Tide Relationship to Sea-Level Rise

by Melanie Jenkins

Objective

Allow students to practice graphing techniques and draw conclusions about tide levels.

National Standards

A. Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students.
C. Teachers of science engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching and of student learning.
D. Teachers of science design and manage learning environments that provide students with the time, space, and resources needed for learning science.

Summary

Students will use tide data from a web site to plot graphs of sea-level rise over a 50 year period for a predetermined region. They will then draw conclusions from this data and from historical research and geology studies done on the web or in the library.

Prerequisites

Some experience with the computer and the Internet researching techniques.
Appropriate for grade levels 7 and above.

Materials & Equipment

Computers with Internet access
Graph paper

Procedure

Using the web site: http://www.nos.noaa.gov

Plot data for a predetermined region over a 50 year period for analysis.
Make a hypothesis about sea-level rise in this 1/2 century from the graph and from information gained in doing historical research/geology study of the same region.

Assessment

Students will present their findings to the class. The following simple rubric will be completed by class members and the teacher:

AGREE STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY
4 3 2 1

Do the graphs make sense?
Was historical research done?
Was a hypothesis made?
Is the hypothesis in the correct form?

Extension

Several adjacent areas can be mapped by individual students and then the results presented together as a group with one hypothesis about sea-level rise for a large coastline area.

Can continue this project by doing the Comparison Studies of Coastlines activity.

Resources

http://www.nos.noaa.gov

Orson, R., W. Parrageotu & S. P. Leatherman, 1985, "Response of Tidal Marshes of the US Atlantic & Gulf Coasts to Rising Sea-Levels", Journal of Coastal Resource, 1:29-37.

Pirazzoli, Paolo, "Sea-Level Changes: The Last 20,000 Years" 1996: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Chichester, England.

Psuty, N.P., 1986b "Impacts of Impending Sea-Level Rise Scenarios: The New Jersey Barrier Island Responses", Bulletin New Jersey, Academy of Science, 31:29-36.

"Responding to changes in Sea-Level Engineering Implications", committee on Engineering Implications of Changes in Relative Mean Sea-Level, National Academic Press, 1987: Washington, DC.

"The Probability of Sea-Level Rise", US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, pp. 186.

Woodrow Wilson Leadership Program in Environmental Science

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