Two Decades of Fire-Driven Loss in Unprecendented Detail

Positives

• Students can read a simplified version of the findings while interacting with the maps modeled after the data from the study.
• The article also includes an interactive dashboard through which students can apply a variety of filters related to land use, land cover, forest change, biodiversity, and more.

Additional Prerequisites

• Click the back arrow at the top left of your screen to move back through the options in the interactive data elements of the article.
• You can see more data graphics and learn more about the study's findings by clicking on "Explore on GFW."
• Students should be familiar with reading graphs and understand terms like contextual, spatial, temporal, and carbon sink.
• Students should read the article before using the interactive dashboard.
• This resource requires access to the Internet.

Differentiation

• After reading the first paragraph of the article, ask students how such a study relates to climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Younger students may find it difficult to analyze the world map in the dashboard due to the amount of information presented over a large scale. Instead, these students can begin by analyzing their country or region.
• This resource can also be used in geography classes during lessons about the environmental conditions and industries of different countries and regions.
• Computer science classes can use this article to discuss the importance of knowing what researchers are looking for when designing tools for data analysis or user interfaces.
  
• As an extension, students can use the findings and data presented in the dashboard to draw their own conclusions about forest fires and changes in forest cover.
• Watch this video to learn more about the role of forests as essential carbon sinks and this video to learn more about the causes of wildfires and prevention methods.