On Location: Bring the World to Your Classroom

COLORADO: Students from Montrose talk to homeowners (BLM Photo). ARIZONA: Site of devastating fires in 2002 (USFS Photo).

FLORIDA: Study the fire ecology of the Lake Wales Ridge (Nature Conservancy Photo). IDAHO: Home of National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC Photo).

An electronic field trip is a distance learning event. It allows students to see and interact with people and environments that are far away at virtually no cost to the school. In this case, the Exploring Wildland Fire field trip will take students to several locations:

Colorado, where students will relate their experiences with a nearby fire in the summer of 2002 and work with homeowners to improve the chances that their homes won't burn;
Florida, where The Nature Conservancy uses prescribed fire to improve habitat for wildlife and to reduce fuels near housing developments;
Arizona, site of a major fire in the summer of 2002 as well as the location of BLM's National Training Center in Phoenix; and
Idaho, where government agencies work together at the National Interagency Fire Center to coordinate efforts to protect lives, property, and natural resources from fire.

This is all done through a live satellite television broadcast.
This 60-minute instructional program supports the learning objectives and national education standardsoutlined here. While geared for the middle school student, the broadcast should be of educational value and interest to students at all levels of learning.

Question and answer periods during the broadcast will provide students with the opportunity to interact with scientists and fire specialists via phone and fax. An additional 30-minute bonus session following the 1-hour show will offer extra time for interaction for those whose schedules permit.