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THE HOMEWORK FILES: CATCH A WAVE, HIT THE BEACH, & STOP THAT EROSION! |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS - AT A GLANCE A. Catch a Wave! B. Shoreline Habitats C. Coastal Erosion 3. STUDENT RESEARCH TOPICS & PROJECTS 4. STUDENT DISCUSSION & JOURNAL TOPICS
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What could be more fun than a day at the beach! Understanding the complex processes that go into creating that beach and which affect its development and erosion makes your beach visit even more awesome. You will never see the beach in the same way again, as it will become an incredibly fascinating environment as you take the time and the journey to explore how unique an environment it truly is. There are lots of shoreline issues to explore as well, such as human erosion and beach pollution - something you should be aware of and understand. There are numerous great projects here for you to develop, so dive right in a catch a wave! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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A. CATCH A WAVE! CATCH A WAVE! This site provides a great introduction to understanding ocean waves and the processes that produce and move them. Start with the characteristics of waves and terms (crest, trough, wavelength, etc.), with fascinating trivia thrown in. (Did you know that water does not move forward with a wave in deep waters? Read about how a single drop of water moves in waves.) Next, learn about types of breaking waves, then tsunamis and the Beaufort Wind Scale, and finish with an online quiz to check your understanding of waves. OCEANWORLD: WAVES! How well do you know your waves? Even if you frequent the ocean - sailing, surfing, or fishing - you will know a lot more about waves after visiting this site. Great explanations and visuals guide you through a thorough understanding of ocean waves. Make sure you try the interactive quiz at the end (use the 2nd link above) to test your understanding, and get into some real-time wave data with further links. MAKING WAVES POSTER: Download and print out this great poster to learn the anatomy of a wave, its different parts and terms, the cause of ocean waves, and some wave facts for the South Atlantic. An adept surfer rides the waves in the center of the poster. ONLINE WAVE SIMULATOR: You have control of the wave height, the wavelength, and the wave period - although you'd better make sure that you understand all those terms first! A glossary is included, and you can play with and adjust the waves online to see how changing the various measures can radically alter the wave. KILLER WAVES: Want to know about the biggest waves of all? They're called tsunamis, and you can try this site for an introduction to these killer waves, learning how they form. (See our Tsunami Web Trek for more on tsunamis.) B. SHORELINE HABITATS SHORELINE HABITATS: Take an online tour of different shoreline habitats around the world, and learn about many of their fascinating creatures in this photo-rich, online exhibit. You will visit sandy shores, coral reefs, rocky shores, and mangrove swamps. BEACH & ESTUARY HABITATS: What are the characteristics of beach habitats? Waves and currents and sand, certainly, but learn more in this overview of the beach habitat. Use the 2nd link above to access an overview of estuary habitats as well. VISIT AN ESTUARY: Choose between either the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary by New Orleans, or Long Island Sound to learn more about the history and habitat of each environment in these online exhibits. TIDAL MARSHES & WETLANDS: A tidal marsh is a very special - and important - habitat. Learn more about both freshwater and salt water marshes, and consider conducting your research on one of the species from these habitats. VIRTUAL TIDEPOOL: Can't make it to the beach to study the shoreline habitat? No problem. Explore tidepools online here, at either high tide or low tide. NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES: Visit any of the National Marine Sanctuaries online at this site, with vivid field guides leading the way and explaining the various flora and fauna of each area. A VIRTUAL DAY AT THE BEACH: If you don't live near the seashore and can't get to the beach, try this online field trip to Sandy Hook in New Jersey. The 2nd and 3rd links above provide information on all the beach life to be found there, while the 4th link offers a great supply of related field notes. SEEING SAND: Everyone knows what sand looks like, right? All the same, it might be wise to look again - and again! You won't believe what you see when you really study it closely! Take a look here to start you off in the right direction. C. COASTAL EROSION COASTAL EROSION: WHERE'S THE BEACH? When you don your bathing suit, grab a towel and sunscreen and head to the beach, you expect it to be the same each summer, right? Wrong, actually. Coastal erosion has a powerful impact on our beaches, and can alter shorelines drastically over a short period of time. We expend huge efforts to combat these coastal erosive effects, especially where we have invested in property - and that figure goes into the billions of dollars. We dredge up sandbars to preserve our harbors; at other times, we make sandbars. We create seawalls to attempt to preserve cliff residences, but leave the public beaches below to be eroded. Learn all about the issues, both natural and manmade, of coastal erosion, then complete your own data collection and analysis using the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th links above on Beach Profiling. BEACH EROSION & NOURISHMENT: It is quite a common practice to redeposit sand onto storm-eroded beaches, building them up and restoring them to a more pleasing dimension and look. The process is enormously expensive, however, costing millions of dollars for each effort. And while this "beach nourishment" is the most common form of battling beach erosion, it is not effective over the long term, nor is sand an infinite commodity. Learn more about beach erosion, replenishment measures, and related coastal issues here. D. POLLUTION ISSUES POLLUTING OUR BEACHES? Most of you know about the harmful effects of oil spills, and how they can create havoc with shoreline and ocean inhabitants. But the number one cause of beach pollution - and subsequent beach closures - are tiny but harmful microorganisms. Sewage is usually the culprit; find out more about this issue and how it can affect the health of beach goers where there are adjacent storm drains - an issue that is well known to Southern California residents. COASTAL HABITAT PROTECTION: Human interaction and coastal development are closely linked to marine habitats throughout our history. Learn more about coastal habitats with this resource, covering coral reefs and estuaries and looking at efforts to protect these various environments.
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3. STUDENT RESEARCH TOPICS & PROJECTS a. DESIGN A WAVE POSTER - Resources: - Assignment: b. MAKE A SKETCH OF YOUR BEACH - Assignment: c. TO SEE A WORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND - Resources: - Assignment: d. BEACH EROSION - Resources: - Assignment: e. CREATE A BEACH PROFILE - Resources: - Assignment: f. BUILD A TIDAL ESTUARY MODEL - Resources: - Assignment: g. MODEL & DEMONSTRATE BEACH EROSION - Resources: - Assignment: h. MAKE A FIELD GUIDE TO MARINE LIFE IN YOUR AREA - Resources: - Assignment: i. CREATE A DISPLAY OF DIFFERENT SHORELINES - Resources: - Assignment: j. SHORELINE POLLUTION ISSUES - Resources: - Assignment: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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4. STUDENT DISCUSSION & JOURNAL TOPICS 1. What are the human issues involved in beach erosion? How can they best be addressed? 2. Should people be allowed to plan, develop, and build beachside houses or communities where erosion (and its related costs to taxpayers) are almost certain to be an issue? Consider, for example, hurricane zones. How does homeowner's insurance factor into this issue? 3. What are some of the major pollutants of shorelines? How can you organize clean-up and preventative measures in your own community? 4. Which coastal habitat would you most like to visit? Describe the inhabitants of its ecosystem, and discuss or write about why you would like to visit this particular one. 5. What are some of the ways that scientists are trying to improve upon with tsunami warnings to coastal villages? ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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