Lesson Plan from MA

 My district is always looking for new, progressive best practices to teach students how to think and learn. One such practice adopted by the sixth grade team at my school is the use of DBQ’s, data based question or data based queries. This methodology is College Board recommended and has been used historically in teaching AP or IB students at the high school level.

The purpose of using a DBQ is to steer students away from recall and instead engage in deeper inquiry of a topic. Students need to analyze and synthesize information from documents, usually primary sources to answer an essential question. Usually all but one source is textual with the remaining one usually a graphic (chart, map, poster, etc.) but for use with sixth grade, I am modifying the practice to include several types of sources.

 The essential question of my DBQ is: Is Wildfire a Good or Bad Event?

Prior teaching needs to include the use of two-column or Cornell Notes, the essential skill of writing a paragraph with one main idea and supporting details, and writing a simple five paragraph essay.

The science teacher may have to review the concept of “claims and evidence”.

Working in teams of 3-4 students, gather enough evidence from the documents to answer the essential question. Remember, there is not one answer; you need enough evidence to support your claim.

Document A – Tales of the Forest, pages 147-150, Focus on Forests, Project Learning Tree

1.    Students will read each passage and determine if the author would define fire as good or bad.

2.    Discuss the terms preservation and conversation. Decide which authors would fit each category and why.

3.    Compare/discuss your thoughts with other in your group.

Document B – Two Sides of fire DVD, Temperate Forest Foundation

1.    Set up your note page to take two column or Cornell notes. The main idea goes on the left side and the details go on the right side. Your topics are: Native peoples and fire, fire dependent ecosystems, good use of fire, and out of control fire.

2.    Compare your notes with the other students in your group. Add any information of theirs to your own which gives you further evidence for your claim. 

Document C – Pamphlet, Wildland Fire in the United States, National Wildfire Coordination Group

1.    Read the pamphlet with your group. Choose one color of sticky notes to list all the ways fire is a good thing. Using another color, do the same with the facts which support fire is a bad thing.

2.    Take your sticky notes to the big classroom chart and place them in the appropriate column.

3.    Add these facts to your growing list of evidence.

The DBQ Final Writing Piece:

You are to write a five paragraph essay which answers the essential question. The first paragraph needs to be an introduction to the topic. Include a grabber sentence which gets the attention of the reader. Your claim also needs to be included in the introduction.

Use the information gathered from your sources to write the next three paragraphs. Each paragraph needs to use the evidence from one source only. You have three sources, so three body paragraphs.

Your final paragraph needs to be a conclusion.

Writing needs to be in final form (black or blue pen or computer) with no errors.    

Lesson Plan from BC

Focus on Forests: Who Owns America’s Forests

Input:

Teacher:

Identifies objectives and purpose:

1. Students understand that the United States is home to many different forest

types.

2. Students analyze and make inferences about forest ownership in the United

States.

3. Students understand that the ownership and management of North American

forests is changing.

Provides anticipatory set:

Follow Part A of Doing the Activity #1

Student:

Listen and respond to teacher questions

Modeling:

Teacher:

Explains, Thinks Aloud, and Questions

Follow Part A of Doing the Activity #2 using the http://nationalatlas.gov/ Forest

Cover Types map layer.

Student:

Interacts and Collaborates in response to the teacher

Hand over of Responsibility

Guided Practice:

Teacher:

Assesses progress and Intervenes as necessary

Teacher follows Part A of Doing the Activity #3, 4, and 5 handing out the

“Americas Forests” student page to student teams

Student:

Applies learning, Practices and Problem Solves

Use resources provided by the teacher to work in teams to research the assigned

team region and answer the questions on the student page

Colorado Project Learning Tree

Fire Ecology Institute for Educators

Gradual Release of Responsibility

Independent Practice:

Teacher:

Evaluates and Sets New Goals

Teacher follows Part A of Doing the Activity #6 and 7

Student:

