The Oil Embargo: What, When, Why, and How did it Impact Local Schools?

2009 Fellowship, Champaign County Archives

Jacob Bretz

 

Abstract:

This set of lessons will cover the OPEC oil embargo of October 1973-March 1974. At the end of this short series of lessons students should be able to explain why the oil embargo occurred, summarize both federal and local reactions to the oil embargo, as well as how local school districts were affected by the oil shortage.

 

Assessment:

Students will complete a variety of graphic organizers as a means to analyze various images, graphs, and newspaper articles from 1973-74; as well as write a series of short essays using knowledge gained and opinions formed during the duration of the unit.

 

Essential Questions:

á      Why did OPEC place an oil embargo on the United States from October 1973-March 1974?

á      How did the federal government go about dealing with the oil embargo?

á      In what ways did the Urbana-Champaign go about dealing with the effects of the oil embargo and how were local measures taken both similar and different from the federal government?

á      How were the local school districts impacted by the oil embargo of 1973-74?

 

Setting the Purpose:

Oil is arguably the most valuable resource of the last century. Its discovery has ÒfueledÓ technological innovation and convenience as well as conflict and discomfort. When both abundant and scarce, oil has a tremendous impact on all of our lives in some way.  Many students donÕt realize that the natural resources, such as oil, that make our lives more convenient will not always and have not always been in abundance. Hopefully at the end of this unit students will see how worldwide events, such as conflict in the Middle East, can have a direct effect on their lives, families, and local communities.

 

Lesson 1:

This lesson involves examination of images from the 1973-74 oil embargo and a short reflection paper answering the question, ÒHow would your life be different without oil?Ó

 

Lesson 2:

This lesson will examine the background of OPEC and why the oil embargo occurred through the use of secondary websites and primary source newspaper articles from the time period?

 

Lesson 3:  This lesson will examine measures taken by federal, state, and local governments and organizations to help deal with the OPEC oil embargo through the use of primary sources such as presidential speeches, newspaper articles, and editorials.

 

Lesson 4:

This lesson will examine how the local school districts of Urbana-Champaign were specifically affected by the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74?