| Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian landscape. However, they may also be caused by human activities, including arson. |
| It is important that students understand both the role of fire in Australian ecosystems and the dangers that can occur if they do not take care to prevent wildfires. They also need to know how to stay safe if they are caught in a bushfire event. |
| |
|
2006/344 - 12/10 at 03 :45 UTC
Fires and smoke in southeast Australia
Satellite: Terra
© Image courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Key Websites |
|
|
|
| |
| Major Australian fire events |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Sydney NSW, January 1994
- Bushfires
An eyewitness account of the
1994 fires that ravaged parts of Sydney.
|
Victoria, February 1983
- Ash Wednesday 1983
An analysis by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| EMA Disasters Database |
| |
|
|
| |
| Protecting homes and people during fires |
|
|
|
| |
| Biological implications of bushfires |
| The following content will mostly be of value for teachers and mature secondary students. |
|
| Should we burn? |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Educational resources |
- Australian Natural Disasters Webquest
Researching the preparation, prevention, response & recovery aspects of a natural disaster.
- Dingo Creek
An innovative EMA learning object to immerse middle year students in natural disaster education in an Australian context.
- Fire Boss
An interactive firefighting game set in a Victorian state forest. It can be downloaded to play off-line.
- Fire - a force for Life [Years 9-12]
A one-day field study at the Perth Hills National Parks Centre [formerly Hills Forest Discovery Centre] that explores the impact of fire on the environment, interrelationships of fire and plants and animals, and managing fire for sustainable forest management.
- Fire in Australia : Investigating a natural hazard [Years 9-11]
Five National Museum of Australia investigations of the complex place of bushfires in Australia, including the impact of bushfires on the natural environment and people's lives.
- Firestorm: Thinking Critically About Environmental Issues
This extensive unit of work for US middle and high school students focuses on the role of prescribed burning in forest management and could be adapted for Australian students.
- The Science of Bushfires An Internet WebQuest
Students investigate the role that scientists have played in the understanding of bushfire behaviour and their effect on the Australian landscape.
- Teaching resources
Fire and Emergency Services Authority (WA)
|
|
|
