Fire: Keeping safe

Fire: Keeping safe

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This task is about identifying fire hazards, and using what you know about fire to suggest ways to make a situation safer.

If we know what causes fires we are more likely to be able to manage the risk of a fire starting.

For a fire to start, three things have to be present:

  • a source of heat
  • fuel
  • oxygen

This is often called the fire triangle. 

the fire triangle

Question

 bedroom fire hazard
Tick all the things that could provide fuel for a fire (they burn easily).

    • light bulb   light bulb

    • curtains   curtain

    • pillows   pillows

    • candle   candle

    • lamp    lamp

    • planets   space mobile

    • electric cord    frayed cord

    • leaves   dead leaves

    • papers   paper

    • heater   heater

Question

 bedroom fire hazard
Tick all the things that could provide heat to start a fire.

    • light bulb   light bulb

    • curtains   curtain

    • pillows   pilows

    • candle   candle

    • lamp   lamp

    • planets   space mobile

    • electric cord   frayed cord

    • leaves   dead leaves

    • papers   paper

    • heater   heater

Question

Three places are shown where a fire could easily start in the room.
Choose one.

Question 1Change answer

the fire triangle
 
Use the fire triangle to explain why this area is a fire hazard.

Question

A part answer mentions one part of the fire triangle  A better answer discusses the closeness of a fuel to a heat source.  An excellent answer also includes the role of air or oxygen. 
Examples
  • A candle (heat source) might start a fire.
  • The curtain (fuel) could catch fire.
  • The window is wide open so there is lots of air (oxygen).
Examples
The curtain (fuel) is close enough to the candle’s flame (heat source) that it could catch alight.
Examples
The curtain (fuel) is close enough to the candle’s flame (heat source) that it could catch alight. The open window means that there is plenty of oxygen to keep the fire burning.
The space mobile (fuel) could catch fire. The bulb (heat source) can get hot enough to set the decoration (fuel)  hanging by it on fire. The bulb (heat source) has got no shade on it so can set the decoration (fuel)  hanging by it on fire. The open window lets in air (oxygen), which is needed for the fire to keep burning.
Frayed cords sometimes spark (heat source). If the frayed electrical cord sparks (heat source) the dry leaves (fuel) nearby  could catch fire. The frayed electrical cord could spark (heat source). Dead leaves (fuel) are very dry and catch fire easily. Oxygen is also needed for fire to burn, and the open window gives a good supply of this in the room.
 
Use the rubric above to decide how well you answered the question. Tick the box which best describes your answer. (Choose one). If you are not sure, discuss with a friend.
Here is your answer:

    • No parts of fire triangle identified

    • Part answer

    • Better answer (2 parts of fire triangle)

    • Excellent answer (3 parts of fire triangle)

Question 1Change answer

Here are some fire hazards that might be found in your bedroom.

  • frayed electrical cord
  • overloaded power outlet
  • candle
  • cigarette lighter
  • glue or solvents
  • bar or gas heater
  • synthetic (man-made) duvet inner
  • none of these

Write a paragraph explaining one thing you could do to improve fire hazards in your bedroom, and why this action would be effective. If you think your bedroom is totally safe, write a paragraph explaining why it is safe.

In your explanations refer to the parts of the fire triangle.

Question

Description
Partial explanation
Full explanation
Identifies a hazard Identifies a hazard and explains why it is dangerous Identifies a hazard and links explanation to at least one of the elements of the fire triangle
 
Examples

  • I could get rid of the candles in my room.
  • I wouldn't do anything.
 Examples

  • I could get rid of the candles in my room. They could cause a fire.
  • There are no fire hazards in my room so it is safe.
 Examples

  • I use candles in my bedroom. Lit candles could start a fire if the flame gets too close to the curtains and sets them alight. If I don't light the candles, there is nothing hot enough to start the curtains burning.
  • My room is safe because there is nothing that can actually start a fire.
 
Use the rubric to decide how well you answered the question. Tick the box which best describes your answer. (Choose one.)
Here is your answer:

    • I did not talk about fire hazards in my bedroom.

    • I identified a hazard.

    • I identified a hazard and explained why it was dangerous. 

    • I included at least one part of the fire triangle in my explanation.

Question 1Change answer

Description Partial explanation Full explanation
Identifies a hazard to remove Identifies a hazard and explains why it is dangerous Identifies a hazard and links explanation to at least one of the elements of the fire triangle

Examples

  • I could get rid of the candles in my room.
  • I wouldn't do anything.

Examples

  • I could get rid of the candles in my room. They could cause a fire.
  • There are no fire hazards in my room so it is safe.

 

Examples

  • I use candles in my bedroom. Lit candles could start a fire if the flame gets too close to the curtains and sets them alight. If I don't light the candles, there is nothing hot enough to start the curtains burning.
  • My room is safe because there is nothing that can actually start a fire.
 
