A smoky view of a forest in the Pacific Northwest.
U.S. Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region, CC 0
Pathway Summary
Anchoring phenomenon lesson
This pathway on the increase in wildfires in our region and the impacts to our health begins with students looking at headlines, air quality charts, and smoke exposure maps. Students then developed an initial model and a driving question board to guide their investigations.
Investigate lessons
Students interview family and community members about their experiences with wildfires and wildfire smoke. Subsequent lessons focus on supporting students in answering their questions about the changes they are observing in their community.
Synthesize lesson
In the final lesson, students synthesize their gathered evidence and develop an infographic to communicate to others why wildfires are increasing in their region and what the health impacts are.
Phenomenon
Wildfires are increasing in the Pacific Northwest.
Community
Pullman, WA is an urban-suburban community in Eastern, WA. The landscape is dominated by the rolling hills that characterize the Palouse Prairie region. The median income is below the national average and nearly 40% live below the poverty line.
Materials Available
Anchoring phenomenon lesson
4 Investigation lessons
1 Synthesize lesson
Key Features
Suburban
Family connection
Spanish language translations
Educator Insight
Teacher: Liv Crane
Why I chose this phenomenon
I chose the phenomenon of wildfire smoke because it is becoming more and more common in our region, eastern Washington. After surveying my students with a variety of options, the phenomenon they were most curious about why wildfires are occurring at high rates, and the ways that smoke exposure impacts our health.
How my students responded
My students seemed to really enjoy learning about how the increased incidence of wildfire smoke directly affects them and their community members. There were lots of opportunities for students to connect to this topic, from the human health impacts of smoke, to the history of land use and management in our region, to the dynamics of wildfires moving across a landscape. In my experience almost every student found at least one strong reason to be interested and connected to this topic.
