Their answers should be recorded in their journals. Have the class brainstorm all the human and natural factors that can cause a fire. Have students look at the bookmarked sites to determine additional causes if necessary. Ask students about all the different kinds of fires they've seen in their lives. Surface fires burn the undergrowth.
Crown fires burn through the tops of trees.
Students should record areas that are currently under drought alert in the United States. Students can access this site to see which states have weather conditions that are conducive to forest fires. This can be used to assess areas that contain a significant amount of dead vegetation. These areas appear in brown and black. Have students check their hypothesis against data listed on the National Interagency Fire Center Ask students to reflect in their journals on why their predictions were accurate or inaccurate.