Contents

INTRODUCTION

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
    Goals
    Methods
    Training
    Data Management, Data Analysis, and Dissemination of Information

STUDENT, TEACHER, AND SCIENTIST INTERACTIONS

AFFECTS ON SCIENCE CURRICULUM

AFFECTS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, COASTAL MANAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS

RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDICIES

APPENDIX A: STUDENT COLLECTED DATA AND GRAPHS
    Beach Volume Tables and Profile Plots
    Example Plots of Wind, Wave, and Longshore Current
    Example Sediment Analyses
    Field Data

APPENDIX B: EVALUATION FORMS BY STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION

The Texas Coastal Monitoring Program engages people who live along the coast in the study of their natural environment. High school students, teachers, and scientists work together to gain a better understanding of dune and beach dynamics on the Texas coast. Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin (UT) provide the tools and training needed for scientific investigation. Students and teachers learn how to measure the topography, map the vegetation line and shoreline, and observe weather and wave conditions. By participating in an actual research project, the students obtain an enhanced science education. Public awareness of coastal processes and the Texas Coastal Management Program is heightened through this program. The students’ efforts also provide coastal communities with valuable data on their changing shoreline.

This report describes the program and our experiences during the pilot year at Ball High School on Galveston Island, Texas (Fig. 1). Discussions of the data collected by the students and recommendations for future high school projects are also included. A manual with detailed field procedures, field forms, classroom exercises, and teaching materials was prepared during the first year. A full-color poster describing the project is also available.

Figure 1. Study area.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Goals

The coastal monitoring program has three major goals:

1. Provide high school students with an inquiry-based learning experience.
   

Students make several field trips to their study sites during the school year. Working in teams, they conduct topographic surveys (beach profiles) of the foredune and beach, map the vegetation line and shoreline, collect sediment samples, and observe weather and wave conditions. Back in the classroom, students analyze their data and look for relationships among the observed phenomenon. UT scientists provide background information and guide inquires of the data, but students are encouraged to form their own hypotheses and to test them. Through their collaboration with working scientists on an actual research project, the students gain an enhanced science education.

2. Increase public awareness and understanding of coastal processes and hazards.
   

We expect that the participating students will discuss the program with their parents, classmates, and neighbors, further expanding the reach of the program. We expect the program to attract media attention as well. A World Wide Web site containing the latest information will be central to the community outreach portion of the project.Coastal residents may wish to view the effects of a storm that strikes the upper coast. They will be able to do this by accessing the Texas Coastal Monitoring Program web site and view maps, graphs, and photographs collected by Ball High School. Curiosity may drive this inquiry at first, but what is realized is an increased awareness and appreciation of coastal processes and how future storms could affect ones community.

3. Obtain a better understanding of the relationship between coastal processes, beach morphology, and shoreline change, and make data and findings available for solving coastal management problems.
   

The Bureau of Economic Geology (Bureau) at UT has conducted a thirty-year research program to monitor shorelines and investigate coastal processes. An important portion of this program is the repeated mapping of the shoreline and measurement of beach profiles. Over time, these data are used to determine the rate of shoreline change. A problem we face is the limited temporal resolution in our shoreline data. The beach is a dynamic environment where significant changes in shape and sand volume can occur over periods of days or even hours. Tides, storms, and seasonal wind patterns cause large, periodic or quasi-period changes in the shape of the beach. If coastal data are not collected often enough, periodic variations in beach morphology could be misinterpreted as secular changes. The High School Coastal Monitoring Program helps address this problem by providing scientific data at key locations along the Texas coast. These data are integrated into the ongoing coastal research program at the Bureau and are made available to other researchers and coastal managers.

Methods

The central element in the high school monitoring program is at least three class field trips during the academic year. During each trip, students visit several locations and apply scientific procedures to measure beach morphology and make observations on beach, weather, and wave conditions. These procedures were developed during the program’s pilot year (1997/98) and are presented in detail in a manual that also includes field forms. Following is a general discussion of the field measurements.

1. Beach profile
   
   Students use a pair of Emery rods, a metric tape, and a hand level to accurately survey a shore-normal beach profile from the foredunes to the waterline. The students begin the profile at a pre-surveyed datum stake so that they can compare each new profile to earlier profiles. Consistently oriented photographs are taken with a digital camera. The beach profiles provide detailed data on the volume of sand and the shape of the beach.
   
2. Shoreline mapping
   
   Using a differential Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, students walk along the vegetation line and shoreline, mapping these features for display on Geographic Information System software. The GPS mapping provides measurements of the rate of shoreline change.
   
3. Sediment sampling
   
   Students take sediment samples along the beach profile at the foredune crest, berm top, and beach face. They then sieve the samples, weigh the grain size fractions, and inspect the grains using a microscope. These samples show the dependence of sand characteristics on the various processes acting on the beach.
   
4. Beach processes
   
   Students measure wind speed and direction, estimate the width of the surf zone, and observe the breaker type. They note the wave direction, height and period, and estimate the longshore current speed and direction using a float, stop watch, and tape measure. From these measurements, students can infer relationships between physical processes and beach changes in time and space. Students also learn to obtain weather and oceanographic data from resources on the Internet.
   

Training

UT scientists provide the teachers with all the training, information, field forms, and equipment needed to conduct the field and lab measurements. During the school year, UT scientists accompany the students on at least two of the field trips and make at least two classroom visits. The classroom visits provide students with even more insight in conducting scientific research. The scientists discuss with the students general and theoretical issues regarding scientific research as well as specific techniques and issues related to coastal research. The visits also provide the scientists with an opportunity to ensure the quality of the data.

