Article
ART BY MARK FREDRICKSON
Paired Texts,

His Idea Saved Lives/Safe in the Flames

Here is the incredible story of the man who changed the way we fight fires. 

By Tod Olson and Laine Falk
From the February 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 510L
Guided Reading Level: L
DRA Level: 20-24
Featured Skill: Compare Two Texts,
Vocabulary: inventor, filtered, groundbreaking, explosion, connects, fireproof
Common Core Standards
  • RI.2.1 Key details RI.2.4 Vocabulary RI.2.5 Nonfiction text features RI.2.7 Use visuals RI.2.9 Compare two texts on a similar topic RI.2.10 Read grade-2- appropriate informational text SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade-2 texts L.2.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to a word’s meaning
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (13) Science, technology, and society. The student understands how science and technology have affected life, past and present. The student is expected to: (A) describe how science and technology have affected communication, transportation, and recreation; and (B) explain how science and technology have affected the ways in which people meet basic needs. (14) Science, technology, and society. The student identifi es individuals who exhibited individualism and inventiveness. The student is expected to identify individuals who have exhibited individualism and inventiveness such as Amelia Earhart and George Washington Carver.

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Think and Read

Compare Garrett Morgan’s safety hood with the inventions that help firefighters today. How are they alike and different?

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY, MICHAEL SCHWARTZ LIBRARY

breathing tubes

In the early 1900s, fighting fires was very different from how it is today. Firefighters often choked on smoke before they could save people. They didn’t have the right tools to help them breathe in smoky places. 

In 1912, a man named Garrett Morgan wanted to solve that problem. He was an inventor. 

He invented a “safety hood.” It fit over a firefighter’s head. It had breathing tubes. They stretched to the floor.

Why was that a good idea? During a fire, smoke and heat rise. The tubes let firefighters breathe the cleanest air, down low. The tubes also filtered out smoke that came through.

It was a groundbreaking invention. It was totally new. But would people use it?

PAUSE AND THINK: What did Garrett Morgan invent?

Trapped!

One day in 1916, a group of men were working in a tunnel. Then there was an explosion! Smoke filled the tunnel.

People ran into the tunnel to rescue the men. But only a few came back out! Now some of the rescuers and workers were either passed out or dead.

The fire department called Morgan. Could he bring his safety hoods? He came and put on his safety hood. A few other rescuers did too. They went down into the tunnel. Would the hoods work?


PAUSE AND THINK: What happened in the tunnel?

Race Against Time

The minutes ticked by. Five. Ten. Fifteen.

Finally Morgan and his helpers came back. They were OK! They had saved one man. 

They went down and came back again. In the end, they saved two men. They were not able to save the rest, but they brought their bodies up safely. Morgan’s safety hood had saved two men’s lives. 

After that, many fire departments bought the safety hood. It helped firefighters to rescue people—and keep safe themselves. 


ART BY MARK FREDRICKSON

Morgan and other rescuers saved two men. 

Safe in the Flames

Today we have more inventions that help keep firefighters safe.

Air Mask

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

mask and air tank

The mask connects to an air tank. It lets the firefighters breathe clean air. 


Fireproof Clothes

These clothes can’t catch on fire. They are fireproof. They keep a firefighter’s body safe. 


Thermal Camera

STOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES (THERMAL CAMERA); FLIR SYSTEMS, INC. (CAT)

What animal do you see in the camera?

This takes pictures of things we can’t see with our eyes. It takes pictures of heat. It shows firefighters where people and animals are. Then the firefighters can rescue them quickly—and get out of the smoke!


Drones

FORGET PATRICK/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

drone

Drones fly over fires and take pictures from the air. They show the firefighters where it is safe to go. Then the firefighters can safely put out the fires. 


video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (4)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (2)
Quizzes (2)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (4) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Quizzes (2)
Quizzes (2)
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

Social Studies Focus

Black History Month; inventors

Science Focus

Technological advances over time

Casel Social-emotional Learning Focus

Self-management: Showing the courage to take initiative

Vocabulary

inventor, filtered, groundbreaking, explosion, connects, fireproof

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (2 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are inventor, filtered, groundbreaking, explosion, connects, and fireproof.

Text Preview Bookmarks (5-10 minutes)

  • Students can use these evergreen bookmarks to help them preview the text. Our skills page has both fiction and nonfiction options for kids to cut out. They can use the nonfiction bookmark for this story.

Watch the Video: Inventors (15 minutes)

  • Watch this video about inventors to build background knowledge.
  • After the video, tell students they will be learning about another inventor. His name is Garrett Morgan.

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (10 MINUTES)

  • Now tell students they are going to read two texts. One is about an inventor named Garrett Morgan and his firefighting invention. The other is about technology that firefighters use today.

3. AFTER READING

ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)

  • Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.
  • The quiz is available in multiple-choice and written-answer formats.

ELA Focus: Writing, Key Details (15 minutes)

  • Using the “Invention Award” printable, students can create an award for Garrett Morgan and write about why his invention is amazing.

ELA Focus: Compare Texts (15 minutes)

  • Using the “Fire Heroes Web” printable, students can compare and contrast “His Idea Saved Lives,” “Safe in the Flames,” and the Big Read from the September issue of Storyworks 2, “Jumping to the Fire.”

Watch a Video (15 minutes)

  • Watch this fun video about inventors throughout history and how they solved problems. Ask students to compare these inventors with Garrett Morgan.

Whole Issue Scavenger Hunt (15 minutes)

We created a scavenger hunt for several stories in this month’s Storyworks 2, including the paired texts. The scavenger hunt can be done by students independently at home or during class time.

This is a self-contained group of slides that guide your students on a scavenger hunt through the whole issue. It’s not only fun, it also helps them make text-to-text connections. 

To find it, look in your Resources section. Scroll down to Activities. You will see it there.

Text-to-Speech