MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

The Cocoanut Grove fire

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

← All 100 events

Teacher preview: this event includes loss, violence, discrimination, or a criminal case. Choose a suitable reading together. No reenactment of harm is needed.

Choose your PDF reading

All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.
Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.

Words to know

protect
keep someone or something from harm
damage
harm that makes something less safe or useful
change
become different

A terrible fire struck the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston. Four hundred ninety-two people died. The disaster led to changes in fire safety and advances in caring for burn injuries.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: Jackie Robinson’s Boston tryout

Jackie Robinson tried out for the Boston Red Sox in 1945, but the team did not sign him. In 1947 he broke modern Major League Baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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