Year 8 · Planet: understanding wildfire risk, resilience and communication
Year 8 uses the 2026 Dunwich Heath wildfires as a connected real world context. Science develops understanding of wildfire cause, spread, risk and response. Maths then uses that understanding to model a more resilient fictional visitor and conservation site. Computing completes the sequence by turning scientific and mathematical understanding into a clear digital wildfire information screen for visitors.
How the strands connect
The three strands form a deliberate progression. Science asks why wildfire risk is complex and how conditions change. Maths asks how a site can be modelled and redesigned within scale, area, percentage and budget constraints. Computing asks how the most important information can be selected, simplified and communicated to real users.
Subject strands
Open a strand for the complete lesson progression, detailed guidance, assessment evidence and scoring where used.
Students investigate how climate change, weather, fuel, moisture, wind and landscape conditions can affect wildfire severity, then apply scientific knowledge to the 2026 Dunwich Heath wildfire case study and a changing incident response simulation. Across the strand, students use evidence, recognise uncertainty, model interactions and adapt decisions rather than oversimplifying complex wildfire events.
Students apply scale, area, perimeter, percentages and budget calculations to design a fictional wildfire resilient visitor and conservation site inspired by the 2026 Dunwich Heath wildfires. Across four periods, students move from learning and practising the mathematical tools, to creating a scaled A3 design, adapting it when new planning information appears, and optimising the final solution when the available budget changes.
Students use digital design to communicate wildfire risk clearly and responsibly. In one practical lesson, they connect their Science understanding of wildfire risk and response with their Maths work on resilient site design, then create a 16:9 Canva information screen for visitors. Students apply audience, purpose, visual hierarchy, contrast, short text, icons and accessibility, before responding to a client update, completing a user test and improving the final digital product.
Cross-strand assessment
The three strands use different products, but each expects students to show their thinking and respond to evidence or constraints.
EvidenceL1: Evidence Based Conclusion; L2: Wildfire Cause & Spread Model; L3: Risk Table + Risk Ranking + Case Study Conclusion; L4: Command Challenge Score + Final Science Conclusion
Final outcomeEvidence based conclusion, spread model, risk analysis, Command Challenge score and final conclusion
AssessmentCommand Challenge score /100 + final conclusion
EvidenceSee strand assessment evidence.
Final outcomeFinal A3 wildfire resilient site design with mathematical evidence
AssessmentWeighted /100 judging grid
EvidenceSee strand assessment evidence.
Final outcomeFinal 16:9 digital wildfire information screen with user testing evidence
AssessmentWeighted /100 judging grid
Delivery boundaries
Curriculum source: Y8 Strand Guide.docx
