Blizzard, by E.N. Coons

This bundle fits in when discussing the United States after World War I/1920s. One possibility is to have students compare and contrast life in an urban versus a rural setting during the 1930s. As students answer the compelling questions, they should already be familiar with some of the differences between life in urban versus rural settings (i.e. economies, politics, education). Then, students can delve deeper to examine preparation for natural disasters, medical facilities, transportation, housing/shelter, and community response to tragedy in urban versus rural settings. Students also need to have an understanding of the author’s perspective in the article; this is his personal account of a blizzard that resulted in the deaths of five/six children. Other personal accounts exist and may provide other details about the blizzard and the tragedy not mentioned in his account. As an alternative, in conjunction with an English classroom, students could compare and contrast two narrative accounts of two different near-death experiences in history such as the Mt. Everest tragedy and the Towner tragedy. Students could analyze author perspective, motives for recording the narrative, any bias, as well as any information left out of their historical accounts. 

Literature Connection: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by John Krakauer, Lost in a Blizzard! The Towner Bus Tragedy by Alyce Mitchem Jenkins, Children of the Storm by Ariana Harner