Introduction to Shoreline Protection

-Next Generation Science Standard* 2-ESS2-1

This Shoreline Protection lesson helps students understand the fragility of the shore and allows them to appreciate the importance of protecting it.  This lesson can be used to teach about shoreline protection along both ocean and lake shores.  If you live near a river, it can also work, you would just have to change the protection structure to a levee system instead of sand dunes.

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Materials List for Shoreline Protection

–Second Grade Earth Science -Shoreline Protection Lesson
-6-8 wooden dowels or some type of stick that will simulate pilings
-1 set of LEGO DUPLO or other large blocks you could put on top of dowels
–play sand (enough to fill a large, shallow under bed storage bin)
–1 large under bed shallow storage bin
-1 large bucket of water
-1-2 evergreen boughs
-about 10 large flat rocks

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Step 1: Download the Second Grade Earth Science -Shoreline Protection Lesson and complete the worksheet

Here are sample pages from our worksheets for this lesson:

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Step 2: Set up your minimally protected shore town

Fill your long, shallow bin with sand about 3/4 of the way to the top.

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Add your blocks to make a small town and build a simple dune in front of the blocks by just pushing the sand together.

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Here is a video showing our simulation of a storm surge on this little town:

Step 3: Set up your protected shore town

Next, make another dune, but this time build it on top of the evergreen boughs for reinforcement.

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Build your rock wall in front of the town behind the dune and raise the homes and buildings on the wooden dowels.

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Here is a video showing our simulation of a storm surge on this now protected town:

Step 4: Complete the assessment from the Second Grade Earth Science -Shoreline Protection Lesson

Here are sample assessment pages from our lesson:

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Source:

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

*”Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.”

A note about this lesson…

This lesson is near and dear to our hearts because we lived through Hurricane Sandy at the Jersey Shore in October of 2012.  We were extremely lucky to not have that much damage to our home but we are still, three years later, seeing the effects of the storm in our town and in neighboring towns.