Initiates and Reflects

Students will present their findings in teams as directed by the teacher

Lesson Plan from DW

Runoff from a Burn Scar—Glen Eyrie Castle and the Waldo Canyon Fire

 

Standards Addressed:

CDE Earth Science Content Standard #6: “The interaction of Earth's surface with water, air, gravity, and biological activity causes physical and chemical changes”

CDE Earth Science Content Standard #7: “Natural hazards have local, national and global impacts such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and thunderstorms”

Background:

[The following topics will already have been discussed in class prior to attempting this activity:

Watersheds

Wildfires and wildfire policy—characteristics, history, and effects]

 As a result of fire suppression over the last century, wildfires burn hotter at the ground now than they did prior to suppression activity.  These hotter fires result in “moonscapes”:  surfaces with no living plants remaining.  Since living plants hold soil in place, runoff from “moonscapes” tends to wash away large volumes of soil from the burn area.  In addition, torching of the upper few inches of soil tends to make the soil more hydrophobic, so less rainfall is able to infiltrate, increasing runoff volume and the potential for flash flooding.  Consequently, debris- and soil-laden flash floods are common in burn areas for years after the fire.

 

Most of the watershed above Glen Eyrie Castle near Colorado Springs was torched during the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire.  In this activity, you will estimate how much water will run off from the watershed during a given rain storm and compare it to how much would have runoff during a storm of the same intensity prior to the fire.

 

Procedure:

1.      Go to www.arcgis.com and sign in using the student login information provided in class.

2.      Once logged in, click on “Groups”

3.      Inside “Groups”, click on “Chaparral HEES”; a map called “GE Watershed Map” should appear.

4.      Click on the word “Open” below the small map; the full-size map should open up.

5.      You should see a red flag northeast of Colorado Springs.  This flag marks the location of Glen Eyrie Castle, one of the oldest and most historic buildings in the area (see http://www.visitcos.com/glen-eyrie for the castle’s history).  Click on the flag to confirm you have found the right one—the words “Glen Eyrie Castle” should appear.

6.      The orange line on the map represents the extent of the area burned by the Waldo Canyon Fire; the green line outlines the watershed above Glen Eyrie.

 

7.      Measuring the area of the watershed:

a.    click on “Measure” above the map.  A box will appear that says “Find Area, Length, or Location.”

b.    Click on the first icon—the one that says “Area” when you hover over it.  You now are ready to measure.

c.     Click on the watershed boundary and release—you can start anywhere.  Now move the pointer to a new place on the water boundary and click again.  The program will draw a blue line between your clicked points.  It will kind of look like you’re stretching a rubber band around pins.  Do this all the way around the watershed, following its shape so your area is accurate.

d.    When you’ve made it all the way around, double-click on the last point.  A number of square miles will appear below “Measurement Result.”

e.     Record the area measurement.

8.      Calculating the total rainfall:  If a storm drops 1.5 inches of water over every point in the watershed area, how much total water volume is that?  Calculate your answer in cubic meters.

9.      Estimating the total runoff under “normal” (pre-fire) conditions:  Actual infiltration rates depend upon many factors—many more than we can consider here.  To keep it simple, let’s estimate that under pre-fire conditions, 80% of the rainfall volume would infiltrate the ground and not run off.  Calculate how much water (in m³) would run downstream under these conditions.

10. Estimating the total runoff under post-fire (“moonscape”) conditions:  Because fire-torched soil is significantly more hydrophobic, runoff from a “moonscape” burn scar is approximately seven times greater than under pre-fire conditions.

a.    Calculate how much water (in m³) would run downstream in this watershed under these hydrophobic soil conditions.

b.    What percentage of the rainfall infiltrates under these conditions?

Questions for discussion:

1.      The rate of rainfall influences how much water will infiltrate the ground.  For instance, more water will infiltrate if an inch of water falls over three hours than if it falls over only one hour.  Why does this occur?

