Freedom House Ambulance: Pioneering EMS & A Key 2nd Grade Reading Comprehension Resource for Teachers

The story of Freedom House Ambulance Flip book is an engaging nonfiction resource that teaches important historical facts. 

 It offers a powerful narrative that not only enhances reading comprehension but also highlights a critical moment in the development of emergency medical services.

Key Questions Teachers Might Ask:

 What was Freedom House Ambulance? 

Freedom House Ambulance was a special ambulance service started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was created to address a significant problem: the lack of fast emergency help systems to get sick or injured people to the hospital. These ambulances were staffed with trained helpers who knew how to care for people en route to the hospital.

Who started Freedom House Ambulance and where was it located? 

This vital service was started by a group of brave Black doctors and helpers in the city of Pittsburgh.

What problem did the Freedom House Ambulance service aim to solve?

 In Pittsburgh at the time, there were very few emergency help systems similar to what we have today. If someone was hurt or sick, there wasn't always a quick way to get them to a hospital. The founders of Freedom House Ambulance wanted to ensure that people could get help right away.

How did the Freedom House workers help people? 

The doctors and helpers involved in Freedom House Ambulance worked hard and trained every day. They acquired crucial skills, learning how to use medical tools, how to help people breathe, how to stop bleeding, and even practiced carrying people on stretchers. They were trained specifically to take care of people during their transport to the hospital.

Why are the Freedom House Ambulance workers considered heroes?

 They are considered true heroes because their dedicated work saved many lives. Their efforts were so significant that the Black doctors and helpers from Pittsburgh helped to create what we now call EMS—Emergency Medical Services.

What is the legacy of Freedom House Ambulance, and what is EMS? 

The legacy of Freedom House Ambulance is profound: it directly contributed to the creation of EMS, or Emergency Medical Services. Today, every city has ambulances that function much like Freedom House did, providing crucial emergency transport and care.

What reading comprehension skills does the "Freedom House Ambulance" flip book activity teach? 

This resource is a 2nd Grade Reading Comprehension Activity. Its learning objective is to help students ask and answer "who, what, when, where, why, and how" questions to demonstrate their understanding of a nonfiction text. It aligns with CCSS.RI.2.1 (asking and answering questions about key details in text) and CCSS.SL.2.2 (recounting or describing key ideas from a text read aloud or information presented through other media).

Who is this "Freedom House Ambulance" activity designed for? 

The activity is specifically targeted at students needing support with reading comprehension.

How do students use the "Freedom House Ambulance" flip book? 

Students read the story "Freedom House Ambulance". They then complete their flip book by writing answers to questions on the left side of an ambulance image and drawing their answers on the right side. After cutting out each ambulance page, they follow instructions on tabs to glue or paste the pages together in order, starting with the title page. Finally, they fold and secure the tabs to the back of the last page.

This resource, developed by Literacy Mobility, offers a valuable tool for teaching both historical significance and essential reading skills.