- BIBLIOGRAPHYJim Murphy. 1995. The Great Fire. Scholastic Press. ISBN-10: 0590472674.PLOT SUMMARYJim Murphy’s, The Great Fire (1996 Newbery Medal and Honor Books), is a non-fiction informative narrative which gives insight into the Chicago fire of 1871. The book provides personal accounts, illustrations, maps, research and reflects on four different point of views during one of the greatest catastrophes in U.S. history. Joseph E. Chamberlin, Horace White, Alexander Frear, and Claire Innes, all take part in shaping this historical disaster and bringing the book to life. The story takes us on a journey from the very beginning of the fire, the progression, the human faults and errors throughout, and the end and after-math of the fire. The ending sheds light on the years of blame and condemnation that Catherine O’Leary endured and the deflation of such claims to uncover the real truth: division between the wealthy and the poor. Subsequently, Murphy includes the impactful message that Chicago’s emotional energy and civic spirit were admirable in rebuilding the city.CRITICAL ANALYSISAuthor, Jim Murphy, provides a grand-scale informational narrative in which the readers have insight into specific details of the great fire of Chicago from beginning to end. The organizational pattern of the book serves as a timeline of events, and helps the reader navigate through this historical calamity that forever marked Chicago’s past. Murphy’s approach to providing the information was through four different perspectives of survivors who experienced the fire and disaster. The four people were of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. This tactic helps the reader experience the fire through different mindsets and different locations of the city. Twelve-year-old Claire tells, “The retreat was now a stampede and were swept along…I felt as a leaf…in a great rushing river…the wind was terrible like a storm, and filled with cinders and fire. I help up my hand to keep from my eyes.” The reader's senses are activated through the vision conveyed in the character’s desperation.The book provides plenty of illustrations, photographs and maps to keep the young readers engaged in the story. A series of six maps are strategically placed to portray the rapid progression of the Chicago fire. Overly dramatized newspaper illustration publications add emotion to the narrative. Murphy deliberately added each carefully researched piece into his historical narrative to give a true representation of the great fire of Chicago.EXCERPTSPUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “This volume, beautifully printed in sepia tones, contains historic photos, engravings and newspaper clippings on nearly every page. Especially helpful are maps placed at intervals throughout the book that represent the progress of the fire.” 1995KIRKUS REVIEW: “These characters serve as dramatic focal points as the fire sweeps across the city, their stories illuminated by fascinating archival photographs and maps outlining the spread of fire. Murphy assesses the conflicts between rich and poor that both fueled and followed the conflagration. With his conclusion that the tensions between the haves and the have-nots in large cities continued for decades, eventually culminating in the civil unrest of this century, he puts the incident in perspective, giving it stunning immediacy for contemporary readers.” 2010CONNECTIONSClassroom Activity: Students will read The Great Fire and create their own timeline with dates and important events.GT Activity: Students will research on other historical disasters in the United States history and discuss important findings within groups.Library Display: Non-Fiction books written by Jim Murphy.· Murphy, J. 2006. Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America. Scholastic Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0590673106· Murphy, J. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book). Clarion Books. ISBN-10: 0395776082· Murphy, J. 2003. Across America on an Emigrant Train. Clarion Books. ISBN-10: 0395764831.
As educators we are faced with making important decisions every day that will affect student learning. Educators need to keep in mind that we need to make learning accessible and accommodate to diverse learning styles. Each student brings their own knowledge, experiences, talents, and needs to the table. Educators should have a plan in place that will fit all students into the teaching and learning experience. That is were Universal Design for Learning comes into play. Universal Design for Learning is a curriculum system that provides unique and equal learning opportunities for all individuals. As a teacher myself, I had heard of different theories similar to UDL before. After researching further into this designed system, I realized I have been using some of these methods in my classroom already. UDL is lead by three main principles that activate a learning in the brain: 1. Engagement: the WHY? Recruiting Interest Sustaining Effor...
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