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What is the conclusion of fire in a person’s life. Fire - the role of fire in human life. Fire is dry clothes

The importance of fire in the life of mankind at all stages of its existence deserves a separate discussion. It has been half a million years since fire became an indispensable attribute of human life. In those infinitely distant times, its practical significance was enormous. Fire is the most reliable defense against predators. Fire is a source of heat that makes it possible to fry meat and bake fruits and roots. And finally, fire is an important means of processing wooden tools (both spears and clubs began to be burned for strength three hundred thousand years ago)...

However, he played no less a role in strengthening purely human, social relations. The sacred fire is a symbol of the unity of the team, the source of its strength, a wayward friend and guardian. He needs to be loved and protected and be careful with him so that his frantic power does not turn against the person himself. “Warmth of the hearth” - how far into the depths of human history this concept goes! It is familiar to all of us, although our homes have long been heated not by fireplaces, but by radiators central heating and electrical appliances. But, perhaps, the craving for fire, for a living flame, which forces modern people to build fireplaces in their apartments, turn off the electricity and light candles, goes back to even deeper antiquity. festive table, gather around campfires.

By the time of the appearance of the Upper Paleolithic tribes of mammoth hunters, humanity had long known fire and was fluent in the basic methods of its production. Judging by ethnographic data, there were three such methods: “fire plow”, “fire saw” and “fire drill”.

The first method is the simplest and fastest, although it requires a lot of effort: the end of a wooden stick is moved along a wooden plank lying on the ground with strong pressure - as if “plowing”. A narrow groove is formed, and in it there are wood powder and thin shavings, which begin to smolder when heated by friction. Highly flammable tinder is connected to it and the fire is fanned. This method is relatively rare; it was most often used on the islands of Polynesia (Charles Darwin learned it from the inhabitants of the island of Tahiti). It was occasionally used by the Australians, Tasmanians, Papuans and some backward tribes of India and Central Africa, although elsewhere other methods were preferred.

The “fire saw” has many varieties, but they all boil down to one principle: a soft, dry piece of wood lying on the ground, as if “sawing” across the grain with a piece of hard wood. It is interesting that the Australians, who quite often resort to this method, use a wooden shield as a base, and a spear thrower as a saw. Then everything happened in the same way as during “ploughing” (only there the work was carried out along the fibers): wood powder was formed and ignited. Often with this method, tinder was placed in a pre-prepared gap. Sometimes, instead of a wooden plank, a flexible plant cord was used as a “saw”. This method was used in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippine Islands, Indonesia and in some places in India and West Africa.

Drilling is the most common method of making fire. It is as follows. A small board with a pre-hollowed indentation is placed on the ground and pressed with the soles of the feet. The end of a hard stick is inserted into the recess, which is quickly rotated between the palms, while simultaneously pressing down. This is done so skillfully that the hands, involuntarily sliding down, periodically return to their original position, and the rotation does not stop or slow down. After a few minutes, smoke appears from the recess, and then a smoldering flame, which is fanned with tinder. This method is common among almost all backward peoples of the Earth. In an improved form, a stop is attached to the rod on top, and a belt is attached to the sides, which is alternately pulled by the ends, causing the drill to rotate. By attaching a small bow to the ends of such a belt, we get the simplest mechanism, quite common in primitive times: a bow drill. Not every modern man is able to make fire by rotating a stick between his palms: this requires great skill, even when the starting materials are well selected. But with the help of a bow drill, this is apparently accessible to many... Try it yourself, just remember: the board should be made of soft and dry wood, and the stick should be made of hard wood.

What about striking fire by striking flint against flint? It would seem that by observing the sparks that arise when flint is split, it was easier for people to come up with this method of producing fire than to invent rather complex operations with wood. Some scientists think so. B.F. Porshnev, for example, believed that the carving of fire, which arose in the process of making stone tools, preceded the methods of producing it by friction. The English archaeologist C. P. Oakley shared the same point of view. However, ethnographic data suggests otherwise.

In the 19th century, the most backward peoples everywhere made fire by friction, while cutting fire (especially by striking flint against flint) was very weak among them. On the other hand, peoples at a higher stage of development produced fire mainly by cutting (flint on iron or iron ore - pyrite). Sometimes they also used friction - but only for ritual, cult purposes. And experiments show that although a spark is constantly formed when flint strikes flint, it is quite difficult to “turn” it into fire, while igniting a flame by friction is possible, with some effort, even to modern man.

It is possible, however, that in some cases people actually first learned to strike fire, and only then began to make it by friction. In at least one South American Indian language, the term for making fire comes from the word for striking. This clearly speaks of some long-standing (perhaps truly original!), and later forgotten tradition. I say “forgotten” because here, until recently, the main way of making fire was again friction. However, this is the only exception.

Mammoth hunters' hotbeds

Primitive peoples are distinguished by great skill in storing and maintaining fire. Here is what, for example, the famous Russian ethnographer N.A. Butinov writes about Australians: “Australians are very skillful in setting up and maintaining a fire; it burns evenly, without producing a large and too bright flame. They laugh at the European colonists who build fires so large that it is dangerous to approach them, but they are of little use, and they do not know how to keep them going for long. On the contrary, the Australian sleeps peacefully all night by his small fire, and bakes and fries food on it.”

There is no doubt that people mastered this art a very long time ago. Evidence of this is the remains of fireplaces and hearths found by archaeologists. Particularly interesting and varied are the hearths in settlements dating back to the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, primarily in sites with long-term dwellings. Here, along with simple hearths, which are a bowl-shaped depression filled with ash and coal, much more complex structures are found. Covering hearths with stones has been used for a long time; it is also known in some centers of the Willendorf-Kostenki culture of mammoth hunters (Zaraisk site, upper cultural layer). In other monuments of this culture, in addition to lining, clay coating was used. In the same place where ceramic animal figurines were made (Dolní Vestonice, Kostenki 1/1), individual fireplaces coated with clay resembled simple ovens.

