Lesson Overview: In this activity, students learn about the composition of smoke from wildland fire, how it disperses, and its health impacts. They do a pre-class reading assignment and worksheet. During class, they discuss the pre-class reading, watch a video or demonstration of an inversion, and analyze Plumas county smoke data from two years when large wildland fires occurred.

Lesson Goal: Increase students’ understanding of how smoke from wild land fires disperses, how it may affect people’s health, and why smoke management is complicated.

Objectives:

• Students will understand the composition and health impacts of smoke from wildland fires.
• Students will understand how temperature inversions affect smoke dispersal.
• Students will analyze and interpret graphs of particulate matter concentrations.