Topic(s):
Effects of changes in ecosystems caused by humans
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Images/Video Resources
 South Padre Island: Sand Dunes and Sea Oats
These sea oats are what help the dunes hold the sand, which allows them to pile up as high as thirty feet. You can see some of these dunes just north of town on Park Road 100.
SeaTalk- Sand Dunes Video
Dunes protect the coastal inland during storms, provide a reservoir of sand for the beach and sustain a unique ecosystem.
Sand Dunes Project SPI- KVEO News 23 report on Sand Dunes Project
Restoring Sand Dunes SPI- KVEO News 23 report on restoring Sand Dunes after Hurricane made landfall
Dredging Project at SPI- KVEO News 23 report on Dredging at SPI
SPI Erosion Project- KVEO News 23 report on Erosion project for the SPI
Sand Dunes Video
This video covers: How sand dunes form and The environmental conditions that must be present for sand dunes to form.
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Read the Scenario, then review the videos and resource articles to determine what you can learn about Sand Dunes (Coastal Protection and Environmental Habitats) in our area. Please use the Project Base Model (PBL), and review the Lessons Rubrics to have a better understanding of what is expected from your project.
Since the 1970's South Padre Island (SPI) has become a popular all year round destination for tourists. But currently due to the economic down turn South Padre Island is experiencing a lack of tourist this past year and the officials of the South Padre Island Development want to attract more people to the island. One of the proposed ideas that will attract more people to the island is to remove 1/4 a mile of coastal sand dunes from the ocean side to build a board walk amusement attractions.
Sand dunes are a vegetated habitat that acts as a buffer, providing an erodible reservoir of sand that circulates between the front dune, the beach, the surf zone and seabed according to sea and wind conditions. Loss of protective vegetation through pressure from grazing, foot and vehicular traffic, fires and building exposes sand to high-velocity coastal winds and wave action.
Due to the idea of removing large amounts of sand dunes, the SPI Development committee has hired your team to research the environmental impact of the removal of the sand dunes. Your research team will present the findings to the SPI Development and local citizens of SPI on why removing large amounts of sand dunes is a bad concept for the city of SPI but also for the environment.
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Your team was hired by the SPI Development committee to research the environmental impact of the removal of the sand dunes. Your research team will present the findings to the SPI Development and local citizens of SPI on why removing large amounts of sand dunes is a bad concept for the city of SPI but also for the environment. Your team is working towards a solution to why the removal of sand dunes will be a disastrous idea to the animal environment, but also the protection of the inland. Your team must take the following into consideration:
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How would the removal of the Sand Dunes affect the environment (animals, vegetation)
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Hurricanes are always a possibility to make landfall in South Texas, how would the removal of the Sand Dunes affect the protection of the inland.
Individually, each team member will create an analysis of the Sand Dune scenario. Each team member will individually complete PBL steps 1-4. Each team member must share and discuss ideas, create questions to be answered within the team and conduct individual research to solve the scenario using the custom search engine and resources given.
Group, as a team you will create a problem statement, develop a plan to conduct research on your problem statement and collect research on your problem statement. Each team will consist of 4 members and each member must be assigned a responsibility.
Group Presentation, Each team will design a final plan of action addressing the Sand Dune scenario that will be presented using any Web 2.0 tool listed under Student Work. The presentation will be presented to SPI Development Officials but also presented to educate the locals of SPI.
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Sand dune transects investigation
The aim of dune profiling is to investigate the structure of the dune system from the formed dunes at the seaward side of the dune system inland through the more mature and established dunes.
Teacher Resources:
Limited Sand Resources for Beach Erosion.pdf
Newsletter of the Center for Coastal Resources Management- Sand Dunes and Beaches.pdf
Sand Dune Process and Management for flood and coastal.pdf
Example Lesson Plan: Dune Disaster Lesson Plan
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1. Read and analyze the scenario and situation.
Check your understanding of the scenario. Don't be tempted to start thinking about potential solutions or to start looking for information.
1. List your personal understanding, ideas or hunches.
Now that you are familiar with Sand Dunes you will write everything you know about Sand Dunes. Describe your thoughts or ideas about how to solve the problem. There are not incorrect answers in this step, just feel free to brainstorm your ideas.
2. List what is known.
With your team use all the information available in the scenario to list everything that you know about Sand Dunes (Protection and Environmental Habitats). You do not have to conduct any research yet. Just use the information given and write the facts that you already know about Sand Dunes.
You will write about everything you know on Sand Dunes from your personal experience. There is no wrong answer to this because it is what you know and your thoughts
3. List what is unknown.
You will receive a printed copy of the scenario and situation. With your team, make a list about what you do not know and would like to learn. List all the questions you will need to answer to solve the problem. You do not need to conduct any research yet. Just draw from your prior knowledge and the information that is included in the scenario. You will use the example below to guide yourself. With the given information list the ways our spheres are being affected.
(Example): E>H (for hydrosphere) With out Sand Dunes the inland will flood easier.
4. List what needs to be done.
"What should we do?" List actions to be taken, e.g., question an expert, conduct research, go to a board meeting about topic. List possible actions.
Individually: Prepare a list of questions that you think need to be answered to solve the problem.
5. Develop a problem statement.
You will be responsible for thinking and choosing one of the questions to solve the problem. A problem statement should come from your analysis of what you know. In one or two sentences, you should be able to describe what it is that your group is trying to solve, produce, respond to, or find out. The problem statement may have to be revised as new information is discovered and brought to bear on the situation.
6. Gather information
Use all the resources available (Internet, library, etc) to research about the problem/topic and find a solution.
7. Present Findings
Your team is going to create a presentation on environmental factors of removing Sand Dunes utilizing any Web 2.0 Tools: Prezi, Wordle, Vimeo, Animoto, Glogster, VoiceThread, Spicy Nodes, and other tools.
Requirements:
The presentation should include 2 of the following images, video, graphs, maps.
Students will use Group Presentation Rubric
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(5.7) Earth and space. The student knows Earth's surface is constantly changing and consists of useful resources. The student is expected to:
(B) recognize how landforms such as deltas, canyons, and sand dunes are the result of changes to Earth's surface by wind, water, and ice;
(5.9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there are relationships, systems, and cycles within environments. The student is expected to:
(C) predict the effects of changes in ecosystems caused by living organisms, including humans, such as the overpopulation of grazers or the building of highways; and
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