I first read Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson in college for my education degree. I remember loving the historical accuracy, the dynamic characters, and the themes of resiliency and triumph. At the time, the novel seemed otherworldly.
Although I knew it actually took place in Philadelphia in the 1700s, I could not imagine something like this happening in our time. A devastating epidemic sweeping through a city, causing thousands of deaths, stumping doctors, and impacting every portion of society and culture. Especially with our advanced medical technology, an epidemic like the yellow fever of 1793 seemed to be a surreal and important experience to read about, but I didn’t connect with it as I do now.
Fast forward a decade after I graduated from college, and COVID-19 became a pandemic of epic proportions. I recently read Fever 1793 again with my middle school son, and I have to say that the similarities between the epidemic of yellow fever and the pandemic of COVID-19 are eerie. It was uncanny to read and connect with the novel on so many elements, and for my son to connect with the main character, Mattie, as a young person living during an epidemic that drastically changes everything.
I highly recommend Fever 1793. I am more convinced now than ever that Fever 1793 is a crucially important novel for students of this generation to read. Not only will they connect their own personal experiences with Mattie’s, but they will also learn about another time in history when a disease impacted life significantly.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lived above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out.
Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie’s world upside down. At her feverish mother’s insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.
If you plan on teaching Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, here are 7 captivating project-based lesson activities you can complete in your classroom that will allow students to deeply engage and learn from this novel.
#1 Fever 1793 Yellow Fever vs. COVID-19 Infographic Project
Epidemics have shaped history and affected the lives of people in dramatic ways. Students can explore and compare two significant diseases from different time periods. One is the yellow fever outbreak in 1793 in Philadelphia, as described in Fever 1793. The other is the modern COVID-19 pandemic. By examining causes, symptoms, public response, medical knowledge, and outcomes, students can better understand how communities react to health crises. They also see how medical science evolves over time and how diseases impact society as a whole.
Students can also deeply connect with the events of the book by comparing the two diseases. Especially since they lived through one of them themselves. Task students with creating an infographic to present the information in a clear, visual way. Students can create the infographic in a side-by-side comparison to help visualize both the similarities and differences between these two epidemics. The students should show that while technology and knowledge have advanced, human experiences during outbreaks often share common challenges.
Interested in this full project, complete with research sheets, templates, and a rubric? Grab it in our Fever 1793 Project-Based Learning Unit.
#2 Fever 1793 Historical Research Projects
Because Fever 1793 is historical fiction, there are numerous events described in the book that also took place in history. The many historical events, factual details, and topics centered around the fictional story of Mattie and her family and friends. Students can learn about a specific historical topic addressed in the novel by completing a research project, and, in turn, learn more about the background of the book.
Students can pick a true historical subject or topic that is featured in the book, research it thoroughly, become an expert on the topic, and create a presentation all about it.
Some historical topics that students can choose from are listed below:
- The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
- Medical Practices in the Late 1700s
- Life in Philadelphia in the 1790s
- Free African Americans and the Free African Society
This full project is included in our PBL Unit. From a full topic list to research graphic organizers and a rubric, this project has everything you need to complete it.
#3 Blanchard’s Balloon Activity: Symbolism and Historical Context in Fever 1793
Speaking of real historical topics from the novel, the first successful hot air balloon flight in North America is described in the book. Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French balloonist, launched a hot air balloon from the yard of the Walnut Street Prison in Philadelphia. Thousands of people gathered to watch this historic event on January 9, 1783.
In the novel, the main character, Mattie, recalls this happy event just eight months before yellow fever struck the city of Philadelphia. She recalls how joyous and hopeful she was about the new year of 1793 as she watched the hot air balloon rise over her city. As the balloon floats higher and higher, it represents hope, big dreams, and the idea of freedom. As yellow fever bombards her life, this dreamy recollection becomes all about Mattie wishing her life could rise the same way, above the obstacles and struggles this disease has brought.
Students can read all about this historical event of Blanchard’s Balloon through various nonfiction articles online. Students can also explore the symbolism behind Mattie’s connection to the hot air balloon by writing about the various hopes and dreams of each of the characters on a hot air balloon template. Take it a step further, and students can record metaphors from the novel on a hot air balloon cut-out.
Our Fever 1793 PBL Novel Unit contains a nonfiction article about Blanchard’s Balloon and the above hot air balloon symbolism activities.
#4 Fever 1793 PSA Poster Project (Public Service Announcement Activity)
In 1793, there were no television ads, social media posts, or posters like we see today, but there were early forms of propaganda such as newspapers, flyers, pamphlets, and word-of-mouth messages, meant to educate and inform the people of Philadelphia about yellow fever. These messages tried to convince people how to stay safe, who to trust, and what actions to take.
Students can dive into the history behind propaganda and PSA’s (public service announcements) through exploring how these messages spread during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Students can also research PSA’s and propaganda examples from the COVID-19 era to learn how to ask questions, check sources, and think critically about how information spreads and how harmful misinformation is.
