Megafires are extreme fire events characterized by their high intensity, fast speed, long duration, devastating impact, and large size. The ever-rising global temperature increase due to climate change has upset the natural balance of water within our ecosystems, leading to increased evapotranspiration and increasing periods of drought in various regions of the world - including much of the western United States. Our drought-ridden land is filled with dry fuel waiting to ignite. In addition, our history of fire suppression has led to increased fuel availability in our forests. Together with other factors, we are seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of megafires that look to continue into the future. Examining the data and discussing the causes of these megafires provides students an opportunity to explore the interaction of humans and their environment. 

In this asynchronous virtual workshop, we will review strategies for facilitating the Megafires: Rare Occurrences or the New Normal? Data Puzzle in your middle and high school science classrooms. Participants will engage with the teaching materials (teacher guide, slide deck, student worksheet, and answer key) from both the teacher and student perspective and upon completion, be prepared to implement the Data Puzzle in their classroom.

Participants who complete and submit specified workshop tasks will receive a 3-hour PD certificate from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Explore this resource on the Data Puzzles website