Living with Fire

GD127

Module Leader

Dr Katie Reeves

Option: Year 1 only

Term 1

10 weeks (15 CATS)

9 x 1 hour lectures

6 x 1 hour seminars

3 x 2 hour practical workshops

Available to students within the SCFS at convenors discretion

What does it mean to belong to a planet that is still forming and evolving? How has fire shaped the conditions for life, settlement, and civilisation? Why do volcanoes and fire appear so powerfully in myths, religions, and national identities?

This module explores how ‘fire’ in its many forms can shape environments, societies, and pathways to sustainable development. Scientific, historical, cultural, and political perspectives are brought together to interrogate how communities understand, interact with, and co-exist in powerful volcanic environments, and how fire operates as both a creative and destructive force in civilisation. These elements will be considered across three themes: (1) The Rules of Fire, (2) Culture, Belonging and Development, and (3) Fire and People.

Principal Aims

This interdisciplinary module is designed to equip students with fundamental knowledge of fire, volcanism and global sustainable development. These topics will be explored through an interdisciplinary lens, integrating scientific perspectives with social, cultural, and economic considerations. In doing so, this module provides first-year students with training in interdisciplinary learning environments and methods/approaches of knowledge construction, analysis, and communication.

Syllabus

An indicative list of topics is noted below, although there is a much wider pool of content that could be included:

Theme 1: The Rules of Fire (W1-3)

The Birth of Earth
The Birth of Civilisation
Reading the Planet: The Stories of Fire

Theme 2: Culture, Belonging and Development (W4-5)

Volcanoes and Fire in Culture and Belief
Volcanoes and Fire in History, Development and Geopolitics

Theme 3: Fire and People (W7-10)

Living with Fire: Understanding Risk
Playing with Fire: Fire and Adventure (Geo-Ethics)
Living with Fire: From Theory to Lived Reality (Case Study)
From Science to Story: Communicating Fire

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

Explain the physical processes governing fire and volcanism over geological time
Interpret the cultural, historical, and social meanings of volcanoes and fire
Evaluate human-fire-volcano interactions and how this links to sustainability and development
Communicate fire and volcanology principles to specialist and non-specialist audiences

Employability Skills

Through this module, you will develop a number of different skills that are sought by employers which will support your professional development. We have highlighted this to enable you to identify and reflect on the skills you have acquired and apply them throughout your professional journey including during the recruitment processes whether this on an CV/application form or at an interview.

An ability to engage in the scientific method
Data analysis and experimental design
Critical thinking
Analytical skills
Written and verbal communication
Organisation and visual representation
An ability to undertake independent learning
Creative techniques
Interdisciplinary approaches

Assessment

Communication of Fire (50%): Students will choose a topic of interest around fire or volcanology to communicate in a format of their choice. There is no set list of formats, although some examples may include: a childrens story book, art, poem, photograph, podcast, video, hand specimen illustrations, blog post, etc. This will be marked through an accompanying 1000 word commentary.

Lava Flow Scientific Report (50%): Students will write a scientific report detailing experiments investigating lava flow behaviours as part of class activities (1500 words).

Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on this page.