Foil the Flames
Grade Levels : K-2

Lesson Objective
Primary Subject/Skills
Resources
Preparation
Suggested Procedure

Lesson Objective:
Reinforce safety procedure through live demonstration of the scientific principles that explain why fires grow and how you put them out.

Primary Subject/Skills:
Science, Cause and Effect, Problem-Solving

Resources
• Stop, Drop & Roll section of the Command Center
• Stop, Drop & Roll coloring Page in the Safe Scenes coloring game (Tyler’s house)
• Stop, Drop & Roll Poster

Preparation:
Discuss and practice Stop, Drop and Roll; have students look at the demonstration in the Command Center, conduct the Stop, Drop & Roll Tag
and/or Take the Fire Away activities.

Suggested Procedure:
Bring in a pan and a lid, a bottle of oil-based salad dressing (in a clear container so the separation of oil and water is clear) a photo of a forest fire and a piece of clothing – pants, hat, scarf. Display the items and ask students how you could put out a fire in/on any of these.

1. Grease in a pan on a stove catches on fire.
Students may say use water. Explain that you NEVER use water because it does not mix with the grease or oil and will make the fire grow. Maybe they have seen what happens when water in the sink is poured on a hot pan with grease. If there was a flame in that pan, it would just get bigger.

Demonstrate the fact that oil and water do not mix by bringing out a container of salad dressing or a bottle with corn oil and water. The oil just floats on top of the water (or vinegar) Even when you shake the container, the oil will form bubbles and stay floating on top. Now bring out the pan lid and put it on the pan. Ask students why this would stop the fire? Because it cuts off the air.

2. A really large forest fire is burning.
Students may say water or chemicals dropped from planes. That is used in some cases. When the fire is very large and moving toward more trees, firefighters cut down trees in front of the fire, so there is no fuel to burn. Taking away fuel is another way to stop a fire.

3. A piece of clothing is on fire.
Students may say water, or Stop, Drop & Roll, if a person is wearing the clothing. Water cools the heat, and Stop, Drop & Roll takes away the air (smothers the flames).

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