I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

Questions Just for Fun

If you had to move away from your home, where is one place you would like to move and one place you would not like to move?

Take time to research Chicago. What is one site you would like to visit in Chicago?

Questions to Think Critically and Biblically

Throughout the book, Oscar longs to be heroic like his dad. Many children long to be like their parents. According to the biblical worldview, why do most children have this desire?
Discussion Guide - Read 1 John 3:1-2. Discuss how once we have become God's children, the Holy Spirit works to conform us more to God’s image. The human desire for children to be like their parents reflects this spiritual reality for Christians: becoming like our Father, God.

When Oscar first meets Jennie, she tricks him so that a gang of older boys can steal his luggage. We later find out that Jennie is an orphan living on the streets. According to the biblical worldview, did Jennie’s situation make her stealing right?
Discussion Guide - Read 1 Peter 1:14-16. Discuss how God is the standard of holiness. Our situations in life do not make breaking God’s moral law okay.

When Oscar originally chased Jennie, he wanted to have her punished for stealing his things. However, his attitude changed when he realized that Jennie was an orphan taking care of her brother. According to the biblical worldview, was it right for Oscar to have compassion on Jennie and want to help her?
Discussion Guide - Read James 1:27. Discuss how God cares for the orphan and the widow, those who are marginalized by society and at greater risk of harm. Talk about how Oscar’s change in attitude toward Jennie reflects what God has called us to.

Bonus Question - If the children in your care have gone through Foundation Comparative Worldview Curriculum, ask: With what you learned about the Great Chicago Fire, which parts of the fire were caused by natural evil, and which parts were caused by moral evil?
Discussion Guide - Discuss how the drought and wind that caused the fire to spread so quickly were the result of natural evil. The wooden buildings, wooden sidewalks, and other unwise city structure planning that led the entire city to be consumed were the result of moral evil. (To clarify, humans did not purposefully seek to have the city burn, but the unwise construction of the city and lax building codes that led to this disaster are the result of moral evil.)

Bonus Question - If the children in your care have gone through Foundation Comparative Worldview Curriculum, ask: According to the biblical worldview, what is the source of natural evil and the source of moral evil?
Discussion Guide - Review the truths covered in Unit 5, Lesson 1. If you have time, compare and contrast these biblical truths with the alternate worldview beliefs covered in Unit 5, Lesson 2. Then discuss the evidence in Unit 5, Lessons 3 through 5, and how the biblical worldview is the only worldview that provides an explanation for and solution to the sources of both natural and moral evil.