The Science of Fire Forensics

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Overview

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Relevant NGSS Standards
  • Matter and its Interactions
  • Energy
This topic was produced with support from

The Science of

Fire Forensics

A ‘pathway’ is a guided investigation of Fire Forensics that bring students on a journey of discovery and education including key topics such as fire development, energy transfer, and the use of evidence and reasoning. The pathway is broken down into 4 main sections.

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1
There’s Been a Fire

Fire protection engineers and scientists conducted a burn in a large-scale fire lab. Your job will be to investigate the origin of this blaze, and build a claim supported with evidence and reasoning. Just like a real investigator!

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2
Investigators Academy

Welcome to the Investigators Academy! While fire may seem unpredictable, it develops and behaves in ways that we can understand scientifically. Here you’ll learn the basics of fire.

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2a
What is fire?

On this page, you’ll obtain information to understand what fire is and the evidence it may leave behind.

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2b
How does fire develop?

On this page, you’ll obtain information to understand how fire develops and the evidence it may leave behind.

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2c
How does fire behave?
On this page, you’ll obtain information to understand how fire behaves and the evidence it may leave behind.
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3
Guided Investigation

Fire investigators are trained to work backwards to fill in the story. On this page, you’ll obtain information to understand how investigators look for evidence and communicate their claims.

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4
Solve the Case

It’s time to put your knowledge and skills to the test! On this page, you will obtain evidence from a kitchen fire conducted in a large-scale fire lab by the Fire Safety Research Institute. Then, communicate your claim about the origin of the fire supported by evidence and reasoning.

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In-class Resources

This topic includes stand-alone resources that can be used on their own or in combination with each other.

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