Teacher GuideâEarth Science Module - Estuaries NOAA

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Teacher Guide—Earth Science ModuleActivity 4: Extreme Weather and EstuariesFeatured NERRS Estuary:North Carolina National EstuarineResearch Reservehttp://nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=NOCActivity SummaryStudents investigate how hurricanes can affect NERRSestuaries. Students begin by studying the North CarolinaNational Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) in theCape Fear area with Google Earth and predict whichareas of the reserve might be more vulnerable to theonslaught of high winds, heavy rain and storm surgethan others. Then students monitor and interpret thechanges in water quality factors day by day as a severestorm approaches, strikes the estuary, and then dissipates.Learning ObjectivesStudents will be able to:1. Describe the features and landforms associated witha coastal estuary.2. Predict how major storm events affect NERRSreserves in the United States.3. Investigate and interpret changes in water quality inan estuary due to a severe weather event.4. Determine the relationship between thecharacteristics of an extreme weather event (heavywind, torrential rains and storm surge) and thesubsequent change in water quality over time.Grade Levels9-12Teaching Time3 (55 minute) class sessions + homeworkOrganization of the ActivityThis activity consists of 3 parts which help deepenunderstanding of estuarine systems:Investigating an EstuaryWhich NERRS are Affected by Hurricanes?Impact of Extreme Weather on an EstuaryBackgroundThe activity focuses on a portion ofthe North Carolina NERR centered onZeke’s Island, which is a little north ofCape Fear. Zeke’s Island is located inBrunswick and New Hanover counties,approximately four miles south of KureBeach. This component of theNorth Carolina NERR is bounded byEarth Science Module—Activity 4
Federal Point to the north, Smith Island to the south,the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Cape Fear Riverto the west. The lagoon-like complex at the Zeke’sIsland site is one of the most unusual areas of the NorthCarolina coast. There are three main islands within thecomponent of the reserve—Zeke’s Island covering 42acres of high ground, North Island encompassing 138upland acres, No Name Island covering about threeacres, and the beach barrier spit of 64 acres. The islandsare fringed with extensive marshes and tidal flats.Habitat and communities in the reserve include tidalflats, intertidal salt marshes, supratidal salt marshes,shrub thicket, maritime forest, dune areas, sandy beach,and rock jetty.Zeke’s Island is part of the lower Cape Fear region, anarea whose outstanding estuarine and ocean resourceshave long-supported an important commercial fishingindustry. The Cape Fear estuary drains the largest watershedin North Carolina, containing 27 percent of thestate's population. The Cape Fear River itself (about 320km in length) is formed in the Piedmont province by theconfluence of the Haw and Deep Rivers in ChathamCounty. Two tributaries join it just upstream ofWilmington, the Black River and the Northeast CapeFear River. The Black River drainage represents about17 percent of the Cape Fear drainage system and theNortheast Cape Fear River about 18 percent. (Adaptedfrom the North Carolina NERR site.)PreparationDownload Google Earth and install it on yourclassroom computer(s) or computer lab machines. Tofind a tutorial for using Google Earth, please read thebox below.Google EarthThis activity requires the use of Google Earth.If students have computer access, the use of GoogleEarth (http://earth.google.com/) can help themdevelop spatial skills.To find the Tutorial “Using Google Earth to ExploreEstuaries” go to Estuaries.noaa.gov, click the tab titledCurriculum and then the sub-tab titled Tutorials.MaterialsStudentsNeed to work in a computer lab or with acomputer and projectorCopy of Student Worksheet — Extreme Weatherin an Estuary.Copy of Student Reading — Extreme Weatherin an Estuary.Copy of Student Data Sheet 1 — Which NERRsAre Affected by Hurricanes?Copy of Student Worksheet — Extreme Weatherin an Estuary.TeachersBookmark the following sites:http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=NOChttp://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/2005hurricane_recap.htmlDownload Google Earth.If you don't want to use Google Earth, supplytopographic and road maps of the area tostudents instead.Equipment:Computer lab orComputer and ProjectorCopy of Student Data Sheet 2 — Impact on anEstuary by an Extreme Weather Event.Copy of Using Google Earth to ExploreEstuariesEarth Science Module—Activity 42
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Teacher Guide—Earth Science Modul
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AlternativesIf you want to use a lo
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Teacher Worksheet with AnswersActiv
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Page 13 and 14: 2g. When you arrive at Blakely Isla
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Page 19 and 20: ProcedurePart 1 — Tides in Chesap
Page 21 and 22: Part 4 — Salinity as Measured by
Page 23 and 24: Part 3 — Interaction of Tides and
Page 25 and 26: Student ReadingActivity 2: Estuarin
Page 27 and 28: 1e. Which location do you think has
Page 29 and 30: 3g. Now look at the cross-section v
Page 31 and 32: Student Data SheetActivity 2: Salin
Page 33 and 34: Claybank (CB) Continuous Monitoring
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Page 37 and 38: ProcedurePart 1 — Exploring the S
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Page 41 and 42: 3e. What geologic landforms, featur
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Page 45 and 46: Take a closer look at both the estu
Page 47 and 48: 1e. Describe how the terrain up the
Page 49 and 50: 3b. Consult the Student Data Sheet
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Page 53 and 54: Satellite ViewFigure 7. A satellite
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Page 57: Figure 13. TurbidityEarth Science M
Page 61 and 62: dissolved oxygen, and pH of the wat
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Page 65 and 66: Figure 1. The four major portions o
Page 67 and 68: Use Google Earth to investigate the
Page 69 and 70: 2b. Which NERRS sites had more than
Page 71 and 72: Student Data Sheet—1Activity 4: W
Page 73 and 74: Figure 6 — Twenty-seven sites com
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Page 77 and 78: Figure 11 — Water Turbidity in NT
Page 79: 3. Download 2005 data from the Poin
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Teacher GuideâEarth Science Module - Estuaries NOAA

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Teacher GuideâEarth Science Module - Estuaries NOAA