We Didn't Start the Fire

A WebQuest for Social Studies

Designed by Mrs. Sara Riccio

 

introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits |

 

Introduction

File written by Adobe Photoshop® 5.0

Billy Joel Singer/Song Writer of "We Didn't Start the Fire"

We didn't start the fire It was always burning ,
Since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
Well, we didn't light it,
But we tried to fight it.
                        - Billy Joel

These lyrics are from Billy Joel's 1989 hit song "We Didn't Start the Fire".  What in the world is he talking about? What fire and if we did not start the fire than who did?  Your mission will be to determine who started the fire and what the fire represents for Billy Joel.  Within the lyrics of "We Didn't Start the Fire", Billy Joel identifies pivotal and significant historical events from 1949-1989.  You and your classmates will determine what the fire represents and who started the fire by investigating and examining the events listed in the song.

Watch the Fire Burn!

 

Task

Your mission is to become investigative journalists and research a section of the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" and then present to the class in news show format an analysis of that section or decade.  Following the class presentations you will be responsible to create a continuation of the song to include key events from 1990 to the present day.

 

 

 

Process

 

 

1.   You will randomly be assigned to a team of 4-5 students by drawing a card from a basket. Your team will be given certain years from the song to research. 

 

2.   Within your team, you will assume one of the following roles: 

Pop Culture Reporter

Will research and analyze items within your time frame that apply to pop culture.  This would include sports, entertainment, literature or any other topic that is not politically-oriented.

Political Reporter

Will research and analyze items within your time frame that apply to politics and government. This  would include leaders of countries, wars, political events or any other topic that is politically-oriented.

Geography  Reporter

Will plot on a map the items from your groups' time frame.  This role is similar to a weather reporter, however you will give locations of events, people, etc.  During the presentation you will use an overhead transparency of a  world map, but to do your preliminary plotting, print this world map .

Fire Tracker

Will determine why Billy Joel chose to include each item as a contributor to the "fire."  You must analyze the facts your group has gathered about your items and determine what makes them significant, especially to our lives today.

3.   Once roles are assigned within your group, you will need to begin your research. You will have three days for computer research.  The following links in the lyrics of the song will function as your starting points: 

1949 , 1950 , 1951 , 1952 , 1953 , 1954 , 1955 , 1956 , 1957 , 1958 , 1959 , 1960 , 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964-1989

1949
Harry Truman , Doris Day , Red China , Johnnie Ray ,
South Pacific , Walter Winchell , Joe Dimaggio ,

1950
Joe McCarthy , Richard Nixon , Studebaker , Television ,
North Korea , South Korea , Marilyn Monroe ,

1951
Rosenbergs , H-Bomb , Sugar Ray , Panmunjom ,
Brando , The King and I and The Catcher in the Rye ,

1952
Eisenhower , Vaccine , England's got a new Queen ,
Marciano , Liberace , Santayanna good-bye .

CHORUS
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning,
Since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
Well, we didn't light it,
But we tried to fight it.

1953
Joseph Stalin , Malenkov , Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller , Campanella , Communist bloc

1954
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron , Toscanini, Dacron ,
Dien Bien Phu falls , Rock Around the Clock