In the immediate vicinity of many Upper Paleolithic hearths, small holes were dug in the ground. Some of them were used for baking food, others served as supports for posts (sometimes there are vertically protruding bones in them that jammed these posts). Now we install a crossbar on such supports, on which we hang a pot to boil tea or cook fish soup, and then they could serve as the basis for spits on which meat was fried.

Grooves were dug at the base of some hearths. Sometimes such a groove moved away from the hearth to the side. For what? St. Petersburg archaeologist Pavel Iosifovich Boriskovsky, who found such a hearth during excavations at the Kostenki 19 site, which existed about 20 thousand years ago and was also abandoned by mammoth hunters, suggested that through such a groove air entered the hearth, which intensified the combustion process. An experiment was carried out: two hearths were dug side by side: with a groove and without it. Indeed, in the first of them the flame burned much better.

You will learn from this article what the meaning of fire is in a person’s life.

The meaning of fire in human life

Fire has already entered our lives so much that we cannot imagine ourselves without it. But if you think about it, so globally, what does fire give us?

Warmth in the cold

With the help of fire, a person can warm up in a frosty winter or a cold night. Heating a house, a dwelling, no matter what it was - be it a cave, a tent or a house with a stove, was always done with the help of fire. Heating pipes, electric heating, batteries are the benefits of our civilization. But in the Stone Age the meaning of fire in the life of ancient people was unappreciated. After all, he saved lives by providing warmth and scaring away enemies.

2. Fire is dry clothes

Being in close harmony with nature, people spend a lot of their free time in the open air. If suddenly it starts to rain, then it is logical that the clothes will get wet. Also, contact with the aquatic environment, namely lakes, rivers, seas, can also make our clothes wet. Staying in such clothes is fraught with a cold, and a very severe one at that. You can dry your clothes in the wind if it’s summer outside, or with the help of fire, which is more likely.

3. Fire is cooked food

Will you be able to overcome yourself and eat raw or live fish? What about raw poultry, such as partridge or chicken? You may have to eat something raw if you don’t have a fire. Therefore, it ensures the availability of delicious food.

4. Fire is light

Among other things, fire can be used as a source of illumination in the dark.

5. Fire is a reliable defense against predators

It is difficult to imagine an animal that would not be afraid of fire, especially if you take a burning branch and shove it straight into the animal’s face. As a rule, escape will be immediate.

6. Fire is a signaling device

Throughout human history, fire has often been used as a means of communication. In the dark, the fire can be seen several kilometers away, and smoke from the fire can be seen far away during daylight hours. It was customary to light signal fires if an enemy was attacking.

We hope that from this article you learned the importance of fire for a person.

Fight for fire

The importance of fire in human evolution - an integrated lesson*

Equipment.

Musical excerpts: L. Beethoven, ballet “Creations of Prometheus”, or A. Scriabin, symphonic work “Prometheus” (“Poem of Fire”), or F. Liszt, symphonic poem “Prometheus”).

Texts on the topic (see Appendices), geographical map of deserts and semi-deserts, reproductions of drawings from sites of ancient people in Africa.

DURING THE CLASSES

In a darkened classroom, a candle burns on the teacher's desk. The teacher (or a student with artistic abilities) expressively reads an excerpt from the book by J. Roney the Elder “The Fight for the Fire” (Appendix 1).

After finishing reading the passage, the candle is extinguished. Guys, imagine how our ancestors sat by the fire and looked at it in fascination ten thousand, a thousand, a hundred years ago - just as we look now... In our electric life, there are fireplaces, candles, even flickering electric fireplaces with fake firewood. Wild animals are afraid of fire; domesticated ones get used to it; Only dogs innately love a fire.

Zoologists say: in two manifestations man is unique in the animal kingdom - he uses speech and fire. The use of fire is utilitarian, but a person’s craving for fire is unconscious, instinctive. This is the only instinct that animals do not know. Human instinct. It originated with our distant ancestors and has been preserved among us. But how could it not be refracted in consciousness! Fire worship cults.

The destructive bliss of pyromaniacs.

Rome set on fire and rebuilt. Pioneer bonfires. Eternal flame in honor of the fallen...

Let's return again to an excerpt from the book by J. Roney the Elder “The Fight for Fire.”

(A discussion begins (texts with an excerpt from the book are on the students’ tables). The teacher asks questions, students work with the text and answer. How did these people keep the fire going?

Answer.

(A discussion begins (texts with an excerpt from the book are on the students’ tables). The teacher asks questions, students work with the text and answer. In special cages: four women and two warriors fed him day and night.)

What was the meaning of fire for ancient people?

(A discussion begins (texts with an excerpt from the book are on the students’ tables). The teacher asks questions, students work with the text and answer. Fire scared away predators, helped along the way, made it possible to cook more delicious food, fire was used in the manufacture of tools, and it created a sense of community among people.)

What means of expression does the author use when describing fire?

(A discussion begins (texts with an excerpt from the book are on the students’ tables). The teacher asks questions, students work with the text and answer. Personification, comparison.

Fire-beast: “mighty face”, “red teeth”, “burst out of the cage”, “devoured the trees”, “cruel and wild”. "Father, guardian, savior.")

(A discussion begins (texts with an excerpt from the book are on the students’ tables). The teacher asks questions, students work with the text and answer. What means of expression does the author use to indicate a dying fire?

