Chemistry of Fire

In 2008 SFPE partnered with Discovery Education to create a new in-school program titled The Chemistry of Fire. The program was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Chemistry of Fire is geared to high school chemistry students. It will teach students the science behind fire as a way for students to fully understand the dangers of fire. As a result, it will increase the awareness of fire and the importance of home fire prevention. The interactive program includes a teacher's guide with five lesson plans, a DVD that demonstrates exciting experiments included in the lessons, three classroom posters and a website where teachers and students can find more classroom and career resources. 

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"Each year in the United States more than 3,000 people die and 18,000 are injured as a result of fire. Our goal is to bring the science of fire to the classroom as a way of increasing the awareness of fires and how to prevent them," says Chris Jelenewicz, SFPE Engineering Program Manager. "It fills a void in the high school chemistry curriculum because this information isn't currently provided in any high school texts."

"As a result of this partnership between Discovery and SFPE, high school students across the U.S. will have access to a high-quality program that will deliver enlightening and powerful fire-safety messages," said Mary Rollins, director of sponsorships for Discovery Education. "This program will reach thousands of teachers, students and families."

Currently, there is a nationwide shortage of fire protection engineers. Their skills are necessary to protect people and property from the threat of fire. These lessons will help students explore career opportunities in the field of fire protection engineering.

Resources

Teacher's Resource Guide

This guide [PDF] offers five lessons for chemistry teachers to introduce students to the chemistry of fire.

Videos

These seven videos complement the lessons presented in the Teacher's Resource Guide. The videos can be viewed on the Chemistry of Fire playlist on SFPE's YouTube channel or in the embedded window below.

 

High School Teachers Applaud the Chemistry of Fire (pdf)

We no longer have hard copies of the Chemistry of Fire Program, however we are always seeking teacher input on this program and suggestions for the future, please contact SFPE with information.