Image of a large ship in the water and an image of a young person's face

Illustration by Gary Hanna; iStockPhoto/Getty Images (boy); Shutterstock.com (box)

Escape to Hope

A story from the Great Irish Famine

By Allison Friedman

From the October 2022 Issue

Learning Objective: to explore key ideas and details in a narrative nonfiction article

Lexiles: 940L, 790L

Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,

Other Key Skills: cause and effect, compare and contrast, author’s craft

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AS YOU READ

As you read the article and study the images, think about what caused the Great Irish Famine.

Jim McMahon/Mapman ®

Ireland is known as “the Emerald Isle,” for its rolling green hills and valleys. (Isle is another word for island.) In the 1800s, Ireland was governed by Britain.

One of the first signs of disaster was a strange smell—the faint hint of something damp and rotten on the wind. Edward “Edd” Neary, 10, must have noticed it as he walked to school in his village of Elphin, Ireland, in October 1845. He probably didn’t think too much of it though. The weather had been especially stormy throughout the late summer and fall, and a lingering soggy odor wouldn’t have seemed too unusual.

But if Edd paid little attention to the smell at first, he could not have ignored what happened next.

One afternoon, the bright sun suddenly dimmed, as though a dark curtain had been yanked across the sky. A thick blue fog crept over the fields, swallowing up wooden barns and grazing sheep. By early the next morning, the moldy smell had become a choking stink.

Elphin’s farmers rushed out into their fields, all with the same heart-stopping thought.

The potatoes.

Overnight, the leaves and stems of Elphin’s potato plants had broken out with sickly black spots. People clawed wildly at the dirt, pulling up potatoes that were scarred and shriveled. Dark, stinking slime oozed from the vegetables’ skin.

The same horrific scene was playing out all over Ireland. Waves of panic rippled across the island. Most people relied on the potato as their main source of food. Without it, they faced a terrifying question: How would they survive the winter?

But what was about to happen was far worse than one season of lost crops. By the time it was over, at least 1 million people would be dead. Another 2 million would flee the country. And the Great Irish Famine, as it would come to be known, would change the course of history forever.

One of the first signs of disaster was a strange smell. It was something damp and rotten on the wind. Edward “Edd” Neary, 10, must have noticed the smell as he walked to school. He lived in the village of Elphin, Ireland. It was October 1845. He probably didn’t think too much of the smell though. The weather had been very stormy in the late summer and fall. A soggy odor wouldn’t have seemed too unusual.

Edd may have paid little attention to the smell at first. But he could not have ignored what happened next.

One afternoon, the bright sun suddenly dimmed. It must have seemed like a dark curtain had been yanked across the sky. A thick blue fog crept over the fields. It swallowed up wooden barns and grazing sheep. By the next morning, the moldy smell had become a choking stink.

Elphin’s farmers rushed out into their fields, all with the same heart-stopping thought.

The potatoes.

Overnight, Elphin’s potato plants had broken out with sickly black spots. People clawed wildly at the dirt. They pulled up potatoes that were scarred and shriveled. Dark, stinking slime oozed from the vegetables’ skin.

The same horrific scene was happening all over Ireland. Waves of panic rippled across the island. For most people, the potato was their main source of food. Without it, they faced a terrifying question: How would they survive the winter?

But what was about to happen was far worse than one season of lost crops. By the time it was over, at least 1 million people would be dead. Another 2 million would flee the country. It came to be known as the Great Irish Famine. It would change the course of history forever.

A Bitter History

Ireland was—and is—a place of astonishing beauty: velvety green mountains, glassy lakes, acres of lush, fertile farmland. In the middle of the country stretch peat bogs, spongy wetlands left behind by glaciers thousands of years ago. To the west, rocky cliffs jut out of the sea, towering over the roiling waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Yet despite its natural riches, Ireland in the 1800s was one of the poorest places in Europe.

To be sure, Edd and his family were more fortunate than most. Edd’s father, Edward, was a schoolteacher who earned a small salary. Most people in Ireland worked the land, living almost entirely off what they grew. Many lived in extreme poverty, barely surviving from one harvest to the next.

This was especially shocking considering that Ireland was governed by Britain—also known as the United Kingdom—which was then the richest empire in the world. Ireland shared a long and bitter history with Britain.

