Outdoor Learning and STEM  

Lighting a Fire

Once we have a shelter built to protect us from the weather, we might decide we would like a camp fire to keep us worm or to cook on. Most of us know how to light a fire, but we don;t want to encourage children to play with matches and lighters, so we are going to use a flint and steel to get our fire going !
Using a fire-steel to get a fire started
This video demonstrates 10 different ways to arrange your fire. Which one you choose can depend on whether the fire is for heat or for cooking, and also the weather conditions.

Understanding how fire works !

Lighting a fire offers many opportunities to speak with children about safety and the science of what fires need to burn. In this video (The Fire Triangle with Mr Wizard) we learn about some basic safety precautions when working with fire, and we learn about the fire triangle ... the three things needed by a fire to burn ... heat (or a source of ignition), oxygen and fuel. Aimed at children, this video involves some simple experiments which could easily be replicated when teaching children about fire.
To watch a fireman Sam video about fire safety in the home, click the button entitled 'Fireman Sam and Home safety).
To watch a video about the properties of heat, click on the button entitled 'The Properties of heat'. This video introduces us, in simple terms, to some of the scientific concepts relating to fire and heat.
Fireman Sam and Home Safety The properties of heat

Word of warning

Some woods are not safe to use for cooking utensils.

Safe to use are - Hazel, ash, willow, sycamore, apple, chestnut and lime.
If none of the above are available, then Birch, pine and oak and alder are fine.


DO NOT USE cherry (cyanide smell) laburnum, yew, holly, elder, douglas fir or cedar.


And some woods are better than other for burning ... 

Hardwoods burn hotter for longer.

Softwoods tend to burn more quickly and can be quite 'sparky' because of the resin in the wood.  The smoke created by the resins can also 'taint' the flavour of the food.


Whatever wood you burn on your campfire, make sure it is dry, untreated with paints or varnishes, and does not have bits of ivy stuck to it.  Poison Ivy, when burnt, can release spores which can, if you are allergic to them,  make you very ill !   Not all ivy's are poisonous. but there's no point in taking the risk !

Chemicals used on wood, if the wood is burnt, can release toxic fumes.

Points to ponder ...

While carrying out this activity with children, and once the fire is lit, what safety concerns might you need to take into account ?
What specific dangers or risks might you need to take into consideration when developing the session plan for this activity and will therefore need to include in a risk assessment ?
And once you have identified those risks, what steps can be taken to minimise the risks as much as is reasonably practicable ?
Remember ... we don't want to introduce so many safety measures that we prevent the activity from providing the learning opportunities that it does, but we need to make sure we reduce risks so that the activity can take place as safely as possible.

How does this activity relate to S.T.E.M ?

Science.
  • The fire triangle
  • Heat
  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
  • Temperature
  • Danger to flora and fauna
Technology
  • Thermometer
Engineering.
  • The properties of the sticks and logs - wet, damp, dry, living, dead.
  • Balance (when placing stick on the fire)
  • Width, girth, length (of logs/sticks)