Town Watching for Wildfire Resilience
This lesson uses observation to encourage students to think about the characteristics of their own community that make it either susceptible and resilient to wildfire.
Context for Use
We suggest teaching this lesson after playing the Avista Fire Resilience Challenge or Hourglass Lake Fire Challenge, as students can use what they have learned throughout the HEART Force Unit to inform their observations.
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Goals Header
What Students Will Do
- Plan and carry out an investigation of a neighborhood in the local community to understand the capacity of systems to be resilient to natural hazards.
- Look for patterns by analyzing and interpreting data collected from Townwatching observations by identifying places that have been or would be affected by a natural disaster.
Teaching Materials
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Description
Part 1: Engage (20 minutes): Introduction to Town-watching
Teacher guides students through identifying photos of places that could be a risk or an asset during a natural hazard.
Part 2: Explore (50 minutes) Town-watching near School with an Expert
Students will go out around their school to practice town-watching with a community expert. Students record data within the designated school community polygon.
Part 3: Explain (30 min) Town-watching in Student’s Neighborhood
Students choose a place in their own neighborhood to do a town watch and make observations and collect data.
Part 4: Elaborate (50 min) Looking at the Whole Picture
Students will add their data to a classroom map, and do a bit more analysis after looking at the community-wide map.
Part 5: Evaluate (homework) : Strengths & Concerns
As homework, students will create a strengths and concerns list for their community.