2.      Three to four times more soil is swept away by runoff from a burn scar than would have been swept away under pre-fire conditions.  Why does this occur?

3.      Describe (list and explain) at least three characteristics of runoff from a burn scar that make it more destructive than runoff from pre-fire forest land.

4.      What do you think the caretakers of Glen Eyrie should do to prevent damage to the historic castle from flash floods while preserving the castle’s historic setting and conditions?

Lesson Plan by NS

Fifth Grade Lesson Plan integration from

Fire Ecology Institute

I teach at an IB (International Baccalaureate) school in Colorado Springs and we teach with a Unit concept throughout the year. My intention is to integrate lessons from PLT and the week into as many units as I can. At this time I plan on using lessons in the unit, “How the World Works” which for us is Changing Earth with a heightened emphasis on science and “Who We Are” which is Human Body for us and will include cycles. During the fifth grade year, students work towards a summative unit and this year our theme is, “Sharing the planet” and as the students decide on their focus I will integrate lessons as they apply. I hope to integrate Forests of the World Lessons 3 and 5 during the year to encourage inquiry.

Activity 86 potentially could support Life Science, Earth Science and Economics and will be taught as it fits.

Teaching in Colorado Springs will afford me the opportunity to invite Amy Sylvester of the Colorado Springs Fire Department to speak about mitigation. I want to network with Theresa Springer/CUSP and see how my students can support the work to mitigate floods and the work they do. I will also invite my husband to speak to my students/fifth graders in connection to how Colorado Springs firefighters support the city.

Changing Earth (earth science): an inquiry into the natural world and its laws, the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies

Integration of the following lessons in the format of the unit of study from the PLT Environmental Education Activity Guide:

Activity 23 The Fallen Log

Activity 41 How Plants Grow (growth requirements)

Activity 42 Sunlight & Shades of Green (photosynthesis)

Activity 79 Tree Lifecycle

Water Cycle support

Activity 38 Every Drop Counts

Activity 44 Water Wonders

Climate

Activity 28 Air Plants (interaction between air and plants)

Activity 29 Rain Reasons (how climate factors influence the growth of plants)

Activity 84 The Global Climate (data analysis of CO2 over a 46 year period)

Activity

Human Body (life science):

Activity 46 Schoolyard Safari (interrelated cycles of growth and decline)

48 Field, Forest and Stream (student teams analyze ecosystems)

Economics:

Lesson 73 Waste Watchers (student driven energy analysis)

Lesson 85 In the Driver’s Seat (student driven analysis of family transportation, supply and demand discussion, petroleum extraction and potential conservation)

Lesson Plan by RB

        

Day 1                  Starsmore Discovery Center, Colorado Springs

8:30 am            Registration, coffee, Fire Bingo

9:00                         Welcome, Overview of the Agenda, Workshop Goals

9:15                        Introductions, Starsmore

9:35                        PLT Activity- Every Tree for Itself(Activity 27, p117)

9:55                        History, Mission, Goals and Methods of PLT(Comfort break)

10:20                        PLT Activity: Benefits of Trees (Activities 30 & 31, p130 & 132)           

10:40                        PLT Activity: Nature of Fire(Focus on Forests 5 part A & B, p88)           

11:00                        Hike through the PLT guide books

11:15                        PLT Activity - Living With Fire (Activity 81, p350)(A3, B, maybe C)           

12:00                        Lunch at the Movies: Two Sides of Fire (Comfort Break)

 1:00            FireWorks Activity: Matchstick Forest

 1:30            FireBox Activity: Fire and Wildlife (Wildlife Game)

 2:00            Other Resources (PLT website, CUSP website)

 2:30            PLT Activity: Water Wonders (Activity 44, p188 part B, stream table investigation)

 3:00               Fire Education Team Zip Game

 3:20               Make and Takes: fire triangle, home assessment wheels, ?????

