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Database Provider

Author

Nature Lab

Grades

8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Climate Action

Resource Types

  • Lesson Plan, Three 50-minute periods
  • Worksheet
  • Article
  • Video, 1 minute, 8 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Video, 15 minutes
  • Video, 6 minutes, 22 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Interactive Media
  • Video, 4 minutes, 4 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Video, 5 minutes, 41 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Video, 6 minutes, 29 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Video, 8 minutes, 8 seconds, CC, Subtitles
  • Game

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - West, Oceania

Format

Google Docs, PDF, YouTube Video

Wildfires: Impact of Climate Change

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Synopsis
  • In this multi-day lesson, students learn about the impact climate change has on the severity of wildfires, the effect that wildfires have on the environment, and what can be done to reduce this impact.
  • Students will research the topic of wildfires by watching videos, answering questions, playing a Kahoot, and reading articles. They will then demonstrate their learning by giving a presentation and creating a plan to enact change.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • For the research project in this lesson, students get to choose their topic from some provided options. This gives students a sense of autonomy in their learning.
  • The documentary that this lesson is based around has interviews, visuals, and cinematography that is very engaging for students.

Additional Prerequisites

  • Some students may need the terms urbanization, algorithms, combustible, inoculate, aerosol, parch, regalia, decimate, sequester, and others defined prior to beginning the lesson.
  • Students should have a basic understanding of what climate change is and the driving forces behind it.
  • The link for "Girl Rising - Climate Education Initiative for Girls" link in the Links for Students section is broken.
  • There is a linked article about using the Socratic method in the classroom. This article is strictly for teacher use, but does use the word "hell" in it.

Differentiation

  • In the research portion, each student must begin with the same article in their research, listed first in the available resources. This article can be used with the whole class to demonstrate how to correctly find and cite evidence.
  • Students who have public speaking-related anxieties can record their presentation or present to just the teacher.
  • Students with low reading stamina can work together in groups to read the articles for research and do so in a jigsaw method, with each student reading one article and reporting the most important points to the rest of the group.
  • The climbing video can be used in physical education classes to help connect climate change to physical fitness classes.
  • Science classes can use this lesson to connect to lessons about ecological succession, climate zones, biomes, biodiversity, or plant biology.
Scientist Notes
This resource is a teacher's guide for the impacts of climate change on wildfires. Within the guide are many links to articles and videos, all of which have been reviewed and approved for scientific accuracy. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • ETS1: Engineering Design
      • HS-ETS1-3 Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
    • LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
      • MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
      • MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
      • HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
      • HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
  • Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
    • Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7 Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.9 Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.8 Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.
    • Speaking & Listening (K-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
    • Writing: History, Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
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