The Flaming Sky

Essential questions: What is the power of film? How do we recover from tragedy? What can inspire the feeling of wonder?

Watch a video. (15 minutes)

Project or distribute the Video Discussion Questions. Show the video “Behind the Scenes: The Flaming Sky.” Then have students answer the discussion questions.

Preview vocabulary. (3 minutes)

Project or distribute the Vocabulary Words and Definitions for students to refer to as they read. Highlighted words: capacity, combustible, gourmet, interminable, marvel, obsolescence, pariah, perished

Read “The Flaming Sky” as a class, starting with the “As You Read” box on page 5. (Skip the poem for now.) Then discuss the following questions. 

Close-Reading Questions

• On page 6, Lauren Tarshis writes, “Tens of thousands of people traveled on zeppelins. Millions more flew on zeppelins in their dreams.” What do these lines help you understand about zeppelins in the 1920s and 1930s? (inference, figurative language) These lines help you understand that zeppelins were a popular form of transportation that inspired admiration and wonder.
• Why was Werner Franz’s job as a cabin boy on the Hindenburg meaningful to him? (key ideas and details) Werner treasured his job as a cabin boy on the Hindenburg. It made him feel like “the luckiest kid on Earth” (p. 5). The job gave him a way to escape the troubles that his family and his country, Germany, were facing and a chance to spend time aboard what was considered “the greatest passenger aircraft ever built” (p. 6). The job also allowed him to earn money for his family (p. 6). Werner later said that the few months he spent working aboard the Hindenburg were among the happiest of his life (p. 10).
• In the section “Just 32 Seconds,” which details help you understand how terrible Werner’s experience was when the Hindenburg caught fire? (text evidence) Details include that Werner saw a wall of fire and was thrown backward, almost into it; that the heat was unbearable; and that when he jumped through the hatch, he didn’t know how high up he was.
• How did the Hindenburg explosion affect zeppelin travel? Why did it have this effect? (cause and effect) The explosion caused people to stop riding in zeppelins. Because the explosion was caught on film, it was seen by people around the world; as a result, the public lost faith in zeppelins (p. 10). The footage of the disaster must have terrified people.
• How did the Hindenburg explosion affect Werner? (cause and effect) For the rest of his life, Werner felt lucky and grateful to have survived.

Read the poem (20 minutes)

• Play our recording of the poem, as students follow along in their magazines. 
• Have students work in groups to complete the Analyzing Poetry activity.

Have students work in groups to read “Would You Ride on That?” While still in their groups, they should then discuss the following questions.

Close-Reading Question

• Does Mackenzie Carro sound like she’s in favor of zeppelins making a comeback? Explain. (tone) Carro does seem to be in favor of zeppelins making a comeback. She describes them in positive terms, noting that they are safe, enjoyable, and better for the environment than airplanes. She does note that helium is expensive, but most of her essay focuses on what is good about zeppelins.

Still working in their groups, students should respond to the following critical-thinking questions, which refer to the article and the essay.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

• Would a zeppelin today likely explode as the Hindenburg did? Explain. No, such an explosion would not be likely because modern zeppelins run on helium, which is noncombustible, whereas the Hindenburg used hydrogen, which is highly combustible.
• Reread the last line of Carro’s essay. Why wouldn’t zeppelins be likely to replace airplanes? How might zeppelins be used? It is zeppelins’ relatively slow speed that makes them unlikely to ever replace airplanes. However, they might become an alternative to cruise ships—a way to travel when you’re interested in a pleasurable journey and not just getting from one place to another. Zeppelins could also be used to get to remote areas where airplanes cannot land, as Carro mentions in her essay.
• Would you want to travel on a modern zeppelin? Use details from the article and the essay to support your answer. Answers will vary.

Featured Skill: Supporting a Claim (15 minutes)

Distribute the activity sheet Analyzing the Zeppelin’s Popularity, which will prepare students to respond to the prompt on page 11. For alternative culminating tasks, see the boxes below.