 3:45               Discussion about how to use in classrooms

 4:15               Directions and logistics for Saturday Field day

                        Evaluations and certificates for those not going on field trip

4:30            End

Day 2         Tour ?????

8:30 am            Meet at ?????

                        Wear or bring: sturdy, high, lace-up boots, gloves, long pants, hat, rain gear

                        Bring: sack lunch, high protein snacks, two quarts of water

4:00 pm          Back at Starsmore for debrief, evaluations & certificates            

Lesson Plan by DP

Wildfire Weather

Objectives

Participants will:

• Identify the three elements required to create wildfires.
• Explain one way in which wildfires can create weather.
• Understand the prefix “pyro” and apply it to new vocabulary terms.
• Describe how wildfires can be both good and bad for an ecosystem.

Suggested Grade Level

6^th Grade

Subject Areas

Science

Timeline

2 days (63 min classes)

Standards

Science

CDE Standard: 6^th Grade Science:  Standard 3 – Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system.

·       3.1 – Complex interrelationships between Earth’s structure and natural processes that over time are both constructive and destructive.

o   Gather, analyze, and communicate an evidence-based explanation for the complex interaction between Earth’s constructive and destructive forces.

CDE Standard: 6^th Grade Science:  Standard 1 – Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter, and predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions

·       1.3 – The physical characteristics and changes of solid, liquid, and gas states can be explained using the particulate model.

o   Explain how the arrangement and motion of particles in a substance such as water determine its state.

o   Distinguish between changes in temperature and changes of state using the particle model of matter.

Background

This lesson will take place after students have learned the basics of meteorology (including cloud types and names), and the scientific process.  It will be an introductory lesson on wildfires, focusing on some of the intense phenomenon we saw with the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest Wildfires in 2012 and 2013.

            Earth’s weather is created from the heat energy available from the sun combined with the moisture (water vapor) in the atmosphere.  When the heat energy and water vapor combine correctly, they are able to form clouds, to make rain and thunderstorms, and to cause winds to blow.  While Earth’s atmosphere is made up of many layers, weather only occurs in the troposphere, which is the bottommost layer. When scientists study the chances of temperature, air pressure, moisture, and wind direction in the troposphere, they are studying Meteorology.

            Air currents (high and low) directly affect weather and are made up of air that has similar temperature and moisture.  Air currents are involved in the cycle of solids, liquids, and gases changing throughout the atmosphere.  Fronts can form between two air masses and will usually produce clouds.  Sometimes these fronts will assist in a variety of weather conditions including thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes. 

            Wildfires and weather are related and both require specific atmospheric conditions.  Thunderstorms can start wildfires directly due to lightning strikes and can further affect the spread of the fire with wind and air currents.  If a lack of water vapor and weather occur, the drought that follows can make the conditions right for easy spread of the fire.

            Large wildfires can also be known to create weather by modifying the atmospheric conditions in certain areas.  They can create their own winds which then feed back into the strength of the fire and the height/speed of the flames.  The higher temperatures can increase the heat energy that directly impacts the environment in front of the moving wildfire.            

            Heat energy is transferred within the atmosphere and in the ecosystem in three ways:

1.     Convection: the transfer of heat by the movement of rising hot air or gasses.

2.     Radiation: Heat energy released in all directions from a burning object.

3.     Conduction: the process by which heat is transferred through direct contact.

Vocabulary 

1.     Meteorology

2.     Wildland Fire

3.     Prefix: Pyro

4.     Pyrocumulus Cloud

5.     Atmosphere

6.     Troposphere

Materials

1.     “Two Sides of Fire” DVD

2.     Students each have their own iPads

3.     Student Notebooks (Survival Guide #1)

4.     SMARTBoard

5.     iPad apps: Edmodo

Lesson

Day 1

1. As class starts, students will follow daily procedures, take out their iPads, and complete the Warm-up activity (Pre-assessment).
2. Go over the day’s objectives with the class.  Discuss the unit inquiry question.

a.     Inquiry Q: How do forces inside Earth and on the surface build, destroy, and change Earth’s crust?

