Beaver Dams and Wildfire, a Stop-Motion Demonstration

• This brief stop-motion video illustrates how beaver dams have the ability to change their surrounding environment, particularly in ways that can slow the spread of wildfires. 
• Through this video, article, and related links, students will learn about the hydrologic functions of beaver dams and how they might play a role in building climate resilience in their ecosystem. 

Positives

• The video is playful and engaging, providing students with a visual demonstration of how beaver dams can be beneficial to their ecosystem. 
  
• This resource provides links to more than 10 additional sites that provide further learning. 

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have basic background knowledge of beavers and why they build dams. 

Differentiation

• A graphic organizer (such as an "already Know-Want to know-what did I Learn" chart) may help students activate background knowledge and compare their prior knowledge about beavers to new learning. 
• Since the video is short, teachers might choose to show it more than once to give students an opportunity to process their understanding of the concept. 
• Have students create their own 3-D models in pairs (using pencils, rulers, erasers, or whatever is on hand) to match the video and then have them explain it to you or to another group.
  
• Art classes could discuss how stop-motion animation helps illustrate concepts and students could also demonstrate their own new learning through drawings or other art forms. 
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.