Grade Level: 2-8
Alaska State Content Standards (2006): Geography C-1, E-6, F-3; Language Arts A-1, A-4, D-1a; Science C-2
Subject: Science, Language Arts
Skills: Description, Generalization
Duration: 1 class period
Group Size: Individual
Setting: indoors
Vocabulary: fire impact, heavily burned, moderately
burned, lightly burned, fuel, vegetation mosaics, permafrost, active
layer, surface fire, canopy fire, crown fire, ground fire, rhizomes,
semi-serotinous cones |
OBJECTIVE
Students will describe some of the effects of boreal forest or tundra
fires on people and wildlife.
TEACHING STRATEGY
In this writing activity students consider the effects of fire through
the eyes of people, wildlife and plants.
MATERIALS
Paper and pencil
Alaska Ecology Cards (pdf)
The Effects of Fire on Wildlife Populations (pdf)
TEACHER BACKGROUND
Refer to the background information section
of Unit II.
PROCEDURE
1. Discuss the positive and negative effects of fire and how they relate
to wildlife and people.
2. Tell students they will be looking at a fire form a viewpoint different
than their own. Read the list of roles below and ask students to brainstorm
any others they would like to add.
Tundra List
Look at the effects of fire through the eyes of a
| insect |
fox |
| ptarmigan |
nesting bird |
| caribou |
wolf |
| lichen |
blueberry |
| mineral |
pilot |
| firefighter |
home owner |
| trapper |
|
(for more ideas go to the Tundra Alaska Ecology Cards)
Forest List
Look at the effects of fire through the eyes of an insect
| fox |
spruce hen |
| nesting bird |
moose |
| beaver |
tree |
| blueberry |
mineral |
| pilot |
firefighter |
| trapper |
home owner |
(For more ideas go to the Boreal Forest Alaska Ecology Cards)
3. Assign a role on the list to each student (repeat the roles, if
necessary). Place students in groups of 3.
4. Show and discuss pictures of burned sites to the class to help them
visualize a burn scene. As a class have students close their eyes for
2-3 minutes imagining a burn site and looking at the effects of the
fire with their assigned role in mind.
5. Encourage students to discuss, within their groups, how they would
view the effects of fire from the perspective of their assigned role.
Have students write a short essay describing the viewpoint.
6. Have the group share their viewpoints with the class. The essays
can be read aloud or displayed on the wall.
EVALUATION
Students draw pictures of a burn site through the eyes of their assigned
role and share with the class.
EXTENSION
Ask a firefighter to visit the class and describe his or her experience
with fire.
Last updated: August 27, 2008
