Geoscience Australia – Bushfire
Click on the image above to go to https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/community-safety/bushfire (Geoscience Australia, 2021).
This website will inform you about how bushfires start and how they could be prevented. It has a simple layout and is created by an Australian Government authority. The information is kept up to date and has listed references for important information. Some of the language might be a little complicated but the headings they use can help you to read a bit at a time (Lemon, 2021). This website will inform you about how bushfires start and how they could be prevented (Geoscience Australia, 2021).
Click on the image above to go to https://www.csiro.au/en/research/natural-disasters/bushfires (CSIRO, 2021).
The CSIRO is Australia’s national science and research organisation. They have been looking into the science of bushfires for a long time. This website has a video to watch to show how fire danger is calculated and how fire predictions are made. You can also click View Transcript underneath the video to read the information given. There are articles at the bottom of the page which link to bushfires as well, but remember these are written for adults, so you may want to use the headings to gather key words for your next search instead of reading them (CSIRO, 2021).
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
Click on the image above to go to https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/bushfires (QFES, 2021).
This website has lots of links and interactive information to learn about individual bushfire survival plans and how to prepare your home for a bushfire. There is also information about fire bans, restrictions and warnings and why these are important for preventing bushfires. This is a good website to explore as the information is easy to find and read for everyone. Some of the information is specific to Queensland but most of it applies all over Australia (QFES, 2021).
BTN Classroom – Bushfire Survival Plan
Click on the image above to go to https://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/bushfire-survival-plan/13140722 (ABC, 2021).
This is an episode of Behind The News which discusses how families can make a bushfire survival plan and what they have included in different kits and plans, as well as things they might need to consider. This website also includes a transcript if you would prefer to read the information in the video. You will be able to find out what kind of survival plan you might need to make depending on who is in your house or where your house is. At the bottom of the page there are links to other BTN clips about bushfires (ABC, 2021). Be sure to check the date of the videos to make sure your information is relevant!
AFAC Lil’ Larikkins Bushfire Safety
Click on the image above to go to https://schools.aidr.org.au/media/5263/bushfire-background-information-for-students.pdf (AFAC, 2017).
This document gives primary school students information on how bushfires start, and how to stay safe in the event of a bushfire. The information on this website has been compiled by the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services. They have created lots of videos for children to help them to understand bushfires and feel calm while they make and use a bushfire survival plan. This document summarizes the main information found in multiple videos, making it a good place to start (AFAC, 2017).
Wildfires – Weather Wiz Kids
Click on the picture to go to https://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wildfire.htm (Weather WizKids, 2015).
This website is not an Australian website and talks about Wildfires – a term used for bushfires across the world. It is an American website and uses lots of American examples and terms. It discusses fire tornadoes (yes, really!) and explains a lot of the language used to describe types and features of wildfires which are also used in Australia (Weather WizKids, 2015; Bushfire Front 2021).
Curious Kids – How Do Bushfires Start?
Click on the picture to go to https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-do-bushfires-start-116664 (Bowman, 2019).
This article is from the website The Conversation which publishes articles written by experts from around the country. This one is written for children by David Bowman who studies fires at the University of Tasmania. He goes through all the things a fire needs to thrive, and why fires are important for the environment in Australia and how fire has been used for thousands of years to help the environment and actually keep people safe (Bowman, 2019).
What is Cultural Burning – The Australian Museum
Click on the picture to go to https://australian.museum/learn/teachers/classroom-activities/cultural-burning/ (Australian Museum, 2021).
This website is aimed at students in Years 7 to 10 so might be somewhat more challenging to read. Click on the plus symbols to find out more about cultural burning. The website includes a video on how cultural burning is being used in Tathra, NSW to look after country. Some questions are also included to guide further research. Understanding cultural burns makes it easier to understand how fires can be different and how they affect the environment (Australian Museum, 2021).