Lesson Plan - The Maui Fires Changed My Life

Build Background Knowledge

Provide a 3-2-1 task for students to complete as they watch “Wildfires Up Close”: Record 3 ingredients that every fire needs to start, 2 interesting facts, and 1 question you have. Use Think-Pair-Share to discuss responses.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the online Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms annex, generator, legacy, monarch, territory, and traumatize. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, ask them to jot down ideas in response to the question at the beginning of the article on page 7.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How is the introduction different from the rest of the article? (Primary and Secondary Sources)
The introduction is a secondary source that summarizes the events on Maui on August 8. The author gathers details from other sources to introduce the rest of the article, which is a primary source interview. The interview features questions asked by the author set in purple, followed by Kini Varona’s responses in black.

• Summarize what happened on Maui on August 8. (Summarizing)
Several wildfires broke out with little warning. Winds from Hurricane Dora caused the fire closest to Lahaina to spread quickly. Additionally, the storm had knocked out power and internet service and emergency sirens didn’t go off, so many residents were caught by surprise when they saw the flames. The Lahaina blaze destroyed more than 2,200 structures and killed at least 97 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years. The fire destroyed much of Lahaina.

• How did Kini Varona and her family escape the fire? (Analyzing Events)
After Kini saw smoke and looked at the fire from a neighbor’s patio, she went with her dad and brother to the Lahaina fire station, where her parents work. After her mom and other firefighters came back to the station for a break, Kini heard the fire was heading toward her neighborhood and possibly the fire station. The family tried to drive away from the fire but was blocked by a fallen electrical pole, so they had to drive toward it. They eventually made it to a fire station in a nearby town.

• How does the map “Where Kini Lives” support the article? (Text Features)
The map shows Hawaii’s eight main islands. Readers can see where Maui is in relation to the other islands and the locations of Lahaina and Napili, where Kini lived and took shelter. Additionally, the map shows where the current state capital, Honolulu, is located in relation to Lahaina, once capital of the Hawaiian kingdom.

• How does the sidebar “Lahaina’s Legacy” contribute to your understanding? (Integrating Information)
The sidebar explains some of the history and importance of Lahaina, which helps readers understand what was lost in the wildfire. Kamehameha, Hawaii’s first king, united the islands into a kingdom in 1810, and Lahaina was its capital from 1820 to 1845. In the 1820s, White settlers began arriving. In 1893, they made Queen Liliuokalani step down. The United States annexed Hawaii as a territory five years later, and Hawaii became a U.S. state in 1959. Experts hope that Lahaina will be rebuilt so its legacy can continue.

• What happened after the fire? What does Kini say she is saddest about? (Key Details)
A week or two after the fire, Kini’s family returned to look for their cats. They found one that day and the other a few weeks later. While Kini is sad about losing their house, her dad’s coffee shop, and her mom’s surf school, she says that she’s probably saddest about the loss of her grandparents’ house and sailboat. Her grandparents had built the house by hand.

• What challenges does Kini still face? How have people helped her family? (Problem and Solution)
One challenge Kini faces is separation from many of her friends, who have moved to the other side of Maui or different islands or states. She says it’s hard that no one at her new school talks about Lahaina, and she worries that people are forgetting about the town. Another challenge is that her brother, Kimo, is attending a different school than her. Probably the biggest challenge is that her family doesn’t know where they are going to live for the next few years or when Lahaina will be rebuilt. People helped her family and others immediately after the fire by setting up centers where they could get food, water, and other supplies like toothbrushes and clothes. One person had a generator and TV so people could see what had happened. Someone gave her and other firefighters’ families houses to live in for a while. The community also provided support by holding a ceremony, Paddle Out for Lahaina, one month after the fire.

• What are two questions you would have asked Kini? Why? (Asking Questions)
Sample response: I would have asked what her house and neighborhood were like before the fire so I could better visualize the scene and understand what her family lost. I would also have asked what I can do to help people who are still struggling after the fire.

Read a Map

Assign the Skill Builder Map Reading: Hawaii to have students answer 10 questions about a map of the state. You might challenge fast finishers to write two additional questions and swap with a classmate. Review responses and correct any misconceptions. For more map-reading practice, check out our Map Skills Boot Camp with 15 lessons at junior.scholastic.com/mapskills.

Enter This Year’s Eyewitness Contest

Use the Skill Builder Get Ready for Your Interview! to help students prepare for their conversations. Discuss the difference between open-ended and yes/no questions, and brainstorm interview ideas together. Download the Eyewitness to History Contest Entry Form and Rules. Entries must be postmarked or emailed by December 20, 2023.

Assess Comprehension

Use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.