Personification with an animal: weakened, turned pale, shrank, “trembled like a sick animal,” “a small insect.”)

How is the mountain of the Ulamrs conveyed in the text?“No stars”, “heavy sky”, “heavy waters”, “cold light”, “chalky layers of clouds”, “waters as fat as mountain tar”, “algae ulcers”. Sound recording: cold stems of plants, rustling of reptiles, numb lizards, withered tree, plants trembling from the cold.)

Organization of work in groups.

The class is preliminarily divided into three groups (optional): supporters of the “fire-life” and “fire-death” positions and observers (arbiters, judges). Symbolic scales are installed on the teacher’s desk, and black and white balls are placed nearby.

Mythological interpretation of human ability to control fire Fire-life ( speech by representatives of the group defending this position ). The question of how long we have owned fire has worried humanity for many millennia. One of the proofs of such quests is the “Legend of Prometheus”. Reading ( against the background of the musical work “Prometheus”)

) and discussion of the text “Prometheus” (Appendix 2). Conclusion: fire brought intelligence to humanity. White ball. (

A representative of the Fire-Life group places a white ball on the scales. Atlas and Prometheus, tormented by the eagle of Zeus Fire-death ( presentation by students from a group adhering to this position).

).

After finishing reading the passage, the candle is extinguished. The mythological interpretation of the image of Prometheus is far from so clear. In Hesiod, Prometheus is a cunning, although kind to people, deceiver of Zeus, not without reason punished by him. Moreover, in antiquity there was a tradition (it belongs to Roman authors) of a condemnatory depiction of Prometheus. For Horace, the daring Prometheus committed an "evil deception" by bringing fire, with disastrous consequences. When creating man, he put into him the “malice” and “madness” of the lion. Prometheus cared only about the human body, and hence all the troubles of human life and enmity among people. Black ball. (

Having completed the performance, the representative of the group “Fire-Death” places a black ball on the other side of the scale. The importance of fire in human evolution The earliest traces of the use of fire were found in a South African cave. Below the level corresponding to the time of 1.3–1.0 million years ago, such traces are not found, but above this horizon there are bones that were burned in a fire pit. The use of fire was a technological achievement second only to the invention of stone tools in importance. In the Zhou-Gou-Tien cave in China, where the remains of Sinanthropus and their numerous stone tools were found, traces of fire were also found: coals, ash, burnt stones. Obviously, the first fires burned here more than 500 thousand years ago..)

Fire is life. The ability to use fire made food more digestible and tasty. ( people: the selection pressure aimed at maintaining a powerful jaw apparatus has disappeared. Gradually, the teeth began to shrink, the lower jaw no longer protruded forward as much, and the massive bone structure required for the attachment of powerful chewing muscles was no longer necessary. The man's face acquired modern features. ()
White ball. Gradually, the teeth began to shrink, the lower jaw no longer protruded forward as much, and the massive bone structure required for the attachment of powerful chewing muscles was no longer necessary. The man's face acquired modern features. ()
The main advantage of the ape-man was his increased migratory ability. Gradually, the teeth began to shrink, the lower jaw no longer protruded forward as much, and the massive bone structure required for the attachment of powerful chewing muscles was no longer necessary. The man's face acquired modern features. ()
A big game hunter, one of the highest order predators, he increasingly left the tropical zone for high latitudes - there hunting was more productive, since with a decrease in species diversity, the number of each species increases. However, it was cold there, and the Pithecanthropus had to adapt to the cold. It was this ancestor of ours who learned to preserve and use the fire of forest fires and volcanic eruptions. But the Pithecanthropus themselves did not know how to make fire. Fire made man independent of the climate and allowed him to settle over the entire surface of the Earth. ( Gradually, the teeth began to shrink, the lower jaw no longer protruded forward as much, and the massive bone structure required for the attachment of powerful chewing muscles was no longer necessary. The man's face acquired modern features. ()
Fire not only greatly expanded the availability of food sources, but also gave humanity constant and reliable protection from wild animals. People used flame for defense against large competing predators, and could use it to conquer comfortable dwellings - caves - from animals. ( Gradually, the teeth began to shrink, the lower jaw no longer protruded forward as much, and the massive bone structure required for the attachment of powerful chewing muscles was no longer necessary. The man's face acquired modern features. ()

With the help of fire, people could make more advanced tools. For example, wooden spear tips and the ends of spears burned in a fire were made harder. (

Having completed the performance, the representative of the group “Fire-Death” places a black ball on the other side of the scale. With the advent of fire and the hearth, a completely new phenomenon arose - a space strictly intended for people. Around the fire, which brought warmth and safety, people could calmly make tools, eat and sleep, and communicate with each other. Gradually, a sense of “home” grew stronger—a place where women could care for children and where men returned from hunting. (
The purpose of burning the land was to get rid of forests and clear space for meadows and pastures. Forests grow in conditions of a certain minimum amount of precipitation. Where there is less rainfall, meadows become the natural form of vegetation cover. Hunters know well that in meadows and steppes (savannas) there is more game, which is also easier to hunt, than in dense forest. Therefore, hunting tribes usually practiced forest burning; as a result, the meadows spread to those areas where more rain fell. ( White ball.)
Fire was also used to drive game, with the change in environment providing an additional side benefit. Although hunting was later replaced by livestock farming, the practice of burning grass to maintain a treeless area continues to this day, and carefully controlled burning of forests to stimulate the growth of certain tree species and suppress others is one of the well-known techniques in modern forestry. ( The earliest traces of the use of fire were found in a South African cave. Below the level corresponding to the time of 1.3–1.0 million years ago, such traces are not found, but above this horizon there are bones that were burned in a fire pit. The use of fire was a technological achievement second only to the invention of stone tools in importance. In the Zhou-Gou-Tien cave in China, where the remains of Sinanthropus and their numerous stone tools were found, traces of fire were also found: coals, ash, burnt stones. Obviously, the first fires burned here more than 500 thousand years ago..)

