Year 9 Mathematics of bushfires

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Teacher Note: These activities have been inspired by the University of Melbourne Indigenous Knowledge Institute resources, available here.

Overview

Fire is an important part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and is used to manage the landscape and promote biodiversity.  “Bad Fire” can occur when country is not properly cared for as increased burn loads can lead to more intense and destructive fire. Thus, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have used firestick farming as a way to protect against “bad fire”.  This resource is developed to engage students in understanding aspects of bushfire so that they can see how the long-standing practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can be supported by mathematics.

4Cs Curriculum Connections for CLIL

CONTENT

This resource addresses the following Content Descriptions from the Victorian Curriculum:
Mathematics

  • Plot graphs of non-linear real life data with and without the use of digital technologies, and interpret and analyse these graphs (VCMNA285) 
  • Calculate the areas of composite shapes (VCMMG312) 

COGNITION

  • How does the geometry of fire relate to the use of fire by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

CULTURE

  • Students will learn to appreciate the complexity of the system that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have successfully managed for millennia and how fire has been a tool to do this.

COMMUNICATION

Language Of Learning

  • Shapes: だえん、まる、さんかく、しかく
  • Mathematical terms:　ひろさ、ながさ、ひりつ、めんせき 
  • Bushfire terms:　山火事、ちゃっかてん、かぜがない, かぜがつよい
  • Verbs:　あがります、ふえます

Language For Learning

  • Classroom instruction language:　～てください、～ましょう、どうおもいますか。

Language Through Learning

  • (This is the unplanned language students discover through their learning)

Teaching and Learning Activities

Display Powerpoint resource.

  • Slide 2: Discuss with students what shape they see in the burnt area of the bushfire.  This is a way to introduce shapes in Japanese to the students and to have them think about how they apply to the shape of a bushfire.
    山火事のかたちは何ですか。
    しかく、さんかく、まる、だえん？
  • Slide 3: Ask students to identify the shapes they see in the burn patterns from the 2019 East Coast Bushfires.  They may see combinations of shapes but should be able to find an ellipse in each case.
  • Slide 4: Display the phrases かぜがない and かぜがつよい in 2 locations in the classroom. 
    Give pairs of students printed copies of the ellipses on the slide and ask them place them on the wall between the 2 signs based on how strong they think the wind would be to create these images. 

The images on slides 8-15 were created using AI tools. They show burn patterns and could also be used to explore further the impact of wind on fire.  

  • Slide 5: Explain the length to breadth ratio of an ellipse.
    このかたちはだえんです。
    ひろさとながさのひりつはこれです: LB=2a/2b=a/b
    Ask students to use the fire burn patterns images or the ellipses on slide 4 to calculate the Length to Breadth ratio.  
  • Slide 6: Use this graph to demonstrate the relationship between the LB ratio (calculated previously) and the wind speed.  Students can then compare their guesses on wind strength conducted previously to the actual speed calculated using the LB ratio calculated previously.  
  • Slide 7: This slide can be used as practice in reading and applying the information from the graph.

Reflect on how maths can help us model fire behaviour and supports the actions of Indigenous Australians.

Relate the geometry of fire to the use of fire by First Nations people and ask students to discuss their thoughts in groups then share with the class.

Resources

Powerpoint

This work is licensed under a 
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This resource embodies traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions shared by Australian Indigenous communities. The information is shared for the purposes of knowledge preservation and general education, and ask that you engage with opportunities to learn from this knowledge and culture respectfully. In drawing on the material, users should consider the relevance and suitability to their particular circumstances and purposes. For more information, and to learn more about Australian Indigenous Knowledge, please visit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander School Curricula