Fire Ecology

21st Century Skills addressed:

Critical thinking and reasoning, information literacy

Overview:
After visiting Bobcat Ridge Natural Area, students will delve further into
forest fires and their impact on the environment.
Students will view a Prezi that describes the cycle of a forest fire and its
role in nature. The students will also watch a video on forest fires: EnviroTacklebox: Module 04: Forces in the Environment: Rebirth in Fire (via
Discovery Education).
Students will use their notes, actual pictures, and mental pictures from the
field trip to help them evaluate how the Bobcat fire affected the natural area
they visited. Special attention will be given to the flora of the area and how
it appears now, 15 years after the fire.
Objectives:
Students will be able to thoughtfully discuss the following questions in the
whole group and small groups:

What happens when a fire travels through an area?

Is a fire always destructive?
What is the difference between a nature-caused and a human-caused
fire?
How does each type hurt and/ or help an area?

Students will be able to chart the following: benefits and deficits of forest
fire, as well as plant and animal adaptations made to protect themselves
from fire.
Lesson Procedure:
1. Have students share their pictures and journal entries/ notes from the
previous days field trip.
2. Ask students to reflect on how the Bobcat Ridge area is progressing
10 years after it was marred by human- caused fire.
3. Share Prezi on Cycle of a Forest Fire: https://prezi.com/eqoumw9bb9v/cycle-of-a-forest-fire/
4. Help students begin a chart of benefits and deficits of forest fires.
5. Show students the video: Enviro- Tacklebox: Module 4.
6. After the video, discuss new information learned about fires- naturecaused, human-caused, and human-controlled (controlled burns). Add
this info to previously discussed information.
Curriculum created by Melissa Dalrymple

Fire Ecology
7. Talk about adaptations that plants and animals have that allowed
them to survive forest fires.
8. Make a list of adaptations that were seen on the field trip. Use the
students pictures to confirm.
9. Tell students they will create their own plant or animal that can
survive a forest fire. The will need to include information learned in
the lesson to help them guide their process. They will need to
illustrate and given a written description of the species and how it can
survive.
Assessment:
Students will create their own plant or animal that would live in the life
zone affected by fire. This plant or animal will have adaptations that will
allow it to survive a forest fire. (See Appendix D)
References used:
1. Boyce (2014) this article inspired the use of iPads and digital cameras
to bring back images from the natural area to study in the classroom.
2. Simmons (1998) this article inspired the reflection of the outdoor field
trip.
3. Chambers (2014) findings on using the environment to engage in
critical thinking skills and highlight ethic of care were incorporated
into this lesson.
4. Enviro- Tacklebox (2002) used as background information.

Curriculum created by Melissa Dalrymple