Fire is death. Let's look at other consequences of human use of fire to burn vegetation. There is no doubt about the reality of the onset of deserts, or “desertification.” This is a formidable process in which the world's existing deserts, such as the Sahara in Africa, are expanding their limits. In Africa, deforestation began, undoubtedly, from the time man mastered fire - more than 50 thousand years ago, when the first centers appeared in the east of the continent during the Acheulean culture. Fire is an important tool in shifting agriculture, and while fires do occur from time to time due to natural causes, intentionally set fires by humans had a much greater impact on vegetation. First of all, this is explained by the fact that artificial arson was carried out in the same place more often than natural fires occurred. Even in areas with
big amount rainfall, the forest ecosystem does not recover well after it has been disturbed over a large area.; on the other - modern geographical zoning. An amazing pattern: people once lived in deserts, semi-deserts, and dry steppes. The picture is especially impressive for the famous Sahara and Kalahari deserts. If we also take into account that fossil remains of various animals and plants were found here, as well as traces of rivers, streams and lakes, then there is no doubt: in the past, these now desert lands did not have an acute shortage of water. Rock paintings left by our distant ancestors testify to the abundance of flora and fauna in what is now the deserts of Africa. For example, rock paintings in the Tassili region of the Sahara reflect the rise and fall of the culture of the ancient inhabitants of the area. Approximately 7000 BC)

these were hunters who hunted giraffes, antelopes and other savannah animals. Then people here began to raise livestock - frescoes that appeared 2000 years later depict countless herds. The latest drawings - with images of camels - date back to approximately 3000-2000 BC, after which this culture disappeared under the onslaught of conquerors. Let's take it as a hypothesis: the landscapes of the Sahara at the end of the Stone Age were subject to serious environmental pressure from hunters and gatherers. According to biogeographer I. Schmithusen, “natural fires are rarely observed in the grassy areas of periodically dry tropics... Here the cause of fires is always a person, who partly for the sake of improving the quality of pastures, and partly involuntarily causes the burning of the grass stand, which occurs annually over vast areas and determines the nature of vegetation in these areas. With the exception of flooded savannas, all other savannas... arose under the direct influence of man.” Conclusion: the famous deserts of Africa - the Sahara and Kalahari - are of anthropogenic origin (

Fire is death. Black ball.
Judges. Over the past 150 thousand years, the territory of the Sahara and Kalahari deserts has repeatedly decreased and increased due to climate change, without human intervention. Aridization of the North African climate since 5000 BC. was largely provoked and accelerated by human economic activity. over the forest. Subsequent explorers of the island constantly observed forest fires and an abundance of fires lit by the aborigines. And although the Tasmanians were engaged in hunting, fishing, gathering, the main “lever” with which they “turned over” their land - radically rebuilt the landscapes - was fire.

“The ecological effect of these systematic fires,” writes the famous ethnographer of Tasmania and Australia V.R. Cabo is very big. Over large areas of Tasmania, a change in vegetation occurred; there have been changes in the nature of the soil, the climate has changed.” Tasmanians used fire not only to hunt animals, but perhaps on an even more significant scale to increase open space and increase the fertility of pastures on which wild animals grazed. It was, one might say, a unique form of primitive animal husbandry using “pyrogenic treatment” of hunting grounds. Rock paintings left by our distant ancestors testify to the abundance of flora and fauna in what is now the deserts of Africa. For example, rock paintings in the Tassili region of the Sahara reflect the rise and fall of the culture of the ancient inhabitants of the area. Approximately 7000 BC)

Conclusion:

“The ecological effect of these systematic fires,” writes the famous ethnographer of Tasmania and Australia V.R. Cabo is very big. Over large areas of Tasmania, a change in vegetation occurred; there have been changes in the nature of the soil, the climate has changed.” The use of fire by the Tasmanian aborigines led to a change in flora and fauna and, as a result, negatively affected the ecosystem of the island as a whole. ( In a similar way, people mastered Australia. Travelers and missionaries of the past often mentioned the extensive use of fire by the Australian Aborigines for a variety of purposes. The hunting tribes of Australia that Europeans encountered were constantly nomadic. According to rough estimates, each tribe, or rather, each nomadic group, annually burned about 100 km2 of forests, savannas, and steppes - intentionally or involuntarily. Thousands of such groups over 20–30 thousand years could have happened many times – dozens of times! – burn vegetation throughout the continent. This is how pyrogenic landscapes were created over vast areas..)

