Copper Traces Online - Technology through Time - Activities

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Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

Background

Not familiar with the Copper Country Firefighters History Museum or the Keweenaw Peninsula? Start here:

• Keweenaw National Historical Park Website
• Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

This is the Copper Country Firefighter Museum lesson plan in the Copper TRACES online program for fourth graders and equivalents. In this lesson, students will learn about how firefighters fought fires before modern technology. The main takeaway from this lesson is that firefighters from back then faced much different challenges than firefighters today and used much different equipment.

Back then, firefighters used systems such as the bucket brigade to put out fires which is much different than the high-pressure hoses used today. In the late 19^th century, bucket brigades were replaced by horse drawn fire fighting vehicles. Able to carry ladders and manual water pumps, this was a much more efficient approach than bucket brigades.

Then, in the early 20^th century, gas powered fire trucks were used. These trucks proved to have a much faster response time and larger carrying capacity than the previous horse drawn approach. Gas powered trucks were not only able to carry more equipment, but they were also able to carry a lot more people than before. This improvement was a significant upgrade in firefighting technology.

In this lesson, students will learn about historic firefighting equipment and the ways the equipment was used.

 

Introduction Video:

Activity Objective
Introduce the learning concepts for this lesson in an engaging video to segway into the virtual and in person activities.

1. Play introductory video to the entire class.
   1. Video will introduce the ideas of how fires were put out 100 years ago and how it differs from today.
   2. Highlight showing resources from the Firefighting Museum.
2. Ask questions to the students that reflect the information display in the video.
   1. What were the ways firefighters put out fires in the late 1800’s early 1900’s?
   2. Why do you think the bucket brigade didn’t work as well as a hose?
   3. What do you notice is similar (or different) with today’s firefighters?
   4. Would you have wanted to be a firefighter back then?

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 17 seconds

Tour Video of the Copper Country Firefighters History Museum

 

Spot the differences between fire trucks:

Activity Objective
To compare and contrast past experiences and technology with the present day using historical photographs and resources. This activity uses spatial and interpersonal learning.

1. Using slider images, students will team up in groups and compare and contrast firetrucks throughout the century featuring the collection at the museum.
2. Students will discuss in groups what features they notice have changed such as the kind of wheels, the type of equipment of the trucks, etc.

 

These trucks were made by the same company, but the one on the left was made about 30 years after the one on the right. What do you notice? Does one look better or worse?

 

What are the differences between the wagon and the truck? What would you rather use?

 

What are the differences between the wagon and this truck? Do you think one worked better than the other?

 

Photo gallery:

Activity Objective
To teach students how the firehouse and firefighting equipment operated. This activity uses spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal learning.

1. Once again in groups, students will view a variety of images. These images will include:
   1. Close up photos of the equipment the firemen used including but not limited to extinguishers, hoses, safety mats, water buckets, and masks.
   2. Shots of the firemen quarters and living arrangements
2. The student groups will then use the images to answer questions such as:
   • What equipment was most interesting to you and why?
   • Why was this equipment used?
   • When was the equipment needed?
   • Do you think firefighters today have similar equipment?

 

This is where firefighters stayed in the fire station. They had small beds and the firepole was nearby in case there was a fire.

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This is a bucket that was used in a bucket brigade. Notice the rounded bottom that allowed water to be thrown further.

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This is a smoke mask that allowed firefighters to go into buildings and not breath in a bunch of smoke.

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These are fire extinguishers that were once used.

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This is the mat that people would jump onto if they had to escape a fire out of a window.

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These are some of the hoses and nozzle attachments firefighters used.

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Hoses were transported in carts like this.

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Mock bucket brigade with cups and ping pong balls (or other material)

Activity Objective
Students will learn about a fire bucket brigade. This activity uses linguistic, logical, spatial, and bodily-kinesthetic learning.

1. Students will work together to put out a fake fire by filling up buckets of either water or ping pong balls.
2. 20 feet away from each other, there will be two 5-gallon buckets. One will be filled, the other will be empty
3. Without moving wither of the 5-gal buckets, the students will be provided small cups and try to move the contents of one bucket to the other by creating their own bucket brigade.

Alternative ideas for this activity

1. For a different start to the activity, give the students a certain amount of time to attempt getting the contents from one bucket to another using their own ideas and working together. The afterwards have them, if having not already done so, show the bucket brigade method.
2. To create competition, have two bucket setups and have two groups of students compete to see who can move more in a certain amount of time, or who can move all of the water/ping pong balls first.
3. Another competitive alternative, have a team of students try and fill the empty bucket while having the other group try and keep the content of the other bucket empty by putting the water/ping pong balls back in the original bucket.

 

Alternative Activity Ideas:

Write a letter to a current firefighter

*Try to find a local fire department to send these letters to! Maybe even reach out and see if any firefighters would be willing to come in and talk!

Activity Objective
Students will communicate and engage with a real firefighter process and putting out fires and their lifestyle. This activity uses linguistic and interpersonal learning.

1. Students will be given a letter template provided below (you may also use a blank sheet of paper) and asked to write to a firefighter about their experiences of fight fires.
2. Students can ask question such as, but not limited to:
   • What tools or equipment do you use to put out fires?
   • Do you sleep at the fire station?
   • What made you want to become a fire fighter?
   • What do you think is the most interesting part about the history of fire fighting?
3. After all the students have written their letters, they will put them into envelopes and mail the letters.

Letter Writing Template

 

Make a comic strip

Activity Objective
Students will draw their own comics to artistically and visually explore fire fighting over 100 years ago. This activity uses spatial and interpersonal learning.

Students may use the comic strip template provided and create their own short comic about firefighting in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The top should be historic firefighting and the bottom current day.

1. Students may discuss elements such as the trucks, handheld equipment, or anything else they mind find interesting and draw the use of the equipment in action
2. Students may also choose to be more informational by drawing their favorite pieces of equipment or what they find most interesting about firefighting and explain why.

Comic Strip Template