Although wildfires can be caused by natural events and provide many valuable ecological services, changes in the environment related to climate change are fueling the growth of large, destructive megafires. In this workshop, participants will explore how the HHMI Resources The Science of Climate Change film and the activity The Impacts of Wildfires can help students understand these changes. We will share how to use increases in megafires as a phenomenon to guide student inquiry into the causes and impacts of climate change. The workshop will emphasize integration of NGSS practices including: asking questions and defining problems, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, and designing solutions.
In this hands on workshop participants will Discover how to use the phenomena to engage students in the science of climate change Explore evidence to support human causes of climate change Evaluate various lines of evidence for which factors influence wildfire dynamics using a jigsaw strategy. Analyze and interpret scientific figures, such as graphs and maps. Utilize the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) approach to develop scientific claims supported by evidence and reasoning for why recent wildfires are burning more forest area. Evaluate strategies to reduce the area burned by wildfire and minimize the impacts.
