Remember
In what city did the Great Molasses Flood happen?
Boston
What does the word fled mean in this passage?
Ran away or escaped.
Which happened first?
A. Antonio was rescued.
B. The tank exploded.
C. The molasses cooled.
D. The harbor turned brown.
B. The tank exploded.
Which detail from the passage shows that the weather helped cause the disaster?
The sentence explaining that it was an unusually warm January day and the molasses went through a chemical reaction.
Why did the harbor stay brown until summer?
Because cleaning up so much molasses took a long time.
What exploded?
A huge steel tank filled with molasses.
Why did the molasses become even more dangerous after the sun went down?
It cooled and became thicker and stickier.
Would the rescue have been easier or harder after the molasses cooled? Explain.
Harder, because the molasses became thicker and stickier.
Which sentence best explains why the tank exploded?
"The gas made the pressure inside the container go higher and higher, until: BOOM!"
If you could interview Antonio, what is one good question you would ask him?
Any thoughtful question, such as "What were you thinking when the tank exploded?" or "How did you feel after you were rescued?"
What caused the tank to explode?
A chemical reaction created gas that built up pressure inside the tank.
Why did the author tell Antonio's story?
To show how the flood affected real people.
Why was the unusually warm January day important?
It helped the chemical reaction produce gas inside the tank.
Which detail best shows the flood became harder to escape?
The molasses cooled and became thicker and stickier.
If you could change one thing to prevent the disaster, what would it be?
Any reasonable answer supported by the passage, such as preventing the chemical reaction or using a stronger tank. "What evidence from the passage makes you think that?"
Who rescued Antonio?
A firefighter.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A chemical reaction caused a deadly molasses flood, and rescuers worked to save people.
What can you infer about the firefighter who rescued Antonio?
He was brave and acted quickly to save Antonio.
Find one detail that shows Antonio was in danger.
Imagine you were a newspaper reporter the day after the flood. Write a headline.
Accept reasonable answers such as:
How many people died in the flood?
21 people.
Why does the passage begin by describing a normal morning?
To show how suddenly everything changed.
If the chemical reaction had never happened, what most likely would have happened to the tank?
The tank would probably not have exploded.
Find one detail that proves rescuers worked hard to save people.
They searched for four days and four nights.
Explain why the Great Molasses Flood happened and why it became more dangerous after the explosion. Use at least two details from the passage.
Student responses will vary but should explain: