Categories: Classroom Resources

Gallery Tour Video: Lessons from the Great Chicago Fire

Jul 18 2025
Memories of the Chicago Fire of 1871 by Julia Lemos, 1912. CHM, ICHi-062293

PRIMARY SOURCE TYPE: PHOTOGRAPHS, DOCUMENTS, 2D OBJECTS
Recommended for grades 3-5
Running Time: 11 mins 20 secs

This video is based the Great Chicago Fire section of Chicago: Crossroads of America. This video can be used as a stand- alone activity or prior to a CHM visit. Please note: Objects in the Museum rotate periodically, so artifacts featured in the video may not be currently on display.

Students are asked critical thinking questions throughout this video as they discover not only the events of the three days of the fire but also consider how people were impacted and the sometimes unjust decisions made during the recovery efforts. Explore the lasting legacy of the fire and the lessons we can learn from the past when we face similar challenges today.

These additional resources support the use of this video in classroom instruction:

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