Tree Rings & Forest Fire Ecology
Lesson Plans
Tips for Designing your own Teacher Workshop
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.
Lessons and Activities
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.
Resources For Lessons and Activities
- Fire Ecology Powerpoint (For use with Lessons 1, 2, and 4.)
- Fire Progression Powerpoint (For use with Lessons 5 and 6.)
- Fire Storm Video (For use with Lesson 1.)
- Pre-Post Survey (For use with Lessons 1 and 6.)
- Fire Scarred Tree Cookie Photo (For use with Lesson 6.)
- Example of Fire Triangle made of popsicle sticks (Lesson 2)
- Ponderosa Pine Forest Fire Simulation worksheet (To help think through and design a matchstick forest experiment.)
Matchstick Forest Photos and Videos below are for use with Lesson 3.
Historic Matchstick' Forests at 0, 20, and 40 degrees.
Pre-burn Photo at 0°
Post-burn Photo at 0°
Video - 0°
Pre-burn Photo at 20°
Post-burn Photo at 20°
Video - slope 20°
Pre-burn Photo at 40°
Post-burn Photo at 40°
Video - slope 40°
Modern Dense 'Matchstick' Forests at 0, 20, and 40 degrees.
Pre-burn Photo at 0°
Post-burn Photo at 0°
Video - 0°
Pre-burn Photo at 20°
Post-burn Photo at 20°
Video - slope 20°
Pre-burn Photo at 40°
Post-burn Photo at 40°
Video - slope 40°
All Modern Post-burn Photo