Wildfires Research Lesson
Lesson Plan
1 hour 40 minutesGrades6, 7, 8Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts
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Written by Lisa Colombo, Oregon Educators for Climate Education
About this lesson
In this lesson, students learn how climate change is making wildfires worse in Oregon and across the globe and create a wildfire solution for prevention or preparation.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students brainstorm their relationship with fire, review data on wildfires in Oregon, and reflect on why wildfires are increasing in frequency in Oregon.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch two videos and make connections between climate change and wildfires.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn about climate refugees, research prevention and preparation strategies, and create a presentation to promote one of these strategies.
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Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Positives
- This lesson can be taught in a language arts class or a science class.
- Students make a personal connection to fire before learning about climate change’s impact on wildfires.
- Students promote a prevention or preparation strategy to share with their class, school, or community.
Additional Prerequisites
- It would be helpful for students to have some background knowledge of what makes fire burn. The resources Heat and Fuel and Oxygen can provide more context for students.
- The data in the sortable table titled, Oregon Biggest Fires, comes from this article. You can access the data by clicking, “Download the data.”
Differentiation
From the scientist review
This lesson allows students to learn about the causes of wildfire and how they are induced by climate change. It also highlights locations at risk to wildfires in Oregon and ways students can develop tactics to promote effective management of wildfire events. The archival data on wildfires will enable them to interpret wildfire hotspots for contingency planning. This lesson is very engaging and is recommended for classroom use.
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About the teacher writers
Lisa Colombo
Lisa is a middle school teacher at Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
Lisa is a passionate educator with over 20 years of experience in education and curriculum development. She was co-author of the civil rights curriculum, “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: The Black History of Portland, Oregon,” and has led several professional development workshops on teaching local history through primary source documents. She is passionate about promoting critical inquiry, place-based education, and never-ending curiosity. Lisa holds an M.Ed in curriculum and instruction and is currently a middle school teacher at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
Bio from: https://www.ohs.org/blog/Lisa-Colombo.cfm
Lisa is a passionate educator with over 20 years of experience in education and curriculum development. She was co-author of the civil rights curriculum, “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: The Black History of Portland, Oregon,” and has led several professional development workshops on teaching local history through primary source documents. She is passionate about promoting critical inquiry, place-based education, and never-ending curiosity. Lisa holds an M.Ed in curriculum and instruction and is currently a middle school teacher at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
Bio from: https://www.ohs.org/blog/Lisa-Colombo.cfm
Oregon Educators for Climate Education
Website: https://www.oregonclimateed.org/
Oregon Educators for Climate Education (OECE) is a statewide group of educators working toward Oregon legislation that would mandate the integration and infusion of climate change for PK-12 education across all core subject areas.
Our steering committee is comprised of current and retired K-12 educators, as well as high school students. While most of us reside and work in the Willamette Valley, we are seeking connection and input from stakeholders from regions across Oregon. We are inclusive and invite diverse voices to join us!
Website: https://www.oregonclimateed.org/