Of course, they were not formed everywhere, but in areas with a certain climate and vegetation cover. But the general nature of changes with such active exploitation is expressed in the depletion of biological resources and desertification. modern deserts and semi-deserts of Australia are of anthropogenic origin. (

Fire is death. Black ball Judges. The conclusion was made very harshly, without evidence. Unlike Tasmania, Australia's climate is drier,: fires caused particularly severe damage to forest areas, and the disappearance of forests - stabilizers of soil moisture - caused drying out and erosion of soils. Forest-steppe, steppe and semi-steppe territories have existed in Australia for a long time, even before humans appeared here. However, the activities of nomadic groups of hunters and gatherers ultimately led to a reduction in the total area of forests and an increase in desertified areas. According to the English researcher W. Chesling, for a long time lived among the Australian Yulengor tribes, the latter set fire to the forest while hunting. By October, when the wind subsides, the fires manage to destroy all the humus. Now the burning sun is completing its destructive work - the country is turning into a pile of ash. In December the wind changes direction; highly saturated with moisture, it blows from the northwest, streams of rain flood the country... Loose soil, sand, ash, humus - everything is washed away into the swamps or carried into the sea.” How deep such transformations can be can be judged, in particular, from the testimony of the Australian scientist Charles Moundford, who described pyrogenic landscapes

Central Australia

: “Standing on a bare hill and watching the hot whirlwinds rising from the bottom of the dry lake, I could not believe that when the first white men reached the Manna Mountains, this huge depression was full of water, in which hundreds of ducks and other waterfowl were splashing.” . About 6–10 thousand years ago, in a completely different part of the globe, in the Arctic, on the territory of Yakutia, Taimyr, Kamchatka, Chukotka, and Alaska, the so-called Sumnagin culture of the Late Paleolithic spread widely. Its significant distribution in high latitudes is explained by the favorable climate.– to a very widespread development of thermokarst. Snow blown by the wind accumulates in subsidence craters in winter, which makes freezing difficult, and in summer, melt water stimulates thawing and further increase in the size of the crater. Many lakes and swamps are formed. Even in very severe winters, the thickness of the ice in the lakes does not exceed 2–2.5 m. Therefore, the bottom sediments of reservoirs with greater depths are preserved in an unfrozen state, and if the width of the lake is greater than twice the thickness of the permafrost, a through talik appears underneath it. But the gradual accumulation of a peaty horizon in the swamps increasingly slows down the summer thawing, and the permafrost begins to regain its surrendered positions.

The destruction of forests near the northern border of the taiga zone, where the thickness of the snow cover does not reach 20 cm, leads to cooling of the soil, and with large thicknesses of snow - to its insulation. The permafrost reacts accordingly to these changes. What is this connected with? The fact is that snow cover affects temperature regime underlying soil in two ways. On the one hand, it has high reflectivity and reduces the influx of radiant energy. On the other hand, snow is a good heat insulator, which means it inhibits winter cooling of the soil. Therefore, snow cover of different thicknesses has opposite effects. With a thin cover, the dominant role is played by heat reflection. With a greater thickness of snow cover, its thermal insulation properties begin to play a decisive role. Finally, with even greater power, snow again turns out to be a cooler (if we talk about the average annual temperature), because it takes longer to melt in the summer.

Thus, in different conditions Human activity can lead to different results: due to fires, the permafrost can degrade, or areas of pyrogenic tundra with colder soils may appear.

(When studying changes in biota in the geological past, it is important to correctly place the emphasis, taking into account the influence of both external (climate, influence of large mammals) and internal (stage of development of the biome as a thermodynamic system) factors stimulating these changes. Thus, at the indicated time (boreal and Atlantic periods - 10,000–5,000 years ago) there was an active advance of forests both north and south of the current boundaries of the forest zone. And only a cooling of the climate caused by the growth of the ice cap in the north, which occurred after 4,500 years ago (subboreal period) brought to life a reverse process - aridization of the southern part of the forest zone and a gradual retreat of the forest to the south in the north. Now, by the way, against the backdrop of modern climate warming, the forest is again moving north (the advance of the taiga onto the tundra), despite the intense anthropogenic load in this. region, the human impact on vegetation, which was similar throughout the early and middle Holocene, only provoked these processes only during the period when unfavorable climatic conditions were formed for their occurrence. Therefore, one cannot speak so categorically about the anthropogenic origin of the tundra. With permafrost, things are also not quite the same. It is enough to point out, for example, the fact that in the taiga zone of Eastern Siberia, on a layer of permafrost starting from a depth of 15–30 cm, larch trees from Larix davurica grow well. – Approx. ed.)

Fire and metallurgical production

Having completed the performance, the representative of the group “Fire-Death” places a black ball on the other side of the scale. The Metal Age is the next page in the history of human culture after the Neolithic. The oldest traces of bronze in Mesopotamia and Egypt date back to the 4th millennium BC. e. The beginning of the smelting of iron ore dates back to 1300 BC. e. If previously the material from which the tool was made was wood, stone, bone, etc. - was something given, ready-made, now the process of making a tool was preceded by the process of making material for this tool - a material with new properties. Ore mining is impossible without the use of fire. (.)

Fire is death. The main causes of man-made air pollution are the combustion of natural fuels and metallurgical production. If in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the products of combustion of coal and liquid fuel entering the environment have been almost completely assimilated by the vegetation of the Earth, currently the content of harmful man-made emissions in the atmosphere is steadily increasing. From stoves, furnaces, and car exhaust pipes, it gets into the air. a large number of pollutants. Among them are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, lead compounds, various hydrocarbons - acetylene, ethylene, methane, propane, toluene, benzopyrene, etc. Together with water droplets, they form a toxic fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and vegetation cities. Liquid and solid particles (dust) suspended in the air reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Thus, in large cities, solar radiation decreases by 15%, ultraviolet radiation by 30% (and in the winter months it may completely disappear).

