Ecological Design Challenge: Spring Lake
Activity - Classroom
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Engineering, Computer Science
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What it is
- In this activity, students will design a plan to build a vegetated embankment to stabilize the shoreline and reduce flood damage in Spring Lake, New Jersey.
- The plans must include criteria for successful completion and ideas for how the site will be monitored.
- This activity is a part of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection's educational program, Building Ecological Solutions for Coastal Community Hazards.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This activity gives students a chance to use design thinking skills to solve real-world problems.
- The instructions and images of the actual site are included in the PDF.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to discuss types of structural features that can help prevent flooding and erosion before students begin the activity.
- This NJ DEP site provides photographs, site assessments, permitting documents, and other information about the project.
- Teachers may want to share this rubric with students to provide clear expectations for the activity.
Differentiation
- Students could work individually, in pairs, or in small groups.
- Teachers could extend the activity into a larger project, including three-dimensional models, posters, slideshows, or diagrams to explain their plans.
- Biology classes could research native plants that have deep enough root systems to keep the vegetated embankment from eroding that can also withstand periodic flooding.
- Science students could discuss the following questions:
- Is it better to use one type of plant on the embankment or a variety of plants?
- Should the embankment be planted with full-grown plants or is it better to use seedlings?
- Are any of the plants susceptible to being eaten by animals or succumbing to disease?
- Other resources on this topic include this TED-Ed video on the dangers of invasive species and this game where students build a town while preserving the health of a lake.
From the scientist review
Students will be able to think creatively to innovate ecological solutions to stabilize shorelines from tidal flooding and storm surges. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on nj.gov
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