Overview

Management Resources

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.
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Meeting 1

Author Lauren Tarshis uses flashbacks and flash forwards to tell Oscar's story in I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871. Throughout this Book Club, students will learn how track the sequence of events in a text with a non-linear timeline and how this type of timeline deepens their understanding of the characters and events in the story.
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Meeting 2

This I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 Book Club meeting focuses on the difference between the order of events that the story is told in and the chronological sequence of events. An included hands-on activity helps students visualize this concept.
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Meeting 3

Students will use a Story Line Graph to help them sort out the sequence of events in Lauren Tarshis' I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871. Seeing the events written out in this way allows students to track their thinking.
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Meeting 4

Identifying major and minor conflicts with I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis will assist students with following the sequence of events. Students will realize that the major conflicts of the story are associated with the factual events of the fire and the minor conflict are tied to the fictional portions of the story.
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Meeting 5

This final I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 Book Club meeting provides students an opportunity to discuss the climax and resolution of the story and reflect on how their understanding of the world can be shaped by historical fiction.
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Vocabulary Connections with I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

This set of vocabulary development resources for I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book.  Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.4.4a,L.4.5c,L.4.6
TEKS Alignment
4.7E,4.7F,4.3A,4.3B
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Focus Assessment and Rubric

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with sequence of events.
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Comprehension Assessment with I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Management Resources - Spanish

1871 Instructional Overview

Management Resources - Spanish

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.
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About the Book

1871 Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources
Title: I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
Author: Lauren Tarshis
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Family, Adventure, Perseverance, History
ISBN: 9780545658461
Publisher's Summary:
Oscar Starling, an eleven-year-old boy, has just moved to Chicago with his mother and her new husband, leaving behind the only home he's ever known. Unhappy about the move, Oscar's world is turned upside down when he is suddenly swept up in the chaos of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. As flames engulf the city, Oscar is separated from his family and is forced to rely on his own courage and quick thinking to survive. Along the way, he encounters Jennie, a resourceful street kid, and her younger brother, and together they must navigate the dangers of the burning city. The story highlights Oscar's transformation as he faces adversity, forms unlikely friendships, and discovers the power of hope and resilience. This gripping historical adventure introduces young readers to one of America's most devastating disasters, blending suspenseful storytelling with educational details about 19th-century Chicago. Lauren Tarshis's engaging narrative brings history to life, making it an excellent choice for classroom discussion about perseverance, empathy, and historical events.
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