After centuries of bloody conflict, Britain conquered Ireland in the 1600s. British settlers took over the country, driving the native Irish from their lands. Britain’s leaders, who practiced a branch of Christianity known as Protestantism, enacted laws to try to stamp out Catholicism, the main branch of Christianity practiced in Ireland. Irish Catholics were forbidden from voting, from holding certain jobs, from owning land, and from practicing their faith.

By the 1800s, wealthy British citizens owned most of the land in Ireland. Many landlords rarely set foot in Ireland. They split their large properties into chunks and leased them to Irish farmers, charging the farmers rent for land that had belonged to their own ancestors. The farmers would then rent smaller pieces of that land to less-well-off families, called laborers. Three quarters of Ireland’s 8 million people belonged to this group.

The poorest laborers lived in one-room cottages made of mud and straw. They wore patched-up rags that did little to protect them from the damp chill. Their plots of land were too small to grow much of anything.

Fortunately, they didn’t need a lot of space to grow potatoes. The crop flourished easily in Irish soil; just one acre could produce enough potatoes to feed a family of six for most of the year. A kid Edd’s age might eat 20 small potatoes per day, prepared in all sorts of ways. Breakfast? Potato pancakes. Lunch? Potato bread. Dinner? Potato soup.

Thanks to this hearty, nutritious vegetable, even the very poorest families could stay healthy and strong—until the fall of 1845, when up to half of the potato crop across the island suddenly died.

Ireland was—and is—a place of great beauty. It has velvety green mountains, glassy lakes, and acres of lush, fertile farmland. Across the middle of the country, you’ll find peat bogs. These are spongy wetlands. They were left behind by glaciers thousands of years ago. To the west, rocky cliffs jut out of the sea. They tower over the rolling waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

But even with all its natural riches, Ireland was one of the poorest places in Europe in the 1800s.

Edd and his family were better off than most. Edd’s father, Edward, was a schoolteacher. He earned a small salary. Most people in Ireland worked the land. They lived almost entirely off what they grew. Many lived in extreme poverty. They barely survived from one harvest to the next.

This was shocking because Ireland was governed by Britain, also known as the United Kingdom. At the time, it was the richest empire in the world. Ireland shared a long and bitter history with Britain.

After centuries of bloody conflict, Britain conquered Ireland in the 1600s. British settlers took over the country. They forced the native Irish off their lands. Britain’s leaders practiced a branch of Christianity known as Protestantism. They put laws in place to try to stamp out Catholicism. That was the main branch of Christianity practiced in Ireland. Irish Catholics were not allowed to vote, hold certain jobs, own land, or practice their faith.

By the 1800s, wealthy British citizens owned most of the land in Ireland. Many landlords rarely went to Ireland. They split their large properties into chunks. They leased them to Irish farmers. The landlords charged the farmers rent for land that had belonged to their own ancestors. The farmers rented smaller pieces of that land to less-well-off families, called laborers. Three quarters of Ireland’s 8 million people belonged to this group.

The poorest laborers lived in one-room cottages made of mud and straw. They wore rags sewn together. The rags did little to protect them from the cold. Their plots of land were very small. They couldn’t grow much of anything.

Fortunately, they didn’t need a lot of space to grow potatoes. The crop flourished easily in Irish soil. Just one acre could produce enough potatoes to feed a family of six for most of the year. A kid Edd’s age might eat 20 small potatoes per day, made different ways. Breakfast? Potato pancakes. Lunch? Potato bread. Dinner? Potato soup.

Thanks to this hearty, nutritious vegetable, even the very poorest families could stay healthy and strong. But then, in the fall of 1845, up to half of the potato crop across the island suddenly died.

An Invisible Killer

Nigel Cattlin/Alamy Stock Photo

This potato has late blight. The rotting black spots produce a foul odor.

All over Elphin, Edd would have heard adults whispering worriedly about the disaster. Many believed that fairies lived throughout Ireland, hiding among the rolling hills and rocky cliffs. Could the fairies have become angry and caused the potatoes to rot?

Scientists at the time couldn’t understand what was happening. It would be many years before experts would figure out what had destroyed the vegetables. It was a plant disease known as late blight, which is caused by a mold. Today, most experts believe the mold traveled to Europe on ships from the Americas.

Shivering through the unpleasant weather that summer and fall, Edd had no idea that the storms were helping this deadly disease to spread. The mold thrived in Ireland’s cool, damp climate. Powerful winds whipped up specks of mold and blew them across the island. These flecks settled onto potato crops, where the rains helped them sprout on the plants and sink deep into the soil.