1955
Einstein , James Dean , Brooklyn's got a winning team ,
Davy Crockett , Peter Pan , Elvis Presley , Disneyland

1956
Bardot , Budapest , Alabama , Krushchev ,
Princess Grace , Peyton Place , Trouble in the Suez

CHORUS

1957
Little Rock , Pasternak , Mickey Mantle , Kerouac ,
Sputnik , Chou En-Lai , Bridge on the River Kwai

1958
Lebanon , Charles de Gaulle , California baseball ,
Starkweather homicide , children of thalidomide

1959
Buddy Holly , Ben Hur , space monkey , mafia ,
Hula Hoops ,   Castro , Edsel is a no go

1960
U-2 , Syngman Rhee , Payola , and Kennedy ,
Chubby Checker , Psycho , Belgians in the Congo

CHORUS

1961
Hemingway , Eichmann , Stranger in a Strange Land ,
Dylan , Berlin , Bay of Pigs Invasion

1962
Lawrence of Arabia , British Beatlemania ,
Ole Miss , John Glenn , Liston beats Patterson

1963
Pope Paul , Malcolm X , British politician sex ,
JFK blown away , What else do I have to say?

CHORUS

1964 to 1989
Birth control , Ho Chi Minh , Richard Nixon back again ,
Moonshot , Woodstock , Watergate , punk rock ,
Begin , Reagan , Palestine , terror on the airlines ,
Ayatollahs in Iran , Russians in Afghanistan ,
Wheel of Fortune , Sally Ride , heavy metal , suicide ,
Foreign debts , homeless vets , AIDS , crack , Bernie Goetz ,
Hyperdermics on the shore , China's under martial law ,
Rock and roller cola wars , I can't take it anymore!

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning,
Since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on and on and on and on.....

4.    Once your research has been completed, your group will commence on the presentation.  Your group will have two days to work on creating and practicing your presentation.  All information must be presented in the style of a television news show.  During your presentation, you will follow the order that is listed in the role descriptions . Presentations must be 10-15 minutes in length.  You must also use visual aids in your news presentation.  Your group can produce a video then show the class; however, this is not required, nor will it effect your grade in either direction.

 

5.     After all presentation have been completed, you will then be required to write a continuation to the song "We Didn't start the Fire". Your continuation will be completed on an individual basis not as a group. Your continuation should begin with the year 1990 and conclude with present day. Be sure to include key events in politics and pop culture to resemble Billy Joel's format. Your continuation must have a minimum of 20 items.


 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation

 

Presentations are worth a total of 100 points and will be a group grade, based on research, effort, and presentation.  You will also receive an individual grade (100 points) based on your completion of the continuation of the song "We Didn't Start the Fire".  Below are the standards that will be used for your group grade.


 

 

 

Beginning

Developing

Accomplished

Exemplary

Score

Behavior and Effort

1
The group did not work together nor did they behave appropriately.  They created a distraction to learning and accomplished little in class.

2
The group worked most of the time but additional effort was necessary.  The group did need reprimanded and reminded to stay on task.

3
The group worked hard and used the majority of the time provided wisely.  Only general reminders were necessary.

 

4
The group worked diligently on the assignment and used all time wisely.  No reprimands or reminders were necessary.

 

Content







 

2
Content is inadequate.  Group members did not accomplish the research tasks.

4
Additional content is necessary.  The group shows evidence of preliminary research but needs more.

6
Content is sufficient to the task.  The group did not try to go above the required, however.

 

8
Content is exemplary.  The group thoroughly researched and went above and beyond the call of duty.

 

Creativity

1
This project displays little creativity.

2
There is some creativity displayed in this project, but additional effort is required.

3
There is adequate creativity in this project.

4
There is much evidence of creativity in this project.

 

Presentation 

1
Presentation was severely lacking in interest, organization, and content.

2
There is some evidence of interest, organization, and content in the presentation.

3
The presentation shows adequate effort at interest, organization, and content.

4
The presentation shows mastery of interest, organization, and content.

 

Overall Impression

2
Groups' effort and performance only shows the beginnings of effective student work.

4
Groups' effort and performance shows movement toward effective student work.

6
Groups' effort and performance shows accomplishment of effective student work.

8
Groups' effort and performance exemplifies effective student work.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Conclusion

You have explored the lyrics to Billy Joel's hit "We Didn't Start the Fire" and have gained a more in depth understanding of the unique times of the second half of the Twentieth Century. After examining the events in the song you should now understand what Billy Joel wanted the fire to symbolize and realize that we all add to the everlasting eternal fire flames. In your song lyric continuation you should list the events that have kept the fire continuously burning.

 

 

 

 

Credits & References

The images above were taken from Billyjoel.org as well as Microsoft clipart gallery.

 

 


Based on a template from The WebQuest Page