Hourglass Lake Fire Challenge - El reto del incendio del lago Hourglass
As part of the Hazard Education, Awareness, and Resilience Task Force (HEART Force) program, this bilingual, scenario-based role play game engages students in working within three “zone response teams” to solve community challenges that arise during a wildfire event, using available individual and community resources.
HEART Force is a statewide initiative developed in response to the increasing impacts of environmental hazards such as wildfire, flood, and drought on Colorado communities. The program engages youth in understanding these hazards, preparing for emergencies, and strengthening community resilience. Through interactive learning and civic engagement, students explore the science behind natural disasters, their social impacts, and the role young people can play in creating local solutions.
Originally developed for middle and high school classrooms, the game is also well-suited for use with community groups.
Printed copies of the game are available now on Game Crafter.
- For an Hourglass Lake Fire Challenge that can be played with up to 18 participants, you can purchase it here.
- For an Hourglass Lake Fire Challenge Game & Extension Kit that can be played with up to 36 participants, you can purchase it here.
Context for Use
This game is best used after the wildfire hazard lesson in the HEART Force curricular unit, for students to apply their learning and respond to a hypothetical wildfire in their own community.
Preceding lessons:
- Middle School Colorado Wildfire Lesson
- High School Colorado Wildfire Lesson
Potential lessons to follow include:
Note: If your community has recently experienced a wildfire, consider using the Wildfire Resilience Game as an alternative.
How to Play the Wildfire Response Game
Goals Header
What Students Will Do
- Evaluate information on wildfire conditions to appropriately use community resources to respond to a wildfire in their community by assessing the causes and effects of extreme wildfires.
- Design solutions to address wildfire risks using a system model of a community wildfire response effort.
Teaching Materials
User note: To make an editable copy of the teaching materials in Google Drive, select File > “Make a copy”. This will make a copy for you to save to your own drive and edit as you see fit.
Description
In this bilingual scenario-based roleplay game, students will solve the challenges that their community faces during the course of an extreme wildfire event by using available individual and community resources. Students work in three “zone response teams” to determine the responses they will take in each round as the wildfire situation evolves. Students use resource cards to respond to increasing wildfire severity and to unanticipated challenges that arise.
