High Desert Plants and Wildfire- 4th Grade Unit
Overview
NGSS unit addressing the following standards:
4-LS1-1
4-ESS 3-2
This 5E lesson guides students to answer the following questions:
- How do plants’ structure and function affect their survival?
- How do plants impact wildfires in Oregon?
Unit Summary
This is a 5E unit tied to the following standards from NGSS:
4-LS1-1
4-ESS 3-2
Students will be learning about structure and function in plants found in Oregon. They will discover how ponderosa pine and cheatgrass have structures to help them reproduce and grow in the high desert and their adaptations to wildfire. Through their investigations, they will discover the difference between a native and invasive plant and will discover that invasive species are outcompeting native species because of their specific plant structures. They will see what impact the increased number of invasive species has had on plants, animals, and people of Central Oregon.
Secondly, students will be investigating the question,“How do invasive plants impact wildfires?” They will dive deeper into how a particular invasive plant (Bromus Tectorum) is impacting wildfires in the Northwest. They will investigate how the particular structures of cheat grass make it an ideal fuel for fires during the fire season, and see ways that people are trying to eradicate the species and suggest what to do if you have invasive species in your area.