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Things Really Do Catch Fire

  • The Hangzhou Round famously caught fire. But what is a fire, and how does it burn? Begin your exploration of this topic with the terms below:

    • oxidization | ignition | combustion | flash point | convection

    • fire triangle | fire tetrahedron | flame | fuel

  • Next, explore the history of fire. Was it discovered or invented, and by whom and when? How often is this history revised? (alternate link) Discuss with your team: if someone had first come up with fire in 2024, would they have been able to patent or copyright it? (And would it have been subject to international copyright laws?) Did anyone “own” fire in a similar way in the ancient world?

  • One way or another, people did start the fire. While fires can occur naturally, different methods—such as matches, and episodes of the Apprentice—now allow us to start them at will. Investigate historical fire-starting, from stones and flint to ants and lenses. Discuss with your team: should children be taught how to start fires—and, if so, at what age?

    • lighter | match | lenses | hand drill | fire striker | flint & steel | safety match

  • A fire that no one can extinguish: not Los Angeles in 2025 but a deadly weapon in Byzantine Greece. Learn the science and history of Greek fire. Would it still be a useful weapon today, and what are its closest modern-day equivalents? Be sure to study the examples of napalm, thermite, and white phosphorus.

  • For early humans, fire was surely useful for cooking raw Macrauchenia and for fending off saber-toothed tigers—but could it also have been used to create the ancient equivalent of cartoons? Consider this research into the prehistoric use of fire as a tool for animation, then discuss with your team: is this a form of art (or entertainment) that we should be reviving today? Can you imagine other forms of storytelling that utilize natural phenomena—for instance, strong winds—in a similar way?

  • On New Year’s Eve ___, a tragic fireworks accident killed many and maimed more in ____. Every year, those blanks can be filled in differently, most recently with 2024 and Hawaii. Though dangerous, fireworks remain popular around the world. Research their history with your team. What were the earliest fireworks—widely believed to have been invented in China—made of, and what was their purpose? When and how did they become the bright and colorful displays they are today? Discuss with your team: should they be outlawed, and, if so, is there something that could replace them in the popular imagination?

  • Music can be explosive; it can also be about explosives. Listen to the works below to see how the creators treat fireworks in their music. Are they celebrating or criticizing them, or is it impossible to tell? What instruments or lyrics do they use to channel the feeling of fireworks?

  • If you’ve ever gone camping on a cold night, you might have gathered around a fire with your friends to toast tasty s’mores and tell tasty stories. Every so often, someone needs to put more wood in the fire to keep it from going out—they are tending it. Early towns and villages had people assigned to this task full-time, because it was much harder to restart a fire than to keep it going. Explore the mythologies that emerged in early civilizations around the idea of keeping a fire alive and well, then discuss with your team: is there anything else similar to fire that is easier to keep alive than to restart once it is gone—and, if so, who tends to it?

  • Consider the fire-related selections below, then discuss with your team: do they treat fire literally or metaphorically, and to what end?Art

  • Music

  • Literature

  • What is fire, and how does it work?
    Let’s start with these science words: oxidization, ignition, combustion, flash point, convection, fire triangle, fire tetrahedron, flame, and fuel. Fire happens when something hot (like a match or spark) helps fuel (like wood or gas) combine with oxygen in the air. This chemical reaction is called combustion. It gives off heat, light, and flames.

  • The History of Fire
    Fire has been important to humans for thousands of years. But did people discover fire—or invent it? Most scientists think early humans discovered fire from natural events, like lightning strikes. They learned to control it and make it when needed. This history is often updated as we learn more. Talk with your team: If someone created fire today, could they patent or copyright it? Could anyone in the past “own” fire?

  • Starting Fire
    Fires can start naturally, but people have created many tools to make them easier. These include matches, lighters, lenses, flint and steel, and fire strikers. Long ago, people used hand drills and other creative tools. Today, we ask: should children learn how to make fire? If yes, when is it safe to teach them?

  • Greek Fire
    Greek fire was a dangerous weapon in Byzantine times. It burned even on water and was almost impossible to put out. Today, we can compare it to weapons like napalm, thermite, or white phosphorus. Would Greek fire still be dangerous today?

