Exploration: Fast Fires in the United States
Some of the most destructive fires in US history have occurred in recent years, with most having the common characteristic of extremely rapid growth. To improve community preparedness and resiliency to fast-moving fires, Dr. Jennifer Balch and her team developed an innovative dataset to learn more about the patterns and consequences of fast fires in the US. Explore their dataset here!
Context for Use
This Data Puzzle Exploration is part of a larger collection of resources that leverage the NSF-funded data analytics tool, CODAP, to provide students with structured opportunities to explore real-world datasets. We encourage new users to study the instructional model and review relevant teacher guides prior engaging students with Explorations.
Data Puzzles Exploration Instructional Model
Goals Header
What Students Will Do
- Create graphical displays of data related to fast fires in the United States to describe patterns in fast fires in the United States over time.
- Construct an argument supported by evidence and reasoning for how fast fires in the United States have changed over time.
Teaching Materials
Description
Scientist Story (20 minutes)
- Connect students to the personal experiences to the science ideas scientists featured in the Exploration are investigating with data.
Explore and Question Data in CODAP (100 minutes)
- Level 1 (40 minutes), Level 2 (30 minutes), Level 3 (30 minutes)
- Connect students to new attributes via discussion
- Explore these attributes by creating data visualizations in CODAP, summarizing patterns/findings from the data visualizations, and generating new questions.
- Share out the patterns/findings in the data, clarify new learning, and ask questions. Document these patterns and questions in a whole-class public record, Learning Tracker.
- Note, the list above is repeated in Levels 1, 2 and 3.
Final Argument (30 minutes)
- Students evaluate evidence from all 3 levels of the Exploration to develop an argument based on evidence using a modified CER graphic organizer.