Every year, billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere as a result of fuel combustion. About half of the carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean and green plants, while half remains in the air. The CO 2 content in the atmosphere is gradually increasing and has increased by more than 10% over the past 100 years. Carbon dioxide prevents the transfer of heat into outer space, which leads to the so-called “greenhouse effect”. Changes in the CO 2 content in the atmosphere significantly affect the Earth's climate. All this is a consequence of man’s mastery of fire. ( In a similar way, people mastered Australia. Travelers and missionaries of the past often mentioned the extensive use of fire by the Australian Aborigines for a variety of purposes. The hunting tribes of Australia that Europeans encountered were constantly nomadic. According to rough estimates, each tribe, or rather, each nomadic group, annually burned about 100 km2 of forests, savannas, and steppes - intentionally or involuntarily. Thousands of such groups over 20–30 thousand years could have happened many times – dozens of times! – burn vegetation throughout the continent. This is how pyrogenic landscapes were created over vast areas..)

Summing up the lesson

The referees count the number of black and white balls. There are more white people.

After finishing reading the passage, the candle is extinguished. Discussion of the results obtained. Students express their opinions freely. Casual use and perhaps maintenance of lit fire by primitive people began around 1–0.5 million years ago. About 50 thousand years ago, man himself learned to make fire from sparks by striking flint against flint or using friction. About 20 thousand years ago, energy consumption averaged 10 thousand kJ per person per day, and currently, economically– over 1 million kJ. Even more striking is the increase in the total energy consumption of all humanity during this time - 10 million times. It is due to this million-fold increase in human use of solar energy reserves preserved in organic fuel that the entire complex of modern life support for humanity has been created and is functioning.

If many thousands of years ago none of our distant ancestors, warming themselves by a tree set on fire by lightning, had thought of throwing a few new branches into the dying fire, we would still be living in caves.

In ecological terms, burning wood in a primitive fire is the very first and therefore the most significant step of humanity towards the search for new, increasingly efficient energy sources, which ultimately led to an unprecedented increase in the pressure of one species - humans - on the nature of the entire planet.

Therefore, do not forget about the black balls on the scales. Changes in landscapes and climate on our planet are all harmful consequences of mastering fire. Sometimes humanity resembles a child who found a box of matches and, secretly from adults, indulges in early spring on a sunny hill, setting fire to last year's dry grass. The flames, at first barely noticeable and harmless, fanned by the spring breeze in seconds turn into a roaring monster, sweeping away a haystack, outbuildings, and the house in which a child lives in its path. The house we live in.

Remember this. The future of our planet belongs to you, the younger generation.

Literature

Balandin R.K., Bondarev L.G. Nature and civilization. – M.: Mysl, 1998.

Vorontsov N.N. Ecological crises in the history of mankind // Biology, 2001, No. 40–41.

Vorontsov N.N., Sukhorukova L.N. Evolution of the organic world: Elective. well. Textbook manual for 10–11 grades. 2nd ed., revised. and additional – M.: Nauka, 1996.

Dolnik V.R. Naughty child of the biosphere: Conversations about man in the company of birds and animals. – M.: Pedagogy-Press, 1994.

Erdakov L.N. Man in the biosphere – http: // ecoclub.nsu.ru

Ichas M. On the nature of living things: mechanisms and meaning. – M.: Mir, 1994.

Mamontov S.G., Zakharov V.B. General biology: Textbook. allowance for the environment. specialist. textbook

establishments. – M.: Higher School, 1986.

Mythological Dictionary: Book. for students /M.N. Botvinnik, B.M. Kogan, M.B. Rabinovich, B.P. Seletsky. – M.: Education, 1993. Mythology. Large encyclopedic dictionary. – M.: Bolshaya, 1998.

Russian encyclopedia Popov S.Yu.

Roni the Elder J. Fight for fire.

Cave lion. Vamirah. – M.: Press, 1994.

Sahara. Golden fund of the biosphere. / Ed. and after. V.M. Neronov and V.E. Sokolova. – M.: Progress, 1990. Chernova N.M. and etc.

Fundamentals of ecology: Textbook. for 9th grade. general education institutions. – M.: Education, 1997.

Application

J. Roney the Elder

"FIGHT FOR FIRE"

Death of Fire

The Ulamrs fled into the impenetrable night, maddened by suffering and fatigue; all their efforts were in vain before the misfortune that befell them: the fire was dead! They supported him in three cages. According to the custom of the tribe, four women and two warriors fed him day and night. Even in the most difficult times, they supported life in him, protected him from bad weather and floods, carried him across rivers and swamps; bluish in the light of day and crimson at night, he never parted with them. His mighty face put lions, cave and gray bears, mammoth, tiger and leopard to flight. His red teeth protected a person from extensive and scary world

And now he's dead! The enemy destroyed two cells; in the third, which survived the flight, the fire weakened, turned pale and gradually decreased. He was so weak that he could not even eat marsh grass; he trembled like a sick animal, turning into a small reddish insect, and every breath of wind threatened to extinguish him... then he disappeared completely... The Ulamrs fled, orphaned, into the autumn night. There were no stars. The heavy sky fell over the heavy waters; the plants stretched their cold stems over the fugitives; all that could be heard was the rustling of the reptiles. Men, women, children were swallowed up in darkness. Listening to the voices of their leaders, they tried to move on dry and hard ground, fording the streams and swamps they encountered. Three generations have known this trail. At dawn they approached the savannah. Cold light seeped through the chalky layers of clouds. The wind swirled on the waters, as thick as mountain tar.

Algae swelled like ulcers, and numb lizards lay curled up among the water lilies. A heron was sitting on a withered tree. Finally, in the red fog, a savannah with plants trembling from the cold unfolded. The people perked up and, having passed through the reeds, finally found themselves among the grasses, on solid ground. But then the feverish excitement subsided, people lay down on the ground, froze in motionlessness; women, more resilient than men, having lost their children in the swamps, howled like she-wolves; those who saved their babies lifted them up to the clouds. When dawn broke, Faum counted his tribe with his fingers and branches. Each branch corresponded to the number of fingers on both hands. What remains: four branches of warriors, more than six branches of women, about three branches of children, several old people.

