Outdoor Survival · Applied Wilderness Skills
Fire & Cooking
Students investigate how fire works, practice several ignition methods, and apply their skills to simple outdoor cooking. They learn to plan materials, manage a small fire, work in teams, and evaluate their results.
For grades 6–10
Inside the Fire & Cooking unit
Students build and manage a fire with a stable pot support to bring water to a rolling boil, then fully extinguish the fire and clean their work area.
6 core lessons + Unit Challenge
Fire and Cooking — Teacher Manual Table of Contents Actual printed page 5 (PDF position 5). Introduction — 6 Unit Overview — 11 Teacher Background Knowledge — 12 Supplies — 16 Unit Storyline — 19 Core Skills Lessons Lesson 1: Fire Safety — 21 Lesson 2: Matches — 38 Lesson 3: Ferrocerium Rods and Steel — 48 Lesson 4: Magnifying Glasses — 59 Lesson 5: Intro to Open-Fire Cooking — 79 Lesson 6: Rocket Stoves — 90 Unit Challenge: Boil Water — 100 Conclusion — 103 The mockup represents PDFs customers may print. Purchases include downloadable PDFs; printed books and supplies are not included.
Look inside
Each unit pairs a Teacher Manual with an Adventure Journal student workbook. The manual guides instruction and activities; the journal supports student planning, recording, and reflection.
Explore the unit overview and a complete Intro to Open-Fire Cooking lesson, alongside the student workbook pages for planning, preparation and assessment.
Preview the Teacher Manual
Teacher Manual
See how the lesson is organized, including teaching guidance, materials, safety considerations, and activity instructions.
The Schoolyard map is sideways in the original workbook. Use Rotate page for a comfortable reading view. The downloadable PDF preserves the original.
Preview the Adventure Journal student workbook
Adventure Journal student workbook
See the pages students use alongside this lesson to record observations, practice concepts, and reflect on their learning.
The Schoolyard map is sideways in the original workbook. Use Rotate page for a comfortable reading view. The downloadable PDF preserves the original.
Teacher Manual + Student Workbook
Downloadable PDFs: the Teacher Manual and matching Adventure Journal student workbook for this unit. Printed books and supplies are not included.
Individual resources
Each bundle includes both resources for one unit. Shop other units →
Teaching this unit
This unit requires permission to use fire, a suitable designated outdoor teaching area, close adult supervision, and extinguishing water and tools ready before ignition. Plan supplies and food in advance and follow your school or program’s policies and current fire restrictions.
Supplies and advance preparation
Review the teacher background and each lesson’s materials list before teaching. Plan matches, ferrocerium rods with steel strikers, magnifying glasses, tinder and kindling; the manual lists one ignition tool per student. Prepare designated fire rings for groups of three or four, one five-gallon water bucket per ring and at least one shovel for the class. For rocket stoves and the boiling-water challenge, prepare the specified stove materials, a metal pot and stable support. Printed books and activity supplies are not included.
Cooking preparation
Begin with pre-cooked food or marshmallows. Arrange long skewers or suitable cookware, backup food and tools, and communicate ingredient and tool responsibilities before cooking day. The teaching program must plan for allergies, dietary needs, food storage and handwashing before selecting foods; the manual does not provide a complete food-handling plan.
Outdoor space and fire permissions
Use a designated area approved for fire activities, clear of combustible vegetation and separate from recess or lunch traffic. Check land-manager rules, school policies, current fire restrictions and weather before use. Arrange work areas to manage smoke and maintain clear boundaries. These materials do not grant permission to light fires.
Supervision and extinguishing
Teach handling and movement expectations before ignition; secure hair and loose clothing, maintain close adult supervision, and keep fires small. Have extinguishing water and tools ready before ignition, and allow time to extinguish every fire fully and clean the site. The curriculum does not guarantee safe use.
Pacing and planning estimate
Plan approximately 10 hours of student learning across the unit. This is a planning estimate; longer activities may span multiple class periods. Allow preparation before cooking day and sufficient cleanup and extinguishing time. Adjust pacing to your group, site and conditions.
Delivery, printing & licensing
Delivery
Download links arrive by email after purchase. PDFs only; printed books and supplies are not included.
Classroom printing permissions
The purchaser may reproduce student materials for use with their own students. The license applies to a single teacher and their classes only. Additional teachers must purchase their own license. Sharing, distributing, or posting the material online or in school or district repositories without permission is prohibited.
Current edition
The currently available Teacher Manual is labeled Pilot Edition and includes all six core lessons and the Unit Challenge. The original preview pages retain their source edition wording and page numbers.
School & group purchasing
Contact us to discuss purchasing and licensing for multiple instructors in a school, homeschool co-op, microschool, or program.
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