1. Yellowstone Makes a Triumphant Return Ten Years After Fires
Make sure students are looking at the article while working through this power point
The attached Power Point presentation is based on a “numbered-heads” strategy:
Groups of 4 students;
Each student has a number between 1 and 4;
A question is presented to the entire class (see slides for the questions);
Groups discuss the question for approximately 30 seconds;
Teacher calls a number between 1 and 4. No further talking is allowed at this point;
The person with that number stands and shares the answer of the group (make sure the number from each group shares);
Points may be awarded for group responses (accuracy, completeness, and thoughtfulness), cooperativeness, etc.
Move into “Numbered Heads” groups.
Use the “Numbered Heads” strategy with the presentation.
Cause and Effect

2. Cooperative Questions
What was the cost of fighting the fires in Yellowstone National Park?
$120 million was spent according to the text box on the second page.

3. Cooperative Questions
In what year was this article written?
This is a higher level thinking question.
Stress that the answer is an “Implicit” answer in the text
The article was written in 1998, ten years after the 1988 fires.

4. Cooperative Questions
What is the meaning of the word prone in this sentence?
Without fire, pine forests grow old, prone to disease and unnaturally thick.
In this sentence, prone means “Having a tendency; inclined”

5. Cooperative Questions
How much of Yellowstone was burned in the fires?
This is a simple question that requires thought!
This can be answered in several ways – 793,000 acres, one third of the park, more than 793,000 acres, or 36% of the park (these last two figures are from the text box) million acres is incorrect since it represents the total acres of Yellowstone.

6. Cooperative Questions
What do all of the research project studying Yellowstone after the fires have in common?
“What are the effects of the fires?”
The answer is simple: The fires were helpful.
Answer: The fire was helpful and did not destroy Yellowstone (paragraphs 4 and 5)
Some ways it helped: wildlife healthy, tourism thriving, biodiversity thriving, new forests

7. Cooperative Questions
How many fires burned in Yellowstone and how many of each type were there?
Humans caused 9 fires; lightning caused 42 fires, for a total of 51 fires

8. Identify a Cause or Effect
“Without fire, pine forests grow old, prone to disease, and unnaturally thick.”
What happens in this passage?
Why does it happen?
Now we are moving into cause and effect. One sentence out of the article is presented on this slide. Ask questions, have numbered heads respond.
What happens – pine forests grow old, prone to disease and unnaturally thick
Why – there is no fire
Key word – “without”

9. Identify a Cause or Effect
But today, the forest floor is a sea of green – knee-high pine trees planted, literally, by the fires of 1988.
Cause?
Effect?
Again, another line right out of the text
Cause – the fires of 1988
Effect – the forest floor is a sea of green

10. Identify a Cause or Effect
What put Yellowstone’s fires out was not retardant-dropping planes or armies of firefighters on the ground. It was a quarter of an inch of autumn rain.
Cause?
Effect?
Again, another line right out of the text
Cause – a quarter of an inch of autumn rain
Effect – the Yellowstone fires were put out

11. Identify a Cause or Effect
Just as fire recharged the pines, so, too, did it help plants that grazing animals eat.
Cause?
Effect?
Cause – the fires
Effect – it helped the plants that grazing animals eat

12. Infer the Cause or Effect
“… others (fires) were started by humans.”
What inference can we make about how humans may have started the fires?
Inference – humans may have started the fires by campfires not completely extinguished, by cigarettes not extinguished, by intentionally setting a fire, or by fireworks, especially considering the time of year
Prior knowledge (example of prior knowledge, teacher may want to share other prior knowledge) – While camping, people often make campfires to keep warm, cook food, etc.
Author’s words- (from the text box) Humans caused 9 fires
Inference – humans either intentionally or unintentionally began 9 fires
Humans may have caused the fires by:
campfires
lighted cigarettes
arson
fireworks – the fires occurred in summer, including July 4th.

13. Focus on Causes Effect Yellowstone fires Causes
This is a stated cause!
This is a stated cause!
Handout this graphic organizer to each student. (YOU CAN COPY THE NEXT SLIDE)
EXPLAIN the purpose of go’s is that they help ORGANIZE a readers thoughts into a visual representation. This helps the learner to keep the new piece of information or strategy in their brain and it goes into long-term memory.
Have the students work in their talking heads groups to fill in this graphic organizer.
Answers:
Causes: stated #1- humans
stated #2- lightening
Inferred: campers, cigarettes, arson OR hot, dry temperatures
Effect is given in the slide
Have students go back to the article to find the multiple causes in their groups, again keep using the numbered heads strategy to share answers out for the multiple causes
This is an inferred cause!

14. Focus on Causes Effect Yellowstone fires Causes
This is a stated cause!
This is a stated cause!
This is an inferred cause!

15. Focus on Effects Effects Cause Yellowstone fires
Follow the exact same format as you did on the previous slide. The go for the students can be copied from the next slide.
Answers: Effects: 1) lush, thick forests
2) less diseased in the forest – more healthy
3) more tourism
4) more biodiversity (variety and abundance of plant and animal life)
5) added color and texture to the ecosystem

16. Focus on Effects
Cause
Yellowstone fires
Effects

17. Casual Chain Initial cause Intermediate Cause / effect Intermediate
Optional; You may introduce this if you believe your students are ready
Final effect

18. Casual Chain fire Fallen trees Attract insects Attract insect –
See previous slide’s notes
Attract insect –
eating animals

19. Causal Chain Pine trees burned Intermediate Cause / effect
One example: Pine trees burned, the pinecones melted, their seeds were released, a new forest was planted.
Final effect

20. Practice - Cause and Effect
Explain why the fires in Yellowstone were helpful. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
This question can be used to end the lesson. Have them use the graphic organizer as a group, but have EACH student record the answer in the correct format.
When you go over the answer STRESS how the information form the GO is directly put into the answer using complete sentences. NOTE that the answer should have at lease # sentences. One that states the Cause and one or two sentences that contain the 2 examples of effect.
Example: The Yellowstone fires were helpful because it helped renew the plant and animal life. New forests replaced the old ones that were prone to disease. Grizzly bears now have insects to eat in the fallen trees.

21. Practice - Author’s Purpose
The author of the selection states “The fires were helpful." Do you agree with his statement? Use two details from the selection to support your answer.
Optional: focuses on reading target IA18
Yes – New, healthy forests were planted. Animal life benefited from the new plants to eat.
No – The fires destroyed thousands of mature pine trees. The fire cost $120 million to fight.

22. Practice - Evaluate Reasoning
Is the following statement a reasonable conclusion that readers may draw from the selection?
Fires are necessary for a healthy forest Provide two details from the selection to support your answer.
Optional– focuses on reading target IT19
Yes – 70 research projects have looked at Yellowstone’s fires. They all concluded it was helpful. Tourism has benefited from the fires.
No – The fires actually destroyed forests and other plants. Animals’ homes are destroyed by fire.