Let’s bring wildfire education into the classroom

Authors: Alison York, Alaska Fire Science Consortium; Molly Gillespie, Project Learning Tree; Mike DeLue, Scenarios Network for Alaska + Arctic Planning; Katie Spellman, International Arctic Research Center

Despite a quiet end to our fire season this year, our state is vulnerable to wildfire. Education plays a critical role in preparing our minds, homes and communities for wildfire’s challenges. At the same time, it’s important to remember that wildfire is a natural process that is critical to the health of our forests.

The start of the school year is a great time to teach about wildfire in Alaska. Before the snow falls, students can visit burn scars near their schools to see how plants regrow after a fire and learn ways to make our communities safer. We’ve put together some ideas and resources to help people understand and teach about wildfire.

Get outside on a field trip

Hands-on experiences are the best way to learn and turn a scary concept into a fun science investigation. A field trip to a burn scar paired with the Role of Fire in Alaska curriculum opens the door for hands-on investigations about the effect of wildfire on a student’s own ecosystem. Learners can discover what fuels a fire in Alaska, how the forest and animals respond to wildfire, and how fire managers make communities safer. 

Anyone can easily find a previously burned area near their community using the Alaska Wildfire Explorer tool. Those in Fairbanks can take advantage of the new Wildfire Walk interpretive trail to the 2021 Yankovich Road Fire, conveniently located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. 

Gathering data themselves can empower students to do exciting and locally relevant classroom science projects. Students can collect standardized measurements of soils, land cover, tree growth and timing of leaves using protocols from a program called GLOBE. Through GLOBE these same data are used by NASA to validate satellite information and by University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists to understand how fire affects the boreal forest. 

Investigate local wildfires

Back in the classroom, students can dive deep into wildfire data using the Alaska Wildfire Explorer. The web tool, which is a great resource for all Alaskans, contains historical fire information and near real-time wildfire data, all in one place. Thanks to a recent update, the tool also displays current and projected local air quality. For example, on a single map someone from Anchorage, Tok or Dillingham could see a summary of all the past fires in their area, how many active fires are near town, the boundary of those fires and how dense the smoke is and might become.

Curriculum connections

Teachers looking for classroom-based lesson plans and materials have several excellent options too. They can check out a tub of fun materials specifically designed to be a one-stop-shop for hands-on learning. The fire kits come with thumb drives loaded with wildfire curricula and activities and are available in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Homer, Soldotna and Tok. Another collection of activities helps learners investigate the natural role of wildfire in the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems. If science games are more your speed, students can learn how wildfire is changing in Alaska in interactive lessons aligned with the Alaska science standards and easily adapted for grades 6-8.

Workshops and professional development opportunities are also available through Alaska Project Learning Tree for teachers interested in diving deeper into the world of wildfire. Email Molly Gillespie, alaskaplt.molly@gmail.com to get started. For help with the Alaska Wildfire Explorer tool email Mike DeLue, mdelue@alaska.edu. To access GLOBE science and learning activities contact Katie Spellman, klspellman@alaska.edu.

Photos by Chynna Lockett