As this invisible killer swept through Ireland, fields once bursting with healthy potatoes turned into wastelands strewn with gooey black lumps. The sickening stink on that dark day in October was the smell of plants being devoured alive.

All over Elphin, Edd would have heard adults whispering worriedly about the disaster. Many believed that fairies lived throughout Ireland, hiding in the rolling hills. Could the fairies have become angry? Did they cause the potatoes to rot?

Scientists at the time didn’t understand what was happening. It would be many years before experts would figure out what had destroyed the vegetables. It was a plant disease known as late blight. It is caused by a mold. Today, most experts believe the mold traveled to Europe on ships from the Americas.

Shivering through the unpleasant weather that summer and fall, Edd had no idea that the storms were helping this deadly disease to spread. The mold thrived in Ireland’s cool, damp climate. Powerful winds whipped up specks of mold. The winds blew the specks across the island. The specks settled onto potato crops. The rains helped them sprout on the plants and sink deep into the soil.

This invisible killer swept through Ireland. Fields that had once burst with healthy potatoes turned into wastelands strewn with gooey black lumps. The sickening stink on that dark day in October was the smell of plants being devoured alive.

Think Like a Historian

In the 1840s, British newspapers published illustrations of what was happening in Ireland. What do these images reveal?

The Granger Collection

This drawing was based on a woman named Bridget O’Donnel and her children. What details tell you that they are suffering?

The History Emporium/Alamy Stock Photo

This drawing shows laborers being kicked out of their home by their landlord because they could not pay the rent. How do you think the illustrator viewed this situation? What makes you think so?

This drawing shows laborers being kicked out of their home by their landlord because they could not pay the rent. How do you think the illustrator viewed this situation? What makes you think so?

Slow to Act

Edd’s family probably kept a small patch of land to grow potatoes, and they would have been worried when the crop failed. But with the money Edd’s father earned as a teacher, they were able to buy other foods, like bread and fish, from the market.

Ireland’s laborers did not have that option. Many had to sell whatever they could—furniture, clothes, tools—for money to buy food. Others hunched in ditches by the side of the road, picking weeds and gathering snails to eat. The most desperate snuck out after dark to steal grain from the fields of wealthier farmers or fish from the landlords’ lakes and streams.

Something had to be done. But the British government was slow to act. Many of its leaders unfairly blamed the disaster on the Irish people themselves. If the Irish had worked harder and relied less on the potato, they said, people wouldn’t be going hungry. Maybe, they said, this crisis would even teach them a lesson.

It was months before the British finally sent help. The government set up a system in which struggling laborers could repair roads, build walls, and dig ditches for a small wage to buy food like corn. But by then, many were too weak to do such backbreaking work. And corn was not as nutritious as potatoes.

The laborers comforted themselves with the thought that all of this was temporary. Soon there would be a bountiful new potato harvest. Surely the dreadful disease wouldn’t strike again.

Edd’s family probably kept a small patch of land to grow potatoes. They would have been worried when the crop failed. But with the money Edd’s father earned as a teacher, they could buy other foods, like bread and fish.

Ireland’s laborers did not have that option. Many had to sell whatever they could for money to buy food. They sold their furniture, clothes, and tools. Others crouched in ditches by the side of the road. They picked weeds and gathered snails to eat. The most desperate snuck out after dark. They stole grain from the fields of wealthier farmers. They stole fish from the landlords’ lakes and streams.

Something had to be done. But the British government was slow to act. Many of its leaders unfairly blamed the disaster on the Irish people. The leaders said that if the Irish had worked harder and relied less on the potato, then people wouldn’t be going hungry. Maybe, the leaders said, this crisis would even teach them a lesson.

It was months before the British finally sent help. The government would pay struggling laborers a small wage to repair roads, build walls, and dig ditches. Then they could buy food like corn. But by then, many were too weak to do such backbreaking work. And corn was not as nutritious as potatoes.

The laborers tried to make themselves feel better. They told themselves it was all temporary. Soon there would be a bountiful new potato harvest. Surely the dreadful disease wouldn’t strike again.

Shutterstock.com

Why People Leave

Since the dawn of history, large groups of people have moved away from their homelands. Sometimes they leave because they must; they are fleeing war, disaster, or persecution. Sometimes they leave for new opportunities and a better life. These human movements are known as migrations, and they change both the places people leave behind and the places they go.

