Directions: Read the summary, watch the videos and answer the discussion questions below. Read the Associated Press’s “Fire breaks out at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.”

Summary: Firefighters contained a major fire at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday. Throngs of tourists and locals gathered nearby to watch and take images of a massive fire that engulfed parts of the 12th-century landmark cathedral as nearby residents were evacuated. Paris fire commander Jean-Claude Gallet said hundreds of firefighters were able to stop the flames from spreading to the north tower belfry, and the Paris police chief said the structure had been saved from total destruction. Major renovations were underway to address cracks in the foundation which inspectors think is the probable cause.

The many works of art inside the cathedral include three stained-glass rose windows and a Catholic relic, the crown of thorns, placed on display on special occasions like Lent, which begins this week. “Like all our countrymen, I’m sad tonight to see this part of us burn,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet; however, he said that the cathedral will be rebuilt through a national fundraising campaign.

March 29, 2019 video and resource materials from PBS NewsHour.

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