Next, task students with creating a PSA poster. This poster can be created on construction or copy paper, digitally through Canva, or through Google Slides. Students pick a specific topic that will be the poster’s theme, create a clever way to illustrate the topic, complete with catchy phrasing to grab attention, and bring visual and emotional appeal to the PSA.
Grab this full PSA project in our Fever 1793 Novel Unit.
#5 Fever 1793 Shoebox Diorama Project: The Cook Coffeehouse
In Fever 1793, Mattie’s mother ran The Cook Coffeehouse. It is a central setting and a crucial plot point in the novel. The book described it as a busy gathering place where people came to drink coffee, eat, and socialize. It was a hub of city life in Philadelphia. The city was bustling but intimate with a mix of neighbors, merchants, politicians, and travelers who chatted, argued, and relaxed there. It was also a symbol of safety and Mattie’s home, as she lives above the coffeehouse. Even during the epidemic, when the coffeehouse had to close, it represented her family and the life she was used to.
Students can complete research into coffeehouses of the 1790s, their purposes and uses, and their importance to the culture of the time. Next, students can create a shoebox diorama of the Cook Coffeehouse using craft materials. Using their research, students’ shoebox dioramas should capture the essence and history of a coffeehouse from the 1700s.
This full project, including a guideline, research sheet, planning sketch, and rubrics, is found in our Fever 1793 PBL Unit.
#6 Fever 1793 Cook Coffeehouse Menu Design Activity
Mattie, the main character, is a young woman with vast ambitions. She watches her widowed mother, Lucille, run a thriving business, and it inspires her to one day expand the coffeehouse and its menu herself. After the epidemic ends, Mattie is given the opportunity to take over the coffeehouse with a partner. In doing so, her long-held dreams finally begin to take shape.
Students can research coffee and food options from the 1790s, as well as actual prices, to design an expanded menu similar to what Mattie would create. Students can design the menu using Canva, Google Slides, construction paper, or by dying copy paper with tea.
This full project, including research papers, menu templates, guidelines, and a rubric, is included in our PBL unit.
#7 Fever 1793 Yellow Fever Survival Guide Writing Project
Throughout the novel, readers learn how Philadelphia’s citizens, including doctors, successfully and unsuccessfully treated yellow fever. Laurie Halse Anderson does a wonderful job weaving real information about citizens’ beliefs about how the disease spread at the time into the captivating plotline. She includes details about symptoms, gritty descriptions, and sanitation and quarantine practices. These historical elements deepen the realism of the story while strengthening the narrative.
Students can take the information they learned in Fever 1793 to create a “Yellow Fever Survival Guide.” This informative booklet would represent something the city of Philadelphia might have written and passed out to help slow the spread of the disease. It would also inform citizens about what to do during the crisis.
Students can write about yellow fever symptoms, tips on how to treat it, places to avoid in the city, how to quarantine and more in their Yellow Fever Survival Guide.
Interested in this booklet? It is included in our PBL unit.
Fever 1793 Project-Based Learning Novel Unit
This engaging project-based learning novel unit invites students to dive deeply into the world of Fever 1793 through meaningful, hands-on activities that blend literacy, science, history, and critical thinking. Students conduct historical research, explore character growth, and think analytically through a variety of research, literacy, and writing projects. Immersive activities bring the setting to life and deepen character understanding. Students also apply real-world connections and are provided a rich variety of options while fostering creativity, empathy, and historical insight.
15 Projects/Activities:
- Timeline Project
- Research Project
- PSA Poster Project
- Mattie’s Scrapbook “In Her Shoes” Diary Project
- Types of Conflicts Activities
- Newspaper Article Project
- Blanchard Balloon Nonfiction Article
- Hot Air Balloon: Hopes & Dreams/Problem & Solution/Metaphors Activities
- Cook Coffeehouse Shoebox Diorama
- Cook Coffeehouse Menu Project
- Letters to Lucille Activity
- Mattie’s Transformation Booklet
- Book Cover Project
- Yellow Fever Survival Guide
- COVID vs. Yellow Fever Infographic Project
Why Teach Fever 1793? Making Historical Fiction Relevant for Today’s Students
Whether your students experienced COVID-19 firsthand or are simply beginning to understand how deeply a health crisis can shape the world, Fever 1793 offers a powerful bridge between past and present.
Conclusion
Through rich historical detail and Mattie’s unforgettable journey, students see that resilience, courage, and community matter just as much as medical advancements. By incorporating meaningful, project-based activities, you move beyond simple comprehension questions and invite students to research, create, analyze, and empathize. Students can step inside history with this book and its activities.
If you’re looking for a way to make historical fiction feel relevant, rigorous, and deeply personal, this novel and the accompanying PBL experiences will transform your classroom into a space where literacy, history, and real-world connections truly come alive.