In what is now the United States, wave after wave of migrations have profoundly shaped history. Thousands of years ago, for example, the ancestors of many Native peoples traveled from northern Asia to North America, where there was more food to hunt. In the 1600s, a group called the Puritans sailed to what is now Massachusetts, fleeing religious persecution in England. And in the 1850s, the discovery of gold in California brought thousands of immigrants from Asia, Europe, and South America.

We are living in a time of mass migration too. Since early 2022, millions of Ukrainians have left their country to escape invading Russian military forces. And over the past seven years, more than six million people have fled Venezuela because of violence and shortages of food and medicine. The U.S. recently agreed to welcome 20,000 people from Latin America and 100,000 from Ukraine.

Shutterstock.com

Why People Leave

A Painful Choice

But in early August 1846, it did. Once again, storms pounded the countryside, mold spread, and the potatoes blackened. And this time, the blight was worse than the year before: More than three-quarters of the potato crop was destroyed.

Laborers fell to their knees and wept. Most didn’t have anything left to sell. And the British government had shut down many of its relief efforts, deciding the Irish should be responsible for their own problems.

The laborers had pinned all their hopes on these new potatoes. Now they had nothing. Their despair soon erupted into anger. It wasn’t as if all the crops in Ireland had failed. Only the potato did. Wheat, oats, and barley flourished on the lands of landlords and more-well-off farmers.

So why were millions starving? Landlords and farmers planned to sell these grains to England and other countries—and the British government did not step in to stop them, even to save millions from starvation. Riots broke out as hungry laborers watched ships full of food sail away from their shores.

But as the months dragged on, people grew too weak even for anger. Their bodies, severely malnourished, were no longer strong enough to fight off infections. Diseases like typhus and cholera swept through towns and villages, sickening thousands. It’s estimated that 10 times as many people died of disease as died from hunger itself.

And so hundreds of thousands of people made a painful decision: to leave Ireland, the only home they had ever known. Edd’s family was among those who decided to emigrate. As more and more people in Elphin died or moved away, there would have been little work for his father as a schoolteacher. Edd’s parents likely worried about being able to feed their six children. How could their family have a future in Ireland?

In April 1847, Edd and his family set sail on a ship bound for Quebec, Canada. From there, they planned to make their way to New York and start a new life.

But in early August 1846, it did. Once again, storms pounded the countryside. Mold spread, and the potatoes blackened. And this time, the blight was worse than the year before. It destroyed more than three-quarters of the potato crop.

Laborers fell to their knees and wept. Most didn’t have anything left to sell. And the British government had shut down many of its relief efforts. It decided that the Irish should be responsible for their own problems.

The laborers had pinned all their hopes on these new potatoes. Now they had nothing. Their despair soon turned into anger. Not all the crops in Ireland had failed. Only the potato did. Wheat, oats, and barley flourished on the lands of landlords and more-well-off farmers.

So why were millions starving? Landlords and farmers planned to sell these grains to England and other countries. The British government did not step in to stop them, even to save millions from starvation. Hungry laborers watched ships full of food sail away. Riots broke out.

But as the months dragged on, people grew too weak even for anger. Their bodies became severely malnourished. They were no longer strong enough to fight off infections. Diseases like typhus and cholera swept through towns and villages. Thousands became sick. It’s estimated that 10 times as many people died of disease as died from hunger itself.

And so hundreds of thousands of people made a painful decision. They would leave Ireland, the only home they had known. Edd’s family was among those who decided to emigrate. As more and more people in Elphin died or moved away, there would have been little work for his father as a schoolteacher. Edd’s parents likely worried about feeding their six children. How could their family have a future in Ireland?

In April 1847, Edd and his family set sail on a ship bound for Quebec, Canada. From there, they would go to New York and start a new life.

The Legacy

By the time the potato blight ended in 1852, more than 1 million people had died from hunger and disease. An estimated 2 million had left the country, emptying out whole towns and villages.

Those who stayed in Ireland grew increasingly angry with how Britain had responded to the crisis. They became more determined than ever to free themselves from British rule. At last, in 1921, most of Ireland won its independence.

Some three-quarters of the people who fled Ireland settled in the United States, including Edd Neary’s family. As with so many immigrants who arrived both before and after them, Irish immigrants often faced discrimination in their new home. Many Americans feared that these newcomers would steal their jobs. Newspaper employment ads warned that “No Irish Need Apply.” Often only the lowest-paying, hardest work was open to Irish people: building railroads, digging canals, working in coal mines.

