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October, 1998


We Didn't Start the Fire
http://www.teacheroz.com/fire.htm
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12

CONTENT:
This Web site has the complete lyrics to Billy Joel's 1989 song "We Didn't Start the Fire." Each of the historical names is hyperlinked to an outside resource that explains the word.

AESTHETICS:
The home page has the entire song listed as hyperlinks. The background is a solid gray and there are no graphics or images on the site.

ORGANIZATION:
Almost every word in the song is a hyperlink to an outside site. Viewers must use their browsers' back buttons to return to the site.

REVIEW:
For those unfamiliar with it, Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" is a rock and roll song with political and historical lyrics. The song was published in 1989 and comments on social and current events beginning in the 1950s and ending with the late 1980s. Covered topics include Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Queen Elizabeth, the Viet Nam War, Malcolm X, and Menachem Begin. Many other events are listed in the lyrics. History and current events teachers could use this page as the basis of a lesson plan where students each are assigned (or choose) one particular subject or era to research and report about. Educators should view the site first to determine the appropriateness of the material.