3. Have the students take notes in the correct assignment on Edmodo (on iPads).  They should be listing their visual observations of the various wildfires depicted in the video.
4. Show the video “The Two Sides of Fire” but make sure it does not have the sound on.
5. Have the students Think-Pair-Share about their observations of fire.  Come back to class discussion about visual aspects of fire.

a.     What colors did you see?

b.     How many different types of fire did you see?

c.     What shapes did the fire take?

6. End of day reflection:

a.     On Edmodo, complete the closing assignment:  What types of weather did you see during the video today?

Day 2

1. Have students draw a Venn diagram in their Science notebooks.

a.     Left side – Good sides of fire

b.     Right side – bad sides of fire

2. Rewatch the video “The Two Sides of Fire”, this time including the narration.  Students will fill in the Venn Diagram as they watch the video.
3. Have students take turns adding their ideas to the small group Venn Diagrams.   Post the diagrams in the wildfire area of the classroom.
4. Discuss the meaning of the prefix “pyro”. 
5. Combine “pyro” with types of clouds (learned during previous lessons) and describe what the new vocabulary terms mean.

a.     Pyrocirrus clouds

b.     Pyrocumulus clouds

c.     Pyrotornadoes

6. Break students into two halves and have them work on article readings:

a.     Student 1:  Read through the article, “Experts Explain How Waldo Canyon Fire Moved Downhill,” from the website: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/07/09/experts-explain-how-waldo-canyon-fire-moved-downhill/

b.     Student 2:  Read through the article, “Colorado Scientists: Wildfires Make Their Own Weather,” from the website: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20875101/colorado-scientists-wildfires-make-their-own-weather

c.     Have the students Pair-Share and give a 2 minute review of their article to their partner. 

7. Students will complete the post-assessment Edmodo Exit ticket on Edmodo for homework tonight.
   
   

Extensions

·       Continued wildfire activities (Pyrotornadoes, Fire Ecology)

·       Convection Currents (related to weather, fires, plate tectonics, hurricanes, etc.)

·       Operation Montserrat Challenger Mission (simulation)

Evaluation/Assessment

Formative:

·       Entrance Ticket (pre-assessment) on Day 1 of this lesson  -via Edmodo

o   What do you remember seeing in the atmosphere during wildfires such as the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires?

o   What does “pyro” stand for?

o   What three things must you have in order to create wildfires?

·       Exit Ticket (post-assessment) on Day 2 of this lesson – via Edmodo

o   Explain the meaning of the word Pyrocumulus cloud.

o   How can wildfires create their own weather?

o   What three elements must you have in order for wildfire to take place?

o   Do you think that wildfires are good or bad?  Explain your answer with examples from what you have learned in the last two days.

Summative:

·       Unit Post-Assessment (Test over entire unit covering Earth’s constructive and destructive forces)

·       I will be assessing this as part of the Operation Montserrat Mission we will be completing in December.  This is a simulated experience combining meteorology, ecology, and earth sciences.  It asks the students to use data, make predictions, and help evacuate towns on the island of Montserrat as it is affected by both a volcanic eruption and a hurricane.  This simulation is based on events from June 1997.

Resources

·       http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/07/09/experts-explain-how-waldo-canyon-fire-moved-downhill/

·       http://nilesema.com/forestfires.htm

·       http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/allstandards/COStandards.asp?stid=7&stid2=4&glid2=8

·       http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20875101/colorado-scientists-wildfires-make-their-own-weather

·       http://www.noaa.gov/features/04_resources/fire2.html

·       http://www.nps.gov/maca/forteachers/upload/Fire_and_Weather.pdf

·       http://www2.ucar.edu/news/backgrounders/wildfires-weather-climate

·       Project Learning Tree Lessons: Pre-K – 12

·       Project Learning Tree: From Forests to Faucets