Yet this work helped transform America. Canals and railroads made it possible to quickly transport supplies over long distances. Coal warmed homes and fueled factories.

Indeed, over the years, Irish immigrants and their descendants have left a lasting impact on American business, politics, and culture. Fed up with dangerous jobs, long hours, and low pay, many Irish workers helped lead the fight for workers’ rights in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Their contributions helped get laws passed that continue to protect workers today.

The potato blight ended in 1852. By then, more than 1 million people had died from hunger and disease. An estimated 2 million had left the country. Whole towns and villages were left empty.

Those who stayed in Ireland grew more and more angry with how Britain had responded to the crisis. They became even more determined to free themselves from British rule. At last, in 1921, most of Ireland won its independence.

Some three-quarters of the people who fled Ireland settled in the United States, including Edd Neary’s family. Like many immigrants who arrived both before and after them, Irish immigrants often faced discrimination. Many Americans feared that these newcomers would steal their jobs. Newspaper employment ads warned that “No Irish Need Apply.” Often only the lowest-paying, hardest work was open to Irish people: building railroads, digging canals, working in coal mines.

Yet this work helped transform America. Canals and railroads made it possible to quickly transport supplies over long distances. Coal warmed homes and fueled factories.

Over the years, Irish immigrants and their descendants left a lasting impact on American business, politics, and culture. Irish workers became fed up with dangerous jobs, long hours, and low pay. They helped lead the fight for workers’ rights in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Their contributions helped get laws passed that continue to protect workers today.

Courtesy of Jennifer Robinson

Edd Neary

As for Edd?

He grew up to become a respected lawyer and judge in the town of Gouverneur, New York. He married and had two sons.

But like many who fled Ireland during the Great Irish Famine, he never forgot his homeland. Edd loved spending time with family and friends at a cabin he built in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. He named the cabin after a place that was still close to his heart: Elphin.

Today, more than 100 years after Edd’s death, his descendants help keep his memory alive. Every year at Thanksgiving, as they pass the mashed potatoes, they tell the story of the disaster that drove their family from Ireland—and the brave young boy who began a new life in America.

As for Edd?

He grew up to become a respected lawyer and judge in the town of Gouverneur, New York. He married and had two sons.

Writing Prompt

Was the Great Irish Famine an act of nature? Answer this question in a short essay. Support your ideas with text evidence.

Writing Prompt

Was the Great Irish Famine an act of nature? Answer this question in a short essay. Support your ideas with text evidence.

^{This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue.}

video (1)

Slideshows (2)

Audio ()

Activities (14)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

video (1)

Slideshows (2)

Audio ()

Activities (14)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Support for Multilingual Learners

Essential questions: How can one event change the course of history? What responsibility do governments have in times of disaster? What does it mean to be an American? Why do people migrate?

1. PREPARING TO READ (15 MINUTES)

Do Now: Reflect on Statistics (10 minutes)

Display the statistics and reflection question below on your board for students to respond to in their journals or on a piece of paper:
- According to the Institute for Food and Development Policy, there is enough food in the world to provide every person with at least 4.3 pounds of food per day: two and a half pounds of grains, beans, and nuts, about a pound of fruits and vegetables, and nearly a pound of meat, milk, and eggs.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between 702 million and 828 million people in the world face hunger today.
  Taken together, what do these statistics make you wonder about? Make a list of questions in response.
Tell students that today they will read a story about a boy who lived through the Great Irish Famine. (A famine is a severe shortage of food that affects many people over a wide area. During a famine, much of a population goes hungry and many people die of starvation and disease.)

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary Slideshow on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. The audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Highlighted words: bountiful, emigrate, empire, flourished, malnourished, thrived.

Do Now: Reflect on Statistics (10 minutes)

Display the statistics and reflection question below on your board for students to respond to in their journals or on a piece of paper:
- According to the Institute for Food and Development Policy, there is enough food in the world to provide every person with at least 4.3 pounds of food per day: two and a half pounds of grains, beans, and nuts, about a pound of fruits and vegetables, and nearly a pound of meat, milk, and eggs.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between 702 million and 828 million people in the world face hunger today.
  Taken together, what do these statistics make you wonder about? Make a list of questions in response.
Tell students that today they will read a story about a boy who lived through the Great Irish Famine. (A famine is a severe shortage of food that affects many people over a wide area. During a famine, much of a population goes hungry and many people die of starvation and disease.)

