A Burning Question – Vol. 1 No. 19
The messages of Smokey Bear have spread across the globe. Today, Smokey continues to teach people of all ages about the importance of preventing wildfires. Just how effective is Smokey's message? That's the question that the scientists in this research set out to answer.
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Highlights
- Part of the Wildfire Series
- 4 Scientists
- Glossary
- 2 Activities
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Today, Smokey continues to teach people of all ages about the importance of preventing wildfires. Just how effective is Smokey’s message? The scientists in this study were interested in learning...A Burning Question: Is An Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure?
Today, Smokey continues to teach people of all ages about the importance of preventing wildfires. Just how effective is Smokey’s message? The scientists in this study were interested in learning...
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The following 70 words can be used for a spelling bee in your classroom. Each of these 70 words (or phrases) was used in the “A Burning Question” monograph.FACTivity – A Burning Question
The following 70 words can be used for a spelling bee in your classroom. Each of these 70 words (or phrases) was used in the “A Burning Question” monograph. -
Forest Service scientists and engineers study many different topics related to wildland fire. In this eyeChallenge, you will read about eight different Forest Service fire scientists and engineers. Each scientist...eyeChallenge – A Burning Question
Forest Service scientists and engineers study many different topics related to wildland fire. In this eyeChallenge, you will read about eight different Forest Service fire scientists and engineers. Each scientist...
Glossary
View All GlossaryClassroom Review Board
Ms. Amy Cartlidge’s 7th Grade Science Class
- East Jackson Middle School
- Commerce, GA
Editorial Review Board Comments
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Karen Abt
My favorite science experience has been working on fire-related questions. There is so much we don’t know about wildfire and its role in our forests and, in particular, its role...View Profile -
David Butry
My favorite science experience was calculating the cost effectiveness of fire sprinklers in homes. This required determining how much it costs to install and maintain fire sprinklers. It also required...View Profile -
Jeff Prestemon
My favorite science experience has been uncovering evidence that some wildfire arsonists set many wildfires over a few days in bursts of fire setting. I also learned that arsonists likely...View Profile -
Samuel Scranton
My favorite science experience is when I get to go back to places I worked a long time ago as a forester. When I go back to these places, I...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Monograph:
Next Generation Science Standards
- ETS1.B-M1A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it.
- ETS1.B-M2There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet criteria and constraints of a problem.
- LS2.A-M1Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Project Learning Tree
If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Then and Now,” “Democracy in Action,” and “Living With Fire” as additional resources.