Lesson 4 "The Human Element" Curriculum
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Planet 911 Edu Toolkit 
The Human Element Lesson & Activities
Lesson 4: Fire
Objectives
After this lesson, students will be able to:
  • Evaluate the effects of “industrial fire”, understand the effects of climate change on wildfires and identify the human element -- specifically the wildland urban interface (WUI).
Overview/Purpose: 
The purpose of this lesson is to learn about how climate change is impacting the fire cycle and how the human element plays a part in this change.
Guiding Questions:
  • What is the fire cycle?
  • How has human interaction with fire changed?
  • What is WUI?
  • What are some of the economic effects of mass fires?

Recommended Time: 90 minutes
Materials:
Internet/Computer(s)
Access to the fire segments of The Human Element: 
Fire Clip #1 
Password: THE2018
Fire Clip #2
Password:THE2018
Pens/Pencils
Journal/Reflection space for individual writing


Lesson Design:
  1. Using the Part 1 Vocabulary Handout, give time for students to define the Lesson 5 words. 
  2. Place the following quote on the board and ask for students to reflect on its meaning and how it makes them feel in writing: “We were just throwing things in our car … trying to figure out should you take the expensive stuff or should you take the stuff you’re gonna need right now, like camping gear and pillows. And you can see it, the fire coming right down the hill getting closer and closer.” -Kris McKegney 
  3. Direct students to share their written responses with a partner or group. Encourage several student volunteers to read their responses to the class. 
  4. Next, watch Fire clips #1 and #2 from The Human Element. 
  5. After students have viewed the clips, assign each student a partner. Direct partner teams to visit https://www.thehumanelementmovie.com/fire/ 
  6. Pass out copies of the Fire Handout to each student. Instruct students to complete all sections of the handout which correspond to the sections on the website page. Encourage students to watch the videos embedded on the page as well. 
  7. Once all students have completed the Fire Handout, pass out a sticky note to each student. 
  8.  Instruct each student to write down a piece of information that they learned while completing the Water Handout that they most remember and direct them to write down why it struck them enough to remember. 
  9. Have students display sticky notes on the board, or a wall in a gallery style then invite them to come up several at a time to read/review their peers’ reactions. 
Possible Extension: Visit James Balog’s Infrared Photos of Fire in the West published by NYT Magazine: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/16/magazine/20mag-wildfires. 

Respond to these photos in a creative way: poetry, song, drawing/visual art, dance, story etc.  
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