Lesson Overview: Students study the scars left by low-severity fires on tree trunks–how these scars form, how many have marked a tree, and how many years went by between fires. With this information, they can describe the history of low-severity fire for that tree. With data from the whole class, they can describe the history of low-severity fire for a whole stand or forest.

Lesson Goals: Students understand that some trees can survive frequent low-severity fire. They can describe the history of low-severity fire for a specific tree, and they can describe the history of low-severity fires for a stand or forest.

Objectives:

• Students can identify tree growth rings and fire scars.
• Students can describe the history of low-severity fire for the tree.
• Students can use their data to make inferences about the history of low-severity fire in a forest.