Use the rubric above to improve your answer.
Task administration: 
This task provides support for students to review and improve their science explanations. It is designed to form the basis of a conversation.
  • Encourage students to work with others to use the provided rubrics to critique and improve their explanations.
  • If students are unused to using assessment to improve their learning, support them by working with the class to unpack the rubrics.
  • Examples help students to understand what the categories look like. Use the examples provided, but add to them from examples from your students' work.
  • Research shows that rubrics are more meaningful to learners if they have contributed to their construction. Provide opportunities for the class to develop their own.
  • Get students to say what they need to do to improve their explanations.
Copyright: 

Drawing NZCER copyright

Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Participating and contributing, Material World
Keywords: 
change, chemical change, combustion, fire, explanations, self assessment, peer assessment
Description of task: 
Students use their knowledge of the fire triangle to identify risk factors for a given scenario, and apply this to their own situation. They use rubrics to rate and improve some of their explanations.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using evidence to support an explanation. 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource privide opportunities to engage with a real life context.
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science, Use evidence
Answers/responses: 
Questions What to look for
Tick all the things that provide fuel for a fire. answer-fire-keeping-safe-A.png
Tick all the things that provide heat to start a fire.
answer-fire-keeping-safe-B.png
Choose one place where a fire could start.
Explain why the area is a fire hazard.
Any
Refer to Rubric 1 below
Explain one thing to decrease fire hazards in student's bedroom. Refer to Rubric 2 below
Improve your answer.
Has the student used the rubric to improve their answer?
Have they incorporated the elements of the fire triangle into their explanation?
Are they ready, willing and able to make improvements to their explanation?
 
Rubric 1
A part answer mentions one part of the fire triangle (fuel, heat source or oxygen).  A better answer discusses the closeness of a fuel to a heat source.   An excellent answer also includes the role of air or oxygen. 
 
Rubric 2
Description  Partial explanation  Full explanation
Identifies a hazard  Identifies a hazard and explains why it is dangerous  Identifies a hazard and links explanation to at least one of the elements of the fire triangle
 
 
Teaching and learning: 
Nature of Science: Understanding about science
The focus of this task is on writing science explanations with an emphasis on both "providing evidence to support their ideas" and "science is a way of explaining the world" (NZC). In this case, the evidence used is established science knowledge. It potentially contributes to building the science capability, Use evidence.
 
Nature of Science: Participating and Contributing (Science Capability: Engage with science)
The task has been linked to Participating and Contributing because it asks students to use their science understandings to react to a personal situation. The ideal would be if students actually did take action.
 
Diagnostic and formative information: 
Using science knowledge
Trial students found it harder to identify fuel than heat sources.
The most commonly recognised fuel was paper.
The most commonly omitted fuel was the space mobile.
The naked light bulb and the heater were most commonly incorrectly identified as fuel.
The frayed cord was most often not identified as a heat source. (Students need to be aware that frayed cords can spark to recognise this as a potential heat source).
 
Next steps
Get students to rank the level of risk.
  • Ask which is riskier, the naked bulb or the lamp. Why?
  • Which is the most risky siuation? Why?
  • Discuss that a candle can be regarded as both a heat source (the flame) and a fuel (the wax). When does a candle become a risk?
Explanations
  1. Almost all trial students chose to explain why the candle next to the curtains is a risk.
  • About 80% inccorporated fuel and heat into their explanation.
  • About 40% also included oxygen
This particular spot is very dangerous because there is a flammable item next to a fire source in a very oxygenated area.
The candle provides the heat which can catch onto the curtains. The curtains provide the fuel as they burn easily. There is fresh air coming in through the window which provides oxygen.
There is oxygen coming through the window, there is heat from the candle and the candles are great fuel.
  1. Nearly three quarters of the trial students identified hazards in their bedroom, or that their bedroom was free from hazards.
  • Only about one quarter explained why they were hazards.
  • No trial students included all three of  the elements of the fire triangle in their explanations.
  1. Using the rubrics to improve answers
  • Trial students found it very difficult to use the rubrics to rate their answers (fewer than one quarter did this accurately). They both over- and under-estimated their rating.
  • Very few used the second rubric to improve their answer. Some of those who did attempt to do so did not actually make any improvement. One student just copied the example provided.
Next Steps
A fundamental principle of formative assessment is that it should improve learning. Rubrics are one strategy students can use.
Give students time and strategies to work on improving their responses.  Research literature (e.g., Sadler) suggests that students need to be able to picture what the categories look like, so examples are an important part of the support. Some researchers also claim that students use rubrics more effectively if they have been involved in developing them.
  • As a class take some examples of responses. Decide which category they fall into, and why. Encourage debate.
  • Ask students to suggest what would be needed to improve the answer. 
  • Ask them to use the rubric to improve  responses that are not theirs (it is often easier to critique others' explanations).
  • Give students opportunities to develop class rubrics for tasks, so they have a shared understanding. Keep them simple.
  • Work with students to develop a classroom culture that values working on improvement. This includes setting aside time and support to do so.
Misconceptions
 Two of the trial students provided some evidence that they might have a naive view of oxygen, equating it with wind. This means they focus on the movement of the flame towards the fuel (which is not incorrect), rather than oxygen being necessary for burning to occcur
The oxygen from outside blows in and moves the heat from the candle to light the curtain on fire which the curtain provides the fuel to keep it burning.
The candle is close to the curtain and the oxygen could blow the heat to the curtain.
Next Steps
Provide activities that help students focus on oxygen as the component of air required for burning to take place. Candles in boxes could be used. Rather than just doing the assessment task, set up the investigation and discuss what can be inferred from the results.
 
This resource was developed as one of three resources about fire. The other two are:
The three resources were designed to complement the context Fire on the Science Learning Hub. There is a lot of support material about fires available on this site.
 
Teacher resource
The following paper, while old, was influential in considering the use of rubrics for formative feedback.
 
Other Level 4  ARB resources about burning:
Candle in a jar is about the role of oxygen in burning.
 
Other Level 4 resources about writing explanations: