The Oil Embargo: What, When, Why, and How did it Impact Local Schools?
2009 Fellowship, Champaign County Archives
Jacob Bretz
Lesson
4:
This lesson involves examination of primary
sources, completion of graphic organizers, and writing assignment to show how
students would deal with a current oil embargo if they were superintendent of
their school district. Information will cover how government reaction to the oil
embargo impacted local school districts.
Teacher
Prep:
á
Make copies of and familiarize yourself
with the following articles
o Energy
Crisis Raises Problems for Schools. Urbana
Courier, November 9, 1973.
o Local
School Districts Take Steps to Save on Fuel. Urbana Courier, November 12, 1973.
o SchoolsÕ
Fuel Saving Plan Hampered by Law. Urbana
Courier, November 13, 1973.
o State
to Suggest That Schools Close. Urbana
Courier, November 15, 1973.
o Limited
Oil Restricts the Use of School DistrictÕs Buses. Urbana Courier, December 1, 1973.
o Schools
Cooler, Darker as Cutbacks Take Effect. Urbana
Courier, December 7, 1973.
á
Make copies of the following graphic
organizersÉ
o Cluster
Word Web found at the following website, http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/cluster_web3.pdf
o Ticktacktoe found at the following website, http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/tictack.pdf
Classroom
Activities:
á
Divide students into partners and pass
out the Cluster Word Web
o Each
student should receive a cluster word web but complete it in partners
á
In the middle square students should write ÒHow would an oil shortage impact out school
districtsÓ?
o Students
should then think of six ways their school district would be effected
á
When students are finished come back
together as a class and discuss student answers
o Try
to build upon some student responses and even bring up other answers students
may not have thought of
á
After going over student brainstorming
responses pass out the Ticktacktoe Graphic Organizer and the Urbana Courier articles listed above
á
Student partner groups should then review
the articles and fill out the Ticktacktoe Graphic Organizer
o Each
box of the organizer should deal with a different way the local school
districts in Urbana-Champaign were impacted by the oil embargo
á
After students have learned how the oil
shortage affected local schools they need to write a 1-2 page response over the
following question, ÒIf you were superintendant how would you specifically go
about dealing with an oil shortage if it happened again todayÓ?
o Students
should draw in information from articles and ideas they come up with on their
own
o Students
should come up with their top three ways they would deal with a current shortage and justify them