SUMMARY

3 min 12 sec

In the American West, wildfires are essential for keeping forests healthy. But the same fires that help release nutrients and promote new plant growth can also wipe out thousands of acres of forest and cause millions of dollars in damage. 

Since the 1970s, wildfires have been on the rise and some of this is due to a warming planet. But a hot climate is not the only reason wildfires can increase from year to year. Here we look at the way climate can affect vegetation in the West, and what influence this has on wildfires. Drought and rainfall can have very different wildfire outcomes depending on where you look in the West.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING MATERIALS

Watch >> Wildfires Out West

TEACHING NOTES / CONTEXT FOR USE

This video can easily be integrated into a class period about wildfires in the Western United States and the differing conditions that cause them. It would be interesting after this video to discuss what conditions in your particular region would be ideal for wildfires.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment is at the discretion of the educator as to how the video is applied and the expectations after viewing it.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES