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The Scofield Mine Disaster

Question
Background Information
Archive
Teacher Resources

Central Question:

In what ways did the Scofield Mine Disaster encourage Progressive Reform?

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The family of Levi Jones, who was killed in the explosion, surround his coffin


Image courtesy of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement.
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A father and son killed in the explosion lay in their coffins



Image courtesy of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement.
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A crowd surrounds graves as they are dedicated by LDS leader George Teasdale


Image published before 1923 and property of the public domain.
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Read more about the Scofield Mine Disaster below!

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Denounce Strike of the Scofield Miners

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Great Precautions Now Taken

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Deseret News Mine Inspector

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Investigate

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Necessary Precautions

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Cause of the Explosion

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Inspector Not Warned

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Interview Manufactured

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President M'Kinley Expresses Sympathy

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Investigate (2)

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The Scofield Disaster

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The Scofield Disaster Song

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Preparing for Inquest

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Sensational Charges

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New York Evening Journal

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The Accident Ought to be Enough

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Photographs

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Scofield Mine Disaster Song (2)

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Lyrics to Scofield Mine Disaster Song (2)

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This lesson can be adapted to fulfill either a Utah History Core Standard or a US History II Core Standard. Find the resources for both classes below.

Lesson Plans
Utah History Standard 3.4

7th Grade
US History II Standard 2.1

11th Grade
Graphic Organizer
7th Grade
11th Grade

Instructions for Graphic Organizer

Teachers: You may need to simplify, adjust, or scaffold these instructions for students, depending on grade level/ability. This is just a general outline.

  1. Choose 6 sources from the archive page to analyze. (Teachers: you can add or remove rows from the table if you want students to look at more/fewer sources)

  2. In the first column, write the name of the source, the author, the date it was published, and the type of source it is.

  3. The next four columns list different responses to the Scofield Mine Disaster. In each row, mark which responses are seen in that source by drawing an "X" or a checkmark in the corresponding boxes. More than one response may be seen in one source.

  4. Compare worksheets with the people around you, make sure a variety of sources have been analyzed by the people in your group. Pay attention to trends such as which responses were more commonly seen in the sources. You may want to add up the number of checkmarks in each column within your whole group.

  5. Discuss the three questions at the end with your group, and then answer them individually on your worksheet.