Home/Curriculum resources/Fire and land management: past and present /Activity – Managing fire with the seasons
Learning Area:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Year level:
Level 6
Suggested timing:
One lesson, plus homework if appropriate
Activity – Managing fire with the seasons
This activity is a part of the Fire and land management: past and present resource.
Clay Stephens Assists with Australian Bushfires. Photographer: BLM Idaho. Source: Wikimedia commons. License: CC BY 2.0
Managing Fire with the Seasons, teachers can guide students in exploring Nyungar and Miriwoong seasonal calendars online to understand their significance in fire management.
Step by Step guide
Step 1: Visit web pages on Nyungar and Miriwoong seasonal calendars
The Miriwoong Seasonal Calendar (BOM): http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/miriwoong.shtml
The Nyungar Seasonal Calendar (BOM): http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/nyoongar.shtml
Step 2: Explore these calendars
Identify knowledge gaps to build a fire management plan:
Make a list of information that will help you understand when burning would be a good idea and when it would be dangerous.
Identify the driest part of the year, and the hottest. Consider rain, temperature, plant growing seasons and resulting fuel loads.
Research answers to your questions based on your local area.
A supporting template has been provided to assist with this step.
Step 3: Discuss the following inquiry-based questions as a class:
What effects might climate change have on fire management? E.g. What might happen if rains come late, or are heavier than usual, or if it’s hotter than usual for longer?
How has the use of fire changed over time? Consider pre-colonisation, early colonisation, and present day.
How did traditional fire management contribute to a sustainable way of life?