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

Have a volunteer read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to the article read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

Sensory details use descriptive words that appeal to the five senses. They allow readers to feel like they’re living in the story. What does author Allison Friedman use sensory details to describe? What do these details add to the story? (author’s craft) Friedman speaks to the reader’s sense of smell as she describes “the faint hint of something damp and rotten on the wind,” “a lingering soggy odor,” and a “moldy smell” that became “a choking stink.” Readers can easily visualize the sickly potatoes when she describes them as “scarred and shriveled” with “dark, stinking slime” that “oozed from the vegetables’ skin.” The vivid adjectives she uses to describe Ireland make it easy to picture: its “velvety” mountains, “glassy” lakes, “lush” farmland, and “spongy” wetlands. When describing the weather, she writes that “the bright sun suddenly dimmed, as though a dark curtain had been yanked across the sky” and “a thick blue fog crept over the fields, swallowing up wooden barns and grazing sheep.” These details help readers imagine Ireland and the effect late blight had there.
What role did the weather play in the potato disaster? (cause and effect) Ireland has a cool, damp climate. The mold that causes late blight in potatoes thrives in these conditions. And the summer and fall of 1845 were especially stormy; powerful winds blew the mold specks across the island, and rains helped them sprout and sink deep into the soil.
How was the second round of late blight worse than the first? (compare and contrast) The second round of late blight destroyed an even larger percent of the potato crop: Three-quarters of the potato crop died. Additionally, Ireland’s laborers were in worse shape than during the first round; most did not have any possessions left to sell to help them purchase food. The laborers grew frail and thin, and their bodies became too weak to fight off dangerous germs. Many died from diseases such as typhus and cholera.
How did Edd’s family fare during the famine compared with most people in Ireland? Why? (compare and contrast) Edd’s family likely had a small piece of land on which they grew potatoes, and they would have certainly been affected by the blight. However, Edd’s father was a teacher, and with his salary, the family was able to purchase foods such as bread and fish. Ireland’s laborers, on the other hand, who made up three quarters of Ireland’s population, did not have that option. Many sold their few possessions to purchase food. Some ate weeds and snails out of ditches, or stole grain from the fields of wealthy landlords and farmers. While Edd and his family were able to get by, laborers were evicted from their homes when they couldn’t pay rent and were at much greater risk of dying.
How did the British government respond to the disaster? (key ideas and details) Many British leaders placed blame on the Irish people and showed them little compassion. It took Britain months to respond to the disaster. Eventually, the British government set up a system that required laborers to do backbreaking work for a wage that they could use to buy corn, which was less nutritious than potatoes. And, Friedman explains, by this point laborers were too weak to do such work. When the following year’s crop failed, the British government had already ended many of its relief efforts. It did nothing to stop landlords and farmers from selling their bounty of wheat, oats, and barley to England and other countries, rather than making it available to the starving people right there in Ireland.
Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)
Consider the article’s title, “Escape to Hope.” What were people escaping from? What did they hope to find? Do you think they found it? People were escaping hunger, disease, death, and the control of a government that didn’t support them in their time of greatest need. They were driven from their land, persecuted for their Catholic faith, and prevented from voting, owning land, and holding certain jobs. They undertook a voyage into the unknown in the hope of survival and a better future for their families. While the places they immigrated to offered more opportunities than Ireland did at the time, immigrants in the U.S. faced much discrimination. This must have made starting their new lives difficult.
Friedman writes, “And the Great Irish Famine, as it would come to be known, would change the course of history forever.” How did the Great Irish Famine change the course of history? The Great Irish Famine changed Ireland and the world. Had late blight not come to Ireland’s shores, or had the disaster been handled differently, the world might look different than it does today. The events of the 1840s angered those who stayed in Ireland and made them more determined than ever to free themselves of British rule. After centuries of bitter conflict and being controlled by Britain, most of Ireland won its independence in 1921. Those who left Ireland changed how history would unfold in the places where they arrived. For example, roughly 1.5 million Irish people moved to the United States and helped make the country what it is today, constructing its railroads and canals, working in coal mines, and fighting for workers’ rights.

Describe what you see in the photo of the memorial to An Gorta Mór in Dublin, Ireland. What do you think is the memorial’s purpose? In general, what impact do memorials have on us and the way we think about history? Answers will vary. Students may offer that the memorial’s sculptures are a snapshot of life at the time of the famine—weary, malnourished people clutch their few belongings as they walk by the water’s edge, seemingly searching for a better life. The memorial is likely meant to remind the people of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the world of the 1 million people who died of starvation and disease during the famine, and the 2 million others who crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. Perhaps memorials have many purposes—to honor lives lost, to teach us about the past, and to help us reflect on the type of future we want to build.

