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How Decades of Stopping Forest Fires Made Them Worse

Provided by: Vox |Published on: April 27, 2021

Videos Grades 6-8, 9-12

Synopsis

This video provides a historical overview of how we think about (and react to) forest fires, including previous suppression techniques, the mantra of Smokey the Bear, and Indigenous practices that can help correct the decades of fire suppression activities.
It highlights why smaller fires are beneficial for some forest ecosystems and that suppressing all fires immediately is not good policy.

Subjects: Biology, History

Authors: Vox

Region: North America, USA - West, United States

Languages: English

Positives

It shows students that we should continue to learn, listen, and adapt as new information is discovered or observed.
The animations are very helpful and engaging.

Additional Prerequisites

There are multiple advertisements before and during the video, without the ability to skip them.

Differentiation

Younger students may need to watch the video at a slower speed (which can be adjusted in the settings) or use a graphic organizer.
Ask students to highlight the advantages/benefits of controlled forest burning in a presentation.
As an extension, students can research the fire risk and forest fire management protocols in their area.
Science or social studies classes could come up with alternatives to controlled burns that would also reduce the amount of leaf litter, twigs, and fuel in the forest without burning them. Guiding questions include:
- Why might this be more beneficial in terms of climate change and air pollution?
- What are the risks of a controlled burn becoming a wildfire?
- How frequently does this happen?
Other resources about this topic include Analyzing the Rise of U.S. Wildfires, this article and interactive resource about feedback loops that increase wildfires, and this art resource.