Home : Teach : Lesson Plans
Bushfires Lesson Plan
The Bushfire Lesson Plan provides teachers and students with an opportunity to pinpoint bushfire dangers around the home. It asks students to study the simple house plans for the Hot House and to identify the bushfire dangers around the house.
This lesson challenges students to learn more about bushfire safety by asking them to:
An Assessment Guide for teachers is also included within this lesson plan.
Key Learning Areas
The Key Learning Areas (KLAs) for this lesson plan include:
- Literacy
- Study of Society and Environment
- Art
- Information and Communication Technology
Objectives
The objectives of this lesson plan are to ensure that students are able to:
- develop an awareness of property protection against bushfires
- develop their research skills and begin to explore a wider variety of sources
- express their learning through creative means
- be assessed on their learning and knowledge of bushfires.
Please note: This lesson can be modified to incorporate other KLAs and to meet the needs of the students and specific content taught.
The Hot House
~Bushfires_HotHouse_thumb/$FILE/Bushfires_HotHouse_thumb.jpg)
~Bushfires_HotHouse_large/$FILE/Bushfires_HotHouse_large.jpg)
A plan of the 'Hot House'
Study the plans for the Hot House and identify all the areas around the house that are danger zones for bushfires.
Print out a copy of the Hot House to help you prepare your report on all the fire dangers around the home. You can mark the hotspots around the house by using coloured pens or pencils.
Get the Facts
To help you prepare your bushfire report, you will need to know some facts about the Hot House.
The Hot House is:
- a single story house
- made of timber and has a tiled roof
- surrounded by a wooden paling fence.
Around the yard of the Hot House, there is:
- a garden shed out the back where the lawn mower is stored
- a woodpile and compost bin next to the living room
- Mum’s car parked out the front of the garage
- 4 dead trees on the right-side of the house
- a big gum tree out the front yard
- 2 rows of small native plants with mulch around them on the left-side of the house.
Now you have all the facts about the Hot House, it’s time to investigate all the bushfire dangers.
Take Time to Investigate!
Students can investigate the Hot House and all the fire dangers that surround it by working individually, in pairs or groups. They can find the answers to the following:
1) What are the main fire dangers around the house?
2) What can this family do to protect their home from a bushfire?
3) How do the trees and native plants near the home affect the safety of the house?
4) Can you recommend a better place for the woodpile and compost bin?
5) Is the car a fire threat? Is it better to put it in the garage or leave it where it is?
6) Do you think that the wooden fence is a fire hazard or would it stop flying embers from entering the yard?
7) If you lived here, what would be the first thing you would do if there was a bushfire approaching?
Assessment Guide
Teachers can assess with questioning, through direct observation or by marking the presentations of individuals or groups.
Teachers could also give students a particular role (either as individuals or in pairs/small groups) and ask them to act as forensic fire investigators. They can assess them as they investigate the bushfire, how it spread and how much damage was caused.
Allow some time for each group to discuss how they would react to their situation in order to survive and assist others before they present their findings.
Teachers can also observe individual participation in each of the groups as they present their responses.