Lesson plan: Weathering wildfires

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Objectives

Students will:

• Locate areas of ongoing U.S. wildfires on maps.
• Analyze weather data to decide what relationship, if any, exists between wildfires and weather.
• Examine the possible effects of the closing of public lands on tourism and agriculture.

Standards

National Science Education Standards
Earth and Space Science, Content Standard D

High school students use and extend their understanding of how the processes of radiation, convection and conduction transfer energy through the earth system.

Suggested time

One to two class periods

Materials

CNNfyi article, "Feds battling wildfires"
Internet access
U.S. maps
Pushpins

Procedures

1. Discuss current weather patterns with students. Ask them if they have noticed anything about the amount of rainfall during recent years in the United States, especially Western and Southern regions. Have students read the CNNfyi article "Feds battling wildfires." Then ask the following:

• Where are active U.S. wildfires located? What are some of the known causes of the wildfires? How many acres of land are closed in Montana? Why has public access to this area been denied? What types of problems have fires caused in Montana and elsewhere in the country? In your opinion, what effect will the wildfires have on Montana's tourist economy?
• Why do you think there is a manpower shortage in the quest to put out fires in Montana? What are some agencies doing to assist? Do you perceive firefighting to be dangerous? Why would people volunteer for such jobs?

Assessment

When students have completed their research, have them pair with those who looked at another topic. Instruct them to share findings with each other and arrive at a conclusion about the relationship of weather to wildfires. Have them present their findings to the class, either in groups or individually. They can use U.S. maps and pushpins to pinpoint areas affected by wildfires, drought or other weather patterns.

Accommodation

Logical/mathematical: Students can create time lines of wildfires in the United States in the past few years. Challenge them to research the locations and amounts of damage.