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Smoke Over Elm Road: Two Views of a Prairie Burn

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Smoke Over Elm Road: Two Views of a Prairie Burn

Compare how a burn crew leader and a neighbor describe the same day.

Read two accounts

Both texts tell about the same planned burn at a prairie preserve. Read Account A first, then Account B.

Account A: A Blog Post by Teresa Vang, Burn Crew Leader at Tallgrass Hills Prairie Preserve

1Last Saturday morning, our crew carried out the spring burn on the east field of Tallgrass Hills Prairie Preserve. We had planned this day for months. A safe burn needs the right weather: a gentle, steady wind and grass that is dry, but not too dry. When the forecast finally matched our plan, we posted a notice on our web page and at the town hall.

2Before we lit a single flame, our crew mowed a wide strip around the field. This strip, called a firebreak, has very little grass left to burn, so the fire stops when it reaches the strip. Two water trucks waited nearby, and every crew member wore fire-resistant clothing. We lit the fire at nine o'clock, and by two o'clock the whole field was black. Around noon, the wind shifted for a short time and carried some smoke toward Elm Road.

3Why burn a prairie at all? Prairies need fire to stay healthy. Long ago, fires started by lightning and fires set by Native American peoples swept across the prairies. Many prairie plants have roots that reach deep underground, where the heat cannot harm them. Fire clears away old, dead grass so that sunlight can warm the soil, and it stops young trees and shrubs from taking over. In a few weeks, bright green shoots will cover the black ground. Come see them for yourself!

Account B: A Letter to the Town Newspaper by Walter Kim, Elm Road

1To the Editor:
Last Saturday, I was painting on my back porch on Elm Road when I smelled smoke. Within minutes, a thick gray cloud rolled over my yard and hid the sun. My eyes stung, and I could barely see my neighbor's house. I was afraid a wildfire was heading toward our homes, so I hurried inside and called the fire department.

2The person who answered explained that the smoke came from a planned burn at Tallgrass Hills Prairie Preserve. She said a trained crew was watching the fire closely and that it would not cross the mowed strip around the field. That calmed me down. Even so, by the time the smoke cleared, my painting was dotted with flakes of gray ash, and the laundry on my clothesline smelled like a campfire.

3I have lived near the preserve for twenty years, and I know that prairies need fire to stay healthy. I enjoy the wildflowers that bloom there every summer. However, I never saw the notice about the burn. I do not use the preserve's web page, and I rarely go to the town hall. Before the next burn, I hope the crew will mail postcards to the homes on Elm Road a few days ahead. Neighbors who know a burn is coming can close their windows, bring in their laundry, and stay calm.

Same day, two writers

Look back at both accounts to find what the writers share and what only one of them tells.

1.
Who tells each detail? Sort the details.
2.
Read paragraph 3 of Account B again. Underline the TWO sentences that show the neighbor likes the prairie or understands why it is burned.

3.
Both writers tell about the smoke. How are their descriptions different?
Question 3 options
4.
Why do the two writers describe the same smoke so differently?
Question 4 options

Purpose and point of view

Think about why each writer wrote and what each one wants readers to think.

5.
Write a word from the word bank in each blank to tell each writer's main purpose.

The crew leader writes mainly to why the burn was needed.
The neighbor writes mainly to better warnings before the next burn.

6.
Which question is answered in the neighbor's letter but NOT in the crew leader's blog post?
Question 6 options
7.
At the end of Account A, the crew leader writes, "Come see them for yourself!" What does this show about her point of view?
Question 7 options
8.
Which change would best answer the neighbor's main concern?
Question 8 options
9.
Which statement would BOTH writers most likely agree with?
Question 9 options
10.
Imagine you are the crew leader. Write a short reply to the neighbor's letter that shows you understand his point of view. Use details from both accounts.