Were there parts of the story you found particularly captivating? Emotional? Surprising? Shocking? Explain. Answers will vary.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

Show students the video Beyond the Story: “Voices From the Famine,” which presents first-hand accounts from the Great Irish Famine. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or pairs.

Have a volunteer read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to the article read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

Sensory details use descriptive words that appeal to the five senses. They allow readers to feel like they’re living in the story. What does author Allison Friedman use sensory details to describe? What do these details add to the story? (author’s craft) Friedman speaks to the reader’s sense of smell as she describes “the faint hint of something damp and rotten on the wind,” “a lingering soggy odor,” and a “moldy smell” that became “a choking stink.” Readers can easily visualize the sickly potatoes when she describes them as “scarred and shriveled” with “dark, stinking slime” that “oozed from the vegetables’ skin.” The vivid adjectives she uses to describe Ireland make it easy to picture: its “velvety” mountains, “glassy” lakes, “lush” farmland, and “spongy” wetlands. When describing the weather, she writes that “the bright sun suddenly dimmed, as though a dark curtain had been yanked across the sky” and “a thick blue fog crept over the fields, swallowing up wooden barns and grazing sheep.” These details help readers imagine Ireland and the effect late blight had there.
What role did the weather play in the potato disaster? (cause and effect) Ireland has a cool, damp climate. The mold that causes late blight in potatoes thrives in these conditions. And the summer and fall of 1845 were especially stormy; powerful winds blew the mold specks across the island, and rains helped them sprout and sink deep into the soil.
How was the second round of late blight worse than the first? (compare and contrast) The second round of late blight destroyed an even larger percent of the potato crop: Three-quarters of the potato crop died. Additionally, Ireland’s laborers were in worse shape than during the first round; most did not have any possessions left to sell to help them purchase food. The laborers grew frail and thin, and their bodies became too weak to fight off dangerous germs. Many died from diseases such as typhus and cholera.
How did Edd’s family fare during the famine compared with most people in Ireland? Why? (compare and contrast) Edd’s family likely had a small piece of land on which they grew potatoes, and they would have certainly been affected by the blight. However, Edd’s father was a teacher, and with his salary, the family was able to purchase foods such as bread and fish. Ireland’s laborers, on the other hand, who made up three quarters of Ireland’s population, did not have that option. Many sold their few possessions to purchase food. Some ate weeds and snails out of ditches, or stole grain from the fields of wealthy landlords and farmers. While Edd and his family were able to get by, laborers were evicted from their homes when they couldn’t pay rent and were at much greater risk of dying.
How did the British government respond to the disaster? (key ideas and details) Many British leaders placed blame on the Irish people and showed them little compassion. It took Britain months to respond to the disaster. Eventually, the British government set up a system that required laborers to do backbreaking work for a wage that they could use to buy corn, which was less nutritious than potatoes. And, Friedman explains, by this point laborers were too weak to do such work. When the following year’s crop failed, the British government had already ended many of its relief efforts. It did nothing to stop landlords and farmers from selling their bounty of wheat, oats, and barley to England and other countries, rather than making it available to the starving people right there in Ireland.
Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)
Consider the article’s title, “Escape to Hope.” What were people escaping from? What did they hope to find? Do you think they found it? People were escaping hunger, disease, death, and the control of a government that didn’t support them in their time of greatest need. They were driven from their land, persecuted for their Catholic faith, and prevented from voting, owning land, and holding certain jobs. They undertook a voyage into the unknown in the hope of survival and a better future for their families. While the places they immigrated to offered more opportunities than Ireland did at the time, immigrants in the U.S. faced much discrimination. This must have made starting their new lives difficult.
Friedman writes, “And the Great Irish Famine, as it would come to be known, would change the course of history forever.” How did the Great Irish Famine change the course of history? The Great Irish Famine changed Ireland and the world. Had late blight not come to Ireland’s shores, or had the disaster been handled differently, the world might look different than it does today. The events of the 1840s angered those who stayed in Ireland and made them more determined than ever to free themselves of British rule. After centuries of bitter conflict and being controlled by Britain, most of Ireland won its independence in 1921. Those who left Ireland changed how history would unfold in the places where they arrived. For example, roughly 1.5 million Irish people moved to the United States and helped make the country what it is today, constructing its railroads and canals, working in coal mines, and fighting for workers’ rights.
Describe what you see in the photo of the memorial to An Gorta Mór in Dublin, Ireland. What do you think is the memorial’s purpose? In general, what impact do memorials have on us and the way we think about history? Answers will vary. Students may offer that the memorial’s sculptures are a snapshot of life at the time of the famine—weary, malnourished people clutch their few belongings as they walk by the water’s edge, seemingly searching for a better life. The memorial is likely meant to remind the people of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the world of the 1 million people who died of starvation and disease during the famine, and the 2 million others who crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. Perhaps memorials have many purposes—to honor lives lost, to teach us about the past, and to help us reflect on the type of future we want to build.
Were there parts of the story you found particularly captivating? Emotional? Surprising? Shocking? Explain. Answers will vary.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

