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    Lesson Plans About Wildfires, Fire Prevention and Environmental Science

    By Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Fri, Sep 9, 2011
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
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    Wildfires in Texas have been burning since Sunday. Firefighters have been able contain some of the blazes, but high winds Wednesday started caused a fresh outbreak. Here are free lesson plans to teach students about wildfires, fire prevention and environmental science.

    Ready.gov is an emergency preparedness website maintained by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration), Ready has printable materials, lesson plans, emergency planning kits and lots of resources. Ready.gov teaches students about all kinds of natural disasters and weather-related emergency. You'll find lesson plans and activities for wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, storm safety, floods, blizzards, droughts and more. The focus of the website is two-pronged: Make an Emergency Plan and Get a Kit. Ready.gov provides printable checklists to prepare for disaster.

    Ready Kids is a child-friendly website that helps kids learn about emergencies and how to be ready for them. Children follow the Mountain Lion family in on survival adventures. Along with weather emergencies and natural disaster activities there are materials about health-related issues, too. Ready Kids has free printable coloring pages, games, puzzles and activities. Ready Kids teaches children how to make emergency kits and family plans, too.

    Smokey Bear: Almost 70 years ago, a little bear was discovered wandering alone after a wildfire, then called a forest fire. The little bear was named Smokey and he became the voice for forest rangers and fire prevention. Four of every five fires is started by humans; Smokey encourages kids that "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires." For decades, books, cartoons and songs featuring Smokey the Bear have taught children about campfire safety, household dangers, fire prevention and wildfire science.

    Over the years, we learned more about wildfires: how to contain them and prevent danger, but also how they help the environment if managed properly. The Smokey website has dozens of safety videos, interactive lessons, free printables, science lessons and classroom worksheets. Smokey has a real-time interactive map that shows where wildfires are actively burning in the U.S.

    Sparky the Firedog teaches children about general fire safety. Sparky is the spokesman for the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and Fire Prevention Week, which held in early October. For 2011, Fire Prevention week is October 9-15. The Sparky website has a game arcade, printable activities, coloring pages and puzzles. Sparky offers free lessons for teachers and parents including emergency preparedness kits and fire safety tips. The Sparky campaign is 60 years old this year and NFPA has free activities to celebrate.

    Use these activities to teach children to be safe, but also to understand the part that wildfires play in shaping our earth.

    Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about wild weather from 25 years teaching various sciences.

     

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