Fire Ecology Unit by MS

GSMS 7^th Grade Science

Standards: 2.1.a Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring in a given environment. 2.1.b Analyze and interpret data about specific adaptations to provide evidence and develop claims about differential survival and reproductive success. 2.1.c Use information and communication technology tools to gather information from credible sources, analyze findings, and draw conclusions to create and justify an evidence-based scientific explanation.

Overarching theme:  What adaptations have trees developed to respond to fire and what have humans done to impact those adaptations good and bad.

Fire Adaptations and Ecology Rubric

Standard	4	3	2
2.1.a Develop, communicate, and justify an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring in a given environment.	Using details, examples and support students were able to develop, justify and communicate an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring in a given environment.	Students were able to develop, communicate, and justify a basic explanation of an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring in a given environment.	Students made significant errors in developing, communicating, and justifying an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring in a given environment.

Vocabulary words: organism, adaptations, environment, fire ecology, differential survival, reproductive success.

Essential Questions:

1)    Be able to explain why Ponderosa forests are adapted to and need fire.

2)    Be able to identify the difference between a Spruce tree and Ponderosa tree in order to explain how each species is affected by fire.

3)    Be able to explain why a lodge pole pine having a serotinous cone makes sense.

Introduction: Before and after pictures of a Ponderosa forest one with ladder fuels one after a fire.  Ask students to explain which forest is an example of a healthy ponderosa forest and why?

Activities to be used: (Parenthesis relate to page numbers in activity guide)

1) Walking Field Trip to use tree identification guide to look at and identify trees and look at adaptations first hand.  (Page 288 and the tree identification hand out)

2) Do tree cookie activity (received a tree cookie kit) to analysis the age and impact of the environment on the tree and look for evidence of fire in the tree past.  Have students create their own tree rings with the paper plate activity (Page 327)

3) Look at the succession of forests focusing on the impact of fire on succession and the difference between the succession of lodge pole pine forests, spruce forests and ponderosa forests (Page 345)

4) Contact the White River National Forest to have a representative speak to the class about evergreen forests and fires negative impact and benefit for different types of forests. Focusing on the need to understand succession and change when talking about our local spruce tree forests.

5) Do the matchstick activity (received this activity) to show how fire moves through forests dependent on conditions focusing on what each type of forest will look like after the fire.

6) Germinating giants activity (Page 279) adding a serotinous cone to the activity and the benefits such cones have for the survival of lodge pole pines.

7) Our Changing World (Page 385) adding a fire suppression activity and impact humans have had on our forests.

Final assessment will project pictures of three forests.  As each forest is projected students will answer the appropriate questions.

1)    A lodge pole pine forest after a fire, what would they expect to happen over the next fifty years? (Hint: Be sure to talk about serotinous cones)

2)    A lodge pole pine forest affected by beetle kill, how are beetles impact on a forest similar to a fire?

3)    A healthy ponderosa forest without many ladder fuels and a ponderosa forests with a lot of ladder fuels.  Which forest is healthier and why?

4)    Using your understanding of succession are spruce tree forests well adapted to fire why or why not?

Conclusion:  This is a starting point.  I could see using GIS mapping to identify trees similar to what we did in class.  I also have many other resources from class to still go through and figure out how to use.  I would like to study how our area is responding (current succession) to our many fires.  I plan on finding a local expert to take us on a field trips to areas right around our school to study how the gamble oak, pinion pines and spruce for example are doing and responding to our recent fires.  The possibility to improve this lesson seem endless, and since trees are easier to find and see than animals studying adaptations first hand will now be possible. (An idea I had not considered before this class, since we focused our lessons about adaptations using animals) Thanks for all the interesting ideas.