Introduction
Questions and Learning Objectives!
- What are the primary causes of wild fire?
- How does wildfire impact biodiversity and climate change?
- What are potential solutions to prevent wild fires?
- Students will understand the ecological, social, and economic impacts of wild fires.
- Students will analyze data and present findings effectively.
Task
Describe the project as a group narrated thru Power Point presentation.
Each group will research a specific aspect of Wild fire (e.g., causes, effects, solutions) and create a presentation to share their findings.
Your PowerPoint presentation must include decorated slides, such as unique transitions and animations.
Process
Form a group composed of 5 members (Including you, so a total group of five).
Give each student a few roles, like someone who researches, someone who designs, someone who revises, designs the PowerPoint, etc.
Research assigned topics using provided Internet links.
- Another National Geographic Link
- WWF
Create a PowerPoint presentation that includes:
Title slide.
Overview of Wildfires
Detailed slides on assigned topics.
Conclusion and call to action on how to prevent Wild fires.
Practice narrating the presentation as a group.
Present to the class.
Evaluation
| Criteria | Excellent (20 points) | Good (18 points) | Satisfactory (15 points) |
Needs Improvement (13 points) |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content Accuracy | Comprehensive and accurate information; all aspects of Wildfires covered thoroughly. | Accurate information with minor gaps; most aspects of Wildfires covered. | Some accurate information but lacks depth; key aspects of Wildfires missing. | Inaccurate or little information; fails to cover the topic adequately. | |
| Clarity and Organization | Presentation is well-structured with a logical flow; easy to follow. | Generally clear and organized; minor issues in flow and clarity. | Some organization but lacks coherence; difficult to follow at times. | Disorganized presentation; hard to understand the main points. | |
| Visual Quality and Creativity | Visually appealing slides; engaging use of images, graphs, and design elements. | Good visuals used; some engaging elements but lacks full creativity. | Basic visuals; minimal effort in design; does not enhance understanding. | Poor visual quality; lacks creativity and effort; no relevant visuals. | |
| Teamwork and Collaboration | Exemplary collaboration; all members actively contribute and demonstrate teamwork. | Good collaboration; most members contribute but some uneven participation. | Some evidence of collaboration; unequal participation among members. | Little to no collaboration; one or two members dominate the presentation. | |
| 21st Century Presentation Skills | Outstanding narration; confident, engaging, and clear communication. | Good narration; mostly clear and engaging with minor issues in delivery. | Average narration; lacks engagement and has some clarity issues. | Poor narration; difficult to hear and understand; lacks engagement with the audience. |
Conclusion
The Web Quest project showed students that the Wildfires play an essential role in the health of certain ecosystems, but they can also have many negative effects on our environment and our health. When it comes to pollution, wildfires negatively affect the environment in two major areas: air and water quality. Wildfires can also have dangerous effects on human health, especially the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Inhalation of smoke and fine particulate matter produced by wildfires causes respiratory issues. These issues can range from irritation of the respiratory system (nose, mouth, throat, and lungs) to serious problems like bronchitis or asthma.
One of the most significant negative effects of wildfires is the loss of land and property, including homes, crops, animals, and resources. In the United States, wildfires burn an average of 7.4 million acres annually. In 2020, nearly 18,000 structures were destroyed because of wildfire, and 54% of those were residences. Not included in that statistic is the number of pets, agricultural crops, and other types of property loss that people living and working in the wake of the wildfire devastation have experienced. Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, and are essential for certain species to thrive. However, they can also disrupt animal and plant life if they burn in the same place for an extended period of time.
Through research students learn about environmental problems and new approaches to solve deforestation. Viewing these updates helps students make decisions for creating a better sustainable future.