Lesson Plan by PC & CR

Adaptations to Fire Lesson Plan - Fire Ecology Institute – June 2013

Standards:

Life Science Standard 2 – Concept 1 – Explain how biological evolution accounts for unity and diversity in a specific environment.

Big Question:

Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring in a specific environment.

Essential Questions:

1) What is the relationship between an organism’s traits and its potential for survival and reproduction when it faces environmental threats (fire, drought, flood etc.)

2) How have plants and animals evolved to survive in an environment where fire is a threat?

3) What are specific adaptations that a Colorado plant or animal might need to survive in a fire prone environment.

Day 1:

Anchor – News coverage – video and newspapers from Black forest fire.  Reflection on how kids feel about fire – Is it good or is it bad? Show portions of Fire Wars by NOVA

Causes of recent Colorado fires - PowerPoint.

Day 2:  How things burn.    Use pictures of severities of fires to have students observe how they are different.  Students will predict which type of forest will create the most serious fire.    Different types of fires (demo of ground vs. crown fires - use ring stands if done outside).

Day 3 and 4:  Tree Identification - identifying conifers and basic deciduous trees of the area.  Name That Tree PLT activity 68 - page 288.  Tree identification activity from Fire Box.  Pictures of Colorado forests with different types of vegetation. 

Day 5 and 6:  Tree Adaptations:  Explore what happens to trees during different events (drought, flood, fire etc.).  Introduce tree rings and dendrochronology. 

●      Tree Ring - dendrochronology - drought vs. fire vs. wet year - show survival over time

See Tree Cookies - Activity 76 on page 327 of PLT Book

●      Tree Ring - Paper plate activity - What is your fire?  How did you adapt?

See Every Tree for Itself - Activity 27 on Page 117 of PLT Book

Day 7: Activities that show plant adaptations to fire in Colorado. 

●      Ponderosa Pine - Tree Bark Layer - coffee can activity

●      Lodge pole Pine Cones - microwave or heat to show serotinous cones

●      Aspens - regenerate from root - What would happen if the fire would burn excessively hot?

Day 8:  Is Fire Good or Bad?  A web activity on wildfire developed by NOVA and PBS in cooperation with the US Forest Service.  Students will work in pairs to fill out questions and a table - all the while - they should be developing an opinion on wildfire.

Link to Web Activity: Is Fire Good or Bad?  Webquest

Day 9:  Socratic Seminar

Viewpoints on the Line Activity 19 in PLT - page 89 (adapt activity to fit the question: Are fires good or bad?)

Assign students summary section of webquest as preparation for assessment.

Day 10:  Assessment:  Develop an opinion on the value of Fire - whether fire is good or bad?  Defend your opinion using your notes and evidence gathered from our activities.  Your response needs to be 2-3 paragraphs.