  • Fire and Art
    Early humans may have used fire to make moving shadows—like the first cartoons! Some scientists believe fire helped tell stories. Could we do that today using fire or other natural forces like wind?

  • Fireworks
    Fireworks are beautiful but risky. One major accident in 2024 happened in Hawaii. Fireworks started in China long ago using simple materials. They were used for festivals and scaring away bad spirits. Today, they are bright and colorful—but should we still use them? Can we find something safer to celebrate with?

  • Music and Fireworks
    Listen to songs about fireworks. Are the artists happy or worried about them? What instruments and lyrics do they use?

  • Keeping Fire Alive
    Long ago, some people were in charge of keeping fire alive in villages. It was easier to keep fire burning than to start a new one. Some stories and myths grew around this job. Can you think of anything else in life that’s easier to keep going than to restart?

  • Fire in Art, Music, and Literature
    Look at how fire appears in paintings, songs, and poems. Is fire a real flame or a symbol? What message does the artist want to share?

What is fire, and how does it work?
Let’s start with these science words: oxidization, ignition, combustion, flash point, convection, fire triangle, fire tetrahedron, flame, and fuel. Fire happens when something hot (like a match or spark) helps fuel (like wood or gas) combine with oxygen in the air. This chemical reaction is called combustion. It gives off heat, light, and flames.

The History of Fire
Fire has been important to humans for thousands of years. But did people discover fire—or invent it? Most scientists think early humans discovered fire from natural events, like lightning strikes. They learned to control it and make it when needed. This history is often updated as we learn more. Talk with your team: If someone created fire today, could they patent or copyright it? Could anyone in the past “own” fire?

Starting Fire
Fires can start naturally, but people have created many tools to make them easier. These include matches, lighters, lenses, flint and steel, and fire strikers. Long ago, people used hand drills and other creative tools. Today, we ask: should children learn how to make fire? If yes, when is it safe to teach them?

Greek Fire
Greek fire was a dangerous weapon in Byzantine times. It burned even on water and was almost impossible to put out. Today, we can compare it to weapons like napalm, thermite, or white phosphorus. Would Greek fire still be dangerous today?

Fire and Art
Early humans may have used fire to make moving shadows—like the first cartoons! Some scientists believe fire helped tell stories. Could we do that today using fire or other natural forces like wind?

Fireworks
Fireworks are beautiful but risky. One major accident in 2024 happened in Hawaii. Fireworks started in China long ago using simple materials. They were used for festivals and scaring away bad spirits. Today, they are bright and colorful—but should we still use them? Can we find something safer to celebrate with?

Music and Fireworks
Listen to songs about fireworks. Are the artists happy or worried about them? What instruments and lyrics do they use?

Keeping Fire Alive
Long ago, some people were in charge of keeping fire alive in villages. It was easier to keep fire burning than to start a new one. Some stories and myths grew around this job. Can you think of anything else in life that’s easier to keep going than to restart?

Fire in Art, Music, and Literature
Look at how fire appears in paintings, songs, and poems. Is fire a real flame or a symbol? What message does the artist want to share?

  • 杭州轮次著名地“着火”了。但什么是火？它是如何燃烧的？请从以下术语开始探索这个话题：

    • 氧化 | 点火 | 燃烧 | 闪点 | 对流
      火三角 | 火四面体 | 火焰 | 燃料

  • 接下来，探索火的历史。火是被“发现”的，还是被“发明”的？是谁、在什么时候“发现”了它？这个历史多久会被修正一次？（备用链接）与你的团队讨论：如果火是在2024年才被发明出来，有人是否可以申请专利或版权？（这是否会受到国际版权法的保护？）在古代世界中，有人曾以类似方式“拥有”火吗？

  • 无论如何，人类确实“点燃了火”。虽然火可以自然发生，但不同的方法——比如火柴，或《飞黄腾达》的片段——现在可以让我们随意点火。调查历史上的生火方式，从打石取火，到使用蚂蚁和透镜。与你的团队讨论：孩子们应不应该被教会如何生火——如果应该，应该在几岁教？

