This Prescribed Burns Decision Challenge will help your students understand how fire ecology, fuel buildup, wildfire risk, succession, biodiversity, forest recovery, and human impact are connected. This activity gives teachers an easy, NO PREP way to have students analyze ecology data, compare forest management options, and make an evidence-based decision about whether prescribed burns should be used to help protect a forest ecosystem.

Students investigate a real-world style forest management problem in Redwood Ridge Forest, where years of putting out natural fires have led to fuel buildup, crowded young trees, dead wood, dry leaves, and shrubs on the forest floor. Students analyze multiple Information/Data Sets related to forest fuel and tree density, wildfire risk ratings, species richness after prescribed burns, forest recovery, succession, and community safety concerns. They then use the evidence to decide whether prescribed burns should be used to help protect the forest.

Students answer the question:

Should prescribed burns be used to help protect Redwood Ridge Forest?

Students choose between three possible recommendations using information in the activity:

Option A: Use prescribed burns in the highest-risk forest areas this year.

Option B: Do not use prescribed burns; use cutting and fuel removal only.

Option C: Use a phased prescribed burn plan with small burns, monitoring, and public safety warnings.

Click here to download my Mosquito Control Ecology Decision Challenge Activity for FREE

You can find this challenge as well as all my other Ecology Challenges in my Real-World Ecology Decision Challenges Bundle. Click here to see the included topics and learn more.

How It Works

Students use the provided background reading and evidence sets to:

• Analyze forest fuel and tree density data
• Compare current forest conditions with a healthier fire-adapted forest
• Identify how fuel buildup can increase wildfire risk
• Compare wildfire risk ratings for different forest areas
• Explore how prescribed burns can affect species richness over time
• Analyze forest recovery and succession data
• Understand how sunlight, seedlings, invasive plants, and dead fuel can change after a prescribed burn
• Consider community concerns such as smoke, safety, nearby homes, and temporary road closures
• Compare forest management options using evidence
• Use evidence to support a science-based decision

This activity moves students from background reading → data analysis → evidence comparison → final decision writing.

Topics Students Explore

• Prescribed burns
• Fire ecology
• Wildfire risk
• Fuel buildup
• Forest management
• Succession
• Biodiversity
• Species richness
• Forest recovery
• Fire-adapted ecosystems
• Human impact on ecosystems
• Community safety concerns
• Environmental trade-offs
• Evidence-based decision-making
• Real-world ecology problem solving

What’s Included

✅ Complete Prescribed Burns Decision Challenge activity

✅ Student background reading

✅ Multiple Information/Data Sets

✅ Evidence analysis questions

✅ Final decision writing task

✅ Early finisher extension activities

✅ Complete answer key

✅ Grading rubric

✅ DIGITAL and PRINT ready versions

✅ Fully editable file

Perfect for:

• Ecosystems units
• Succession lessons
• Biodiversity lessons
• Human impact on ecosystems lessons
• Fire ecology activities
• Wildfire risk lessons
• Forest management discussions
• Environmental science lessons
• Data analysis practice
• Evidence-based writing
• Small group collaboration
• Sub plans or review days
• NGSS life science lessons

Teacher-Friendly Features

• NO PREP and ready to use
• Builds data analysis and evidence-based reasoning skills
• Encourages students to support claims with evidence
• Connects ecology concepts to a realistic forest management decision
• Includes built-in assessment with a rubric
• Works well for independent work, partners, small groups, or class discussion
• Includes extension options for early finishers
• Editable so you can adjust the activity for your students

This activity is a great way to help students practice analyzing evidence, comparing management options, and making a science-based decision about whether prescribed burns should be used to protect a forest ecosystem.