Data Management, Data Analysis, and Dissemination of Information

The World Wide Web is central to the dissemination of data collected for this program. A web site, which resides on a UT server, is being developed. The web site will provide all the information needed to begin a beach monitoring program as well as curriculum materials for high school teachers. Each school in the program will have an area on the web site to post their data and observations, including photos taken with their electronic camera. UT scientists will manage the data in an electronic database and make it available to the public. UT scientists will also evaluate the data in light of addressing coastal management problems.

STUDENT, TEACHER, AND SCIENTISTS INTERACTIONS

UT scientists, Drs. Gibeaut, Gutierrez, and Kirkland, worked with Ms. Cain and Dr. Agbe of Ball High School in developing and conducting the project. Ms. Cain is the head of the Science Department at Ball High School and Dr. Agbe is the Marine Science teacher. UT scientists worked directly with the Honors Marine Science Class, which had 15 students in the 11^th and 12^th grades. In addition, Dr. Agbe used the techniques and equipment provided by the program during fieldtrips with his other Marine Science classes.

We had originally intended to meet with teachers and possibly a few students for instruction before the school year began. Because of a late start date for the contract, however, this was not possible. Our first meeting was at Ball High School on September 5, 1997 when UT scientists met with Ms Cain and Dr. Agbe. At this meeting, the objectives and logistics of the project were discussed. Subsequent meetings after school on September 18 and 19 included lectures by UT scientists on coastal processes and beach profiling techniques. On September 20, Drs. Gibeaut, Gutirerrez, and Agbe went on a full-day fieldtrip to conduct all the beach measurements. Several more meetings that involved setting up the classroom computer, instruction, and planning occurred between scientists and teachers. In the beginning phase of the project, UT scientists met with the teachers for a total of 36 hours. Subsequent meetings occurred in conjunction with the fieldtrips.

The first class fieldtrip was on October 1, 1997. Drs. Gibeaut and Gutierrez accompanied Dr. Agbe and his Honors Marine Science Class on this first trip. We chose to go to a beach profile location at Galveston Island State Park because of the short distance from the school, restrooms, and easy parking for a school bus. The students were divided into two teams. One team measured the profile and took sediment samples while the other team collected data on the weather and waves and conducted a GPS survey of the shoreline and vegetation line. Team members had specific tasks, and for this first trip, students took turns performing them. After each team completed their tasks, the teams switched roles so that everyone would have an opportunity to conduct all the measurements. Only one profile was measured on this first trip, but during the second year of the project, we were able to measure two profiles on the first trip.

Dividing the students into two five- to seven-member teams, one that conducts the profile and sediment sampling and the other that measures the processes and the shoreline, works well. Each team finishes at about the same time, although for short profiles, the profiling team may finish early. In this case, an extra task could be assigned to the profiling team. It is important to assign each student a job to keep them focussed and interested. Time for a little fun should also be allowed. People normally think of the beach as a place of recreation, and participation in this project should not change that. In fact, it is hoped that program participants will enjoy going to the beach even more because of their newly acquired knowledge and observation skills.

On October 8 and 10, UT scientists met with students in the classroom. They instructed students on sediment analysis techniques and computer and data management procedures. The scientists also discussed careers in the sciences and opportunities for scholarships at universities. The second field trip occurred on December 9, 1997. Drs. Gutierrez and Kirkland accompanied the class on that trip during which they measured three beach profiles and visited a fourth location at Bermuda Beach to observe erosion impinging on a housing development.

It was originally planned that the students would measure four profiles on each field trip. While it may be possible to visit four locations and return by the end of the school day (2:30), it is clear that this is too much work for the students. Little time would be allowed for lunch, and the quality of the data and learning experience for the students would suffer. Furthermore, managing and analyzing data from four profiles would require more time in the classroom than is available. Therefore, it was decided to measure two locations during each trip. This allows ample time for careful data collection, and gets the students back to school about one hour before the end of the day. During this hour, equipment and samples are stored, and data are filed or transferred to the computer.

Dr. Gutierrez participated in the third field trip on March 6, 1998, and Dr. Gibeaut attended the fourth fieldtrip on April 28. Two profiles were measured during each of these trips. On March 12, Dr. Gibeaut met with students in the classroom. He discussed the data collected by the students and their progress on analyzing and interpreting it. During the year, UT scientists met with the students during four field trips and three class periods.

AFFECTS ON SCIENCE CURRICULUM

The Texas Coastal Monitoring Program addresses several requirements of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science. The program would be relevant in the following 1998/1999 Texas high school courses: (1) Environmental Systems; (2) Aquatic Science; and (3) Geology, Meteorology, and Oceanography. TEKS related to applying scientific methods in field and laboratory investigations in these courses are well covered in the Coastal Monitoring Program. Specific requirements such as (1) collect data and make measurements with precision, (2) analyze data using mathematical methods, (3) evaluate data and identify trends, and (4) plan and implement investigative procedures are an excellent fit with the program. TEKS that require students to use critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions are also well served. Teachers and scientists can use the program to illustrate to students the role science could, should, or does play in developing public policy. A case study of a local erosion problem could be used for this illustration.

Student evaluation forms are in Appendix B. Overall, the students highly rated the program. It is apparent, however, that the students need to be well prepared with knowledge of scientific concepts and the problems being addressed before going into the field. Classroom exercises using the field data are also important to reinforce concepts and to give students a sense of purpose and accomplishment for work conducted in the field. There is a general consensus among the teacher and students to have only three field trips with the last trip not close to the end of the school year. Furthermore, apparently classroom lectures by UT scientists were too long. