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Interpreting the Evidence

Aerial View of Forest Fire, North of Middletown, 1939

  • Documents in this Activity:
  • Historical Eras:

    The Great Depression and WW II (1929 - 1945)

  • Thinking Skill:

    Historical Analysis & Interpretation

  • Grade Level:

    Lower Elementary
    Upper Elementary
    Middle School
    High School
    College University

  • Topics:

    Environment

  • Primary Source Types:

    Photograph

  • Regions:

    Mid Hudson
    New York State

  • Creator:

    NYS Archives Partnership Trust Education Team

  1. Load Aerial View of Forest Fire, North of Middletown, 1939 in Main Image Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Document Description
Aerial view of a forest fire burning north of Middletown, New York, in the Catskill Mountains region, May 16, 1939.
Historical Context
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a multitude of large, dangerous, and expensive forest fires caused New York State to dedicate new manpower and develop new technologies for reporting forest fires throughout the Adirondack Forest Preserve. The "great fires" of 1903 and 1908, which consumed nearly one million acres of forest, led to the creation of fire districts with fire superintendents, fire patrolmen, and a systematic approach to address citizens' concerns about forest fire management in the Adirondacks. In 1909, the first Adirondack fire tower was built.
 
Essential Question
How do human settlement patterns impact the environment?
 
Check for Understanding
Describe the scene in the photograph and explain the role of human activity in the situation depicted.
Historical Challenges
Research the origins of Smokey the Bear.
 
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts: Write a newspaper article as if it were the year 1900 that describes safety precautions one must take to prevent forest fires.
Art: Create a poster for fire safety week.