Show students the video Beyond the Story: “Voices From the Famine,” which presents first-hand accounts from the Great Irish Famine. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or pairs.

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Causes of the Great Irish Famine. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Causes of the Great Irish Famine. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

4. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Is Ireland on an island? Yes, it is.
Did most Irish people rely on the potato for food? Yes, they did.
Did the British take over Ireland? Yes, they did.
Did scientists at the time understand what was happening to the potatoes? No, they didn’t.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

In the 1800s, was Ireland a poor place or a wealthy place? In the 1800s, Ireland was one of the poorest places in Europe.
Did the potato blight last for one year or for more than one year? The potato blight lasted for more than one year, from 1845 to 1852.
Did all the crops in Ireland fail or only the potato crops? Only the potato crops failed.
Did Edd Neary’s family stay in Ireland or immigrate to the United States? Edd Neary and his family immigrated to the United States.
Is Ireland still under British rule or did it win its independence? Most of Ireland won its independence.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

How did the weather help the potato disease spread? The mold that causes the disease thrives in cool, damp weather like Ireland’s, and stormy winds blew the mold across the island.
Why did so many people die from disease during the famine? Because people did not have enough to eat, their bodies were not strong enough to fight off infections.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Discuss the sounds of ou while previewing vocabulary.

Before reading the article, preview the vocabulary words using our audio-visual vocabulary slideshow. Point out that two of the words have the vowel combination ou, and it is pronounced differently in each word.

Say bountiful aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in bountiful. (about, mountain, house)
Say flourished aloud. Then give examples of words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in flourished. (courage, journal, nourish)

Language Stretch: Introduce ou words with two additional pronunciations:

Say group aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in group.
(you, soup, crouton)
Say cousin aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in cousin. (country, double, young)

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Is Ireland on an island? Yes, it is.
Did most Irish people rely on the potato for food? Yes, they did.
Did the British take over Ireland? Yes, they did.
Did scientists at the time understand what was happening to the potatoes? No, they didn’t.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

In the 1800s, was Ireland a poor place or a wealthy place? In the 1800s, Ireland was one of the poorest places in Europe.
Did the potato blight last for one year or for more than one year? The potato blight lasted for more than one year, from 1845 to 1852.
Did all the crops in Ireland fail or only the potato crops? Only the potato crops failed.
Did Edd Neary’s family stay in Ireland or immigrate to the United States? Edd Neary and his family immigrated to the United States.
Is Ireland still under British rule or did it win its independence? Most of Ireland won its independence.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

How did the weather help the potato disease spread? The mold that causes the disease thrives in cool, damp weather like Ireland’s, and stormy winds blew the mold across the island.
Why did so many people die from disease during the famine? Because people did not have enough to eat, their bodies were not strong enough to fight off infections.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Discuss the sounds of ou while previewing vocabulary.

Say bountiful aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in bountiful. (about, mountain, house)
Say flourished aloud. Then give examples of words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in flourished. (courage, journal, nourish)

Language Stretch: Introduce ou words with two additional pronunciations:

Say group aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in group.
(you, soup, crouton)
Say cousin aloud. Then give examples of other words in which ou is pronounced the same way it is in cousin. (country, double, young)

Text-to-Speech

Escape to Hope

Why People Leave

Why People Leave

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (15 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Help/Support

Help/Support

About Us

Subscriber Information

Escape to Hope

Why People Leave

Why People Leave

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read 2. Reading and Discussing 3. Skill Building and Writing 4. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (15 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Help/Support

Help/Support

About Us

Subscriber Information

Connect with Us

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Support for Multilingual Learners