In Oklahoma history, few dates have greater significance than April 19, 1995. In honor of the 25th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony this week, we would like to share this part of Oklahoma’s history.
On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City and the nation experienced something they had never experienced before. The United States, and Oklahoma specifically, was under attack. The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was the target of a homemade bomb. Many people including children did not get to go home that day. People around the country mourned the loss of lives in Oklahoma.
Although the country was feeling a sense of loss, the country also felt a togetherness. That feeling of unity was heard in messages that went around the world. The President offered words of support, hope, and comfort. Countless firefighters, police officers, and paramedics flooded the streets to help those in need.
People wore ribbons of color to show they were thinking of Oklahoma. Blue ribbons for statehood, purple ribbons for courage, yellow ribbons for hope, and white ribbons for innocence were pinned on clothing and tied on buildings for days and weeks after the bombing.
Today, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum gives people a chance to learn more about that day. It tells of the history. It tells of the horror. It also tells of the “Oklahoma Standard: Out of Tragedy, Courage.”
One hundred sixty-eight stone and glass chairs now sit on the land at 620 N. Harvey. Each one represents a life lost. Nineteen of those chairs are for the children. Those chairs are smaller in size. The chairs are placed in nine rows. The nine rows of chairs represent the nine stories in the Murrah Building.
Each chair is engraved with the name of a particular person. The lawn adds to the setting for visitors to remember the day Oklahomans will never forget.
This passage is from our Success with OAS series. If your students can answer the following questions, they will be on their way to mastering “author’s purpose,” OAS 3.R.1 in the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- What is the author’s purpose for writing this text?
- inform readers about the museum
- inform readers about an event in Oklahoma history
- persuade readers to visit Oklahoma City
- persuade readers to learn about the Oklahoma Standard
- If an author writes about why people should choose a yellow ribbon instead of a blue, the author’s purpose would be to
- persuade.
- entertain.
- inform.
- to give instructions.
Stay tuned for more selections about Oklahoma’s past and present and opportunities for student success with OAS!
Jan Barrick, CEO
Alpha Plus Educational Systems
For more information, click here to visit our FREE Textbook Samples page.
NOTE: The Memorial Museum has a resource page with a lesson plan. Click here to go to their website.