    • 打火机 | 火柴 | 透镜 | 手钻 | 打火器 | 燧石与钢 | 安全火柴

  • 一场无法扑灭的火——不是2025年的洛杉矶，而是拜占庭希腊的一种致命武器。了解希腊火的科学与历史。它在今天还会是有用的武器吗？它在现代的对应物是什么？一定要研究凝固汽油弹、铝热剂和白磷的例子。

  • 对早期人类来说，火肯定有利于烹饪生的南美马兽（Macrauchenia），也有助于抵御剑齿虎——但它还能被用来创作古代“卡通”的雏形吗？请阅读关于史前人类如何使用火作为动画工具的研究，然后与你的团队讨论：这是不是一种我们今天应该复兴的艺术（或娱乐）形式？你能想象其他利用自然现象（例如强风）来讲故事的方法吗？

  • 在____年的除夕夜，一场悲剧性的烟花事故导致多人死亡，更多人受伤或致残。每年，这些空白都能被不同年份与地点填补，最近的是2024年夏威夷。虽然危险，烟花在世界各地仍然受欢迎。与你的团队一起研究它们的历史。人们广泛认为最早的烟花是在中国发明的，它们是由什么材料制成的？最初的用途是什么？它们是何时、如何变成如今绚丽多彩的表演的？与你的团队讨论：烟花应不应该被禁止？如果是，有什么可以替代它们，继续在人们心中留下深刻印象？

  • 音乐可以是爆炸性的；它也可以是关于爆炸的。聆听以下作品，看看创作者如何在音乐中表现烟花。他们是在庆祝，还是在批评？或者难以判断？他们使用了哪些乐器或歌词来传达烟花的感觉？

    • 乔治·弗里德里希·亨德尔 |《皇家烟火音乐》（1749）
      伊戈尔·斯特拉文斯基 |《焰火》（1908）
      克洛德·德彪西 |《焰火》（1913）
      奥利弗·纳森 |《随烟花绽放》（1988）
      halyosy |《Fire◎Flower》（2008）
      凯蒂·佩里 |《Firework》（2010）

  • 如果你曾在寒冷的夜晚露营，你可能围着篝火和朋友们一起烤棉花糖，讲有趣的故事。每隔一会儿，就需要有人往火里加木头，防止火熄灭——他们在“守火”。在早期的村庄和城镇，有专人负责这件事，因为重新点燃火比维持火势要难得多。探索在古代文明中围绕“守火”这一概念而产生的神话。与你的团队讨论：是否还有其他类似火的事物，它们更容易维持，而一旦失去就很难重来——如果有，谁在守护它？

  • 思考下面这些与火有关的艺术作品，然后与你的团队讨论：它们是把火当作字面意义，还是象征意义？目的又是什么？

    • 艺术

      • 乔治·德·拉·图尔 |《带着冒烟火焰的抹大拉的玛利亚》（1640）
        简·格里菲尔 |《伦敦大火，1666》
        保罗·桑德比 |《从下庭望温莎城堡，11月5日》（1776）
        J.M.W.特纳 |《上议院与下议院大火，1834年10月16日》（1835）
        月冈芳年 |《烟中之月》（1886）
        阿尔贝托·布里 |《红色塑料》（1961）
        伊夫·克莱因 |《火画》（1957–1961）

    • 音乐

      • 约瑟夫·海顿 |《火交响曲》（约1760）
        理查德·瓦格纳 |《魔法火焰音乐》（1870）
        让·西贝柳斯 |《火的起源》（1910）
        伊戈尔·斯特拉文斯基 |《火鸟组曲》（1919）
        谢尔盖·普罗科菲耶夫 |《冬季篝火》（1951）
        杰瑞·李·刘易斯 |《Great Balls of Fire》（1957）
        约翰尼·卡什 |《Ring of Fire》（1963）
        范吉利斯 |《Chariots Of Fire》（1981）
        比利·乔尔 |《We Didn’t Start The Fire》（1989）

    • 文学

      • 威廉·布莱克 |《老虎》（1794）
        福雷斯特·甘德 |《废墟：加州野火》（2020）
        琳达·霍根 |《火的历史》（2021）
        乔莉·格雷厄姆 |《我仍然在》（2023）

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