Old Gong said that only one man out of five, one woman out of three, and one child out of the whole branch survived.

The Ulamrs felt the enormity of the misfortune.

They realized that their offspring were in danger of death.

The forces of nature became more and more formidable.

People will wander the earth, miserable and naked. To be continued

* The lesson can be taught while studying the topic “Human Origins” in the course “General Biology. 11th grade”, as well as when studying the topic “Anthropogenic impact of humans on nature” in the course “Ecology”

Class hour according to the rules

fire safety :

“Fire – friend or foe?”

Target:;

Introduce the history of the origin of the profession of firefighter, fire protection;

Develop students' cognitive interests, Creative skills; communication and speech qualities;

Consolidating students' knowledge about behavior in case of fire;

Foster a sense of self-preservation, develop the ability to behave correctly in extreme situation, quickly respond to danger.

Progress of the conversation.

The role of fire in human life y.

Before I tell you the topic of the lesson, guess the riddle.

It is beautiful and bright red.

It gives warmth and light.

But it is burning, hot, dangerous!

No need to joke with him, no! ( fire )

Guys, as you probably guessed, the topic of our lesson will be the role of fire in human life and the rules for handling fire.

Since time immemorial, man has learned to make fire. People turned the hot flames into their friends and helpers. Fire is warmth, light, food, protection. He helped people light and heat their homes, cook food, and protect themselves from wild animals. Ancient people did not have matches, and therefore they worshiped fire as a deity. It was forbidden to throw garbage and waste into the fire. This could "offend" the fire. Then they learned to get fire by striking a spark by striking a stone against a stone.

Can fire be called man's friend? Name the areas of application of fire.(Cooking, engines internal combustion(machines), metal smelting, glass and brick making, roasting ceramic products, home heating, thermal power plants and much more).

They say that fire is man's friend. Without it, life on earth is not possible. With its help, many useful things are accomplished.

Everyone knows: a man without fire,

Doesn't live a single day.

In the fire, it’s as bright as in the sun!

It's warm in the fire and in winter!

Look around, guys:

Fire is our everyday friend!

But when we are careless with fire,

He becomes our enemy.

When does fire become our enemy?

If handled carelessly, fire often turns from a faithful friend into a merciless enemy, which in a matter of minutes destroys what has been created over many years of hard work. He destroys everything in his path, and it can be difficult to stop him

With the power of a raging fire, a fire is very difficult to cope with!

2. Riddles about the causes of the fire.

What could result in a fire?

Now let’s solve the riddles and once again repeat the causes of fires.

- Wooden sisters

In a box. This …(Matches)

- Tourists will come to their camp,

They'll separate him in the evening,

It will burn for a long time,

Warm them with your warmth. (Bonfire)

- The log in the firebox is blazing

And these “stars” are thrown at us.

One burning particle

Fire may occur. (Spark)

- First the shine,

Behind the shine is a crackling sound.

Molten Arrow

An oak felled near the village. (Lightning)

- Both shirts and pants

I'm ironing for you, kids,

But remember, friends,

That you can't play with me! (Electric iron)

- There is a unit in the kitchen,

I'm glad to cook food.

We strike a match and instantly

The flame will shoot up like a fire. (Plate)

- This is a volatile substance

With a pungent odor and no color

It flows from the kitchen burner,

You strike a match and it immediately lights up. (Gas)

- A container that contains gas,

Will any of you call me? (Gas cylinder)

- She won all the matches,

Its strength lies in flammable gas.

I'm tired - I need to refuel,

Burned so that she would again. (Lighter)

- I'm running along the path,

I can’t live without a path,

Where am I, guys?

The lights in the house won't come on. (Electricity)

- It burns and melts from the fire,

The room is illuminated.

In a birthday cake

Can be used as decoration. (Candle)

- The shell is filled with gunpowder,

He is waiting for commands from the guys.

Sparkles with different lights,

Under the clouds when it takes off. (Petard)

You guessed everything correctly, correctly named the main causes of the fire. And I think that you will always handle these objects carefully and carefully because the main culprits of fires are people, their forgetfulness, mischief, and inattention. I hope you are not one of them. Let's make sure of this by playing the attention game “This is me, this is me, these are all my friends.”

( Children must correctly use the words from the game title in answers to questions)

Game “This is me, this is me, these are all my friends”

1. Who is perky and cheerful,

Keeping loyalty to the rules,

Protects both home and school from fire?

2.Who set fire to the grass near the house,

I set fire to unnecessary rubbish,

And my friends’ garage burned down,

And a construction fence?

3. Who is the neighbor's kids,

Explains in the yard

That playing with fire is not without reason

Ends in fire?

4. Who sneaks in the corner

Burned a candle in the attic?

caught fire old table,

He barely left alive.

5. Who's in dad's pocket?

I found a box of matches

And he secretly took it with him?

6. Who helps firefighters

Doesn't break the rules

Who is an example for all the guys

And happy to help all people?

3. Introduction to the profession of a firefighter.

But there are people whose profession is to defeat fire, saving people in trouble. They are fearless, strong, trained, selfless.

What are people in this profession called? (Firefighters).

For many centuries, fires were extinguished by “the whole world.” The ringing of the bell announced a fire, and residents of neighboring houses ran to help put out the fire. But the frightened crowd of people often hindered the fire extinguishing efforts more than they helped. A small organized group of specially trained people is more successful in fighting fire.

How to say correctly: “firefighter” or “firefighter”?

