Tree Rings & Forest Fire Ecology

Lesson Plans

Some workshop tools that could be handy when designing your own:

Activity/Lesson/Unit Design Brainstorming worksheet - worksheet to process what kind of activity, lesson, or unit you (the teacher) are thinking of creating.
Teacher Lesson Template - Template to use for final lesson to be shared with the Tree Ring laboratory for publication on their site.

Middle school Unit

Introduction to Fire Ecology (Lesson 1 of 6) - Key concepts: Ponderosa Pine ecosystems, abiotic and biotic factors, and healthy v. unhealthy ponderosa pine ecosystems.
Fire Triangle (Lesson 2 of 6) - Key concepts: 3 essential elements of flame, wildfire, and fire regime triangles.
Matchstick Forest (Lesson 3 of 6) - Key concepts: Lab to help compare difference between historic forests and present-day forests.
Types of Wildfire (Lesson 4 of 6) - Key concepts: Three types of wildfires - ground fire, surface fire, crown fire.
Forest Fire Progression (Lesson 5 of 6) - Key concepts: Ponderosa Pine forest density, healthy Ponderosa Pine forest, results of forest fire suppression of the 20th century.
Tree Cookie Lab (Lesson 6 of 6) - Key concepts: Analyzing fire scarred tree 'cookie'.

High School lesson

Matchstick Forest and Fire Progression - Key concepts: Ponderosa Pine forest density, healthy Ponderosa Pine forest, forest density today and in the past.

Elementary School lesson

Charcoal Forest Activity - Key concepts: Reading activity using the Charcoal Forest book by Beth Peluso.

Matchstick Forest Photos and Videos below are for use with Lesson 3.

Historic Matchstick' Forests at 0, 20, and 40 degrees.

Modern Dense 'Matchstick' Forests at 0, 20, and 40 degrees.