The modern dictionary of the Russian language explains these words as synonyms, that is, words that have the same meaning. This means that you can say both fireman and fireman. There will be no mistakes!

In ancient times, houses in Rus' were built from wood.

Once upon a time, our ancient capital Moscow was made of wood and suffered from fires many times. In Russia, the first fire brigade was organized in 1803 by order of Emperor Alexander I. When a fire broke out in the city, firefighters would ring a huge bell - they would sound the alarm, calling residents to help.

They also built tall, tall towers in cities – fire towers. Firefighters were on duty on the towers day and night and looked carefully to see if there was smoke or fire in the city. Previously, the fire department building consisted of two floors. Firefighters and their families lived on the second floor; on the first floor there were carts with barrels of water, hooks, and ladders. But the most important thing is the horses. The best, the fastest.

4. Modern equipment and technology for firefighters.

Now there are fire brigades in every city.

Firefighters now have powerful equipment; firefighters wear special heat-reflective clothing made of tarpaulin that protects them from fire and smoke. After all, a firefighter fearlessly goes into a fire!

And now riddles about firefighter equipment.

- Often defended a firefighter in a fire

This “cap” is made of metal. (Helmet)

- Carbon monoxide smoke began to billow,

Garyu the room is full,

What does a firefighter wear?

What is it impossible to live without? (Mask)

- When the gasoline burns perfectly,

It can be easily extinguished... (Foam)

- Hanging - silent,

And if you turn it over, it hisses

And the foam flies. (Fire extinguisher)

- I'm rushing with a siren to the fire,

I'm carrying water with foam.

Let's put out the fire instantly, fire

We are fast as arrows. (Fire trucks)

- What kind of staircase is this?

Does it grow out of the car?

Rising above the house,

This is familiar to all firefighters. (Fire escape )

5. Repetition of fire safety rules in a playful way.

Fires are very dangerous. In a fire, things, an apartment, and even an entire house can burn down. But the main thing is that people can die in a fire. Therefore, we will repeat the fire safety rules that you must always follow.

Competition "Finish the phrase."

- Not very tall

Little match

Only touch the matches

Don't have (the habit)

- If you want to save your property

Don't leave when the stove is heating up

-A coal fell on the floor

The wooden floor was on fire.

Don't look, don't wait, don't stand,

And quickly fill it up (with water)

-If little sisters

Lighting matches at home

What should you do?

Immediately those matches (take away)

-You will remember, friends,

Children should not take matches (not allowed)

-The iron is on, there are no owners,

There is a trail of smoke on the sheet.

Guys, take action.

Iron is hot (turn it off)

- We warn everyone for good reason:

It's hard to deal with (the fire)

-Easier than putting out a fire,

We should (warn) him

-Have you heard about the fire?

Give me a signal soon (signal)

-We will quickly defeat the fire,

If we call ("01")!

What number should you dial if you are calling from a cell phone? (112 is a unified rescue service).

Now listen to the poem, which once again talks about how to behave in case of fire.

A fire may happen, even if it’s not our fault,

In that case, we also know how to behave:

If we can go out the door, we’ll do so, let’s leave,

We will take all the animals out of the apartment with us.

We'll close the door tightly and report the fire.

If there is no phone, we will hurry to the balcony,

Let's close the balcony door more tightly behind us.

If we don’t have a balcony, we’ll shout out the windows:

We will loudly inform all passersby about the fire.

Then people will hear us, and they will come to our aid,

We won't have to wait long, the firefighters will save us.

Why do we close our doors more tightly?

To prevent the fire from developing further as quickly as possible.

If we open the doors, a fresh wind will blow in,

It will double the strength of the fire, blaze and burn everything.

Smoke comes from a fire, if something suddenly burns,

This smoke is both volatile and poisonous.

We’ll get to the balcony, even if we crawl in a continuous line,

And if we can open the balcony, that means we’ll go out onto the balcony,

The air will be fresher there, we’ll wait for help there.

If clothes caught fire (we were sitting by the fire),

There is hope for salvation: you just can’t run.

Because with the wind we will increase the flame, speed it up,

Not just clothes - we ourselves will burn in this flame.

If it is difficult to remove clothes, we will we'll fall to the ground,

We will roll on the ground - this is how we will cope with the fire.

Suddenly the clothes on our comrade will burst into flames,

We will take off our clothes and cover the flame at once

We close access to air - and the fire will die immediately,

We’ll immediately calm the friend down and take him to the doctor.

The main thing is to call for help those who are fighting the fire,

We respect them very much and call them firefighters!

Every citizen knows the firefighter number “01”.

If trouble comes to you, call there as soon as possible.

6. If a fire starts in the house.

And now we will repeatWhat to do in case of a fire if you find yourself at home alone.

Rule 1 . If the fire is small, you can try to put it out immediately by throwing a thick cloth or blanket over it or pouring a pan of water.

Rule 2 . If the fire does not go out immediately, immediately run away from the house to a safe place. And only after that, call the fire department on 01 or ask your neighbors about it.

Rule 3 . If you cannot escape from a burning apartment, immediately call 01 and tell the firefighters the exact address and number of your apartment.

Rule 4 . In a fire, smoke is much more dangerous than fire. If you feel like you are suffocating, squat down or crawl towards the exit - there is less smoke below. Breathe through a wet rag or towel.

Rule 5 . During a fire, never get into an elevator. He may shut down and you will suffocate.

Rule 6 . While waiting for the firefighters to arrive, do not lose your head and do not jump out of the window. You will definitely be saved.

Rule 7 . When the firefighters arrive, listen to them in everything and don’t be afraid. They know better how to save you

7. Summary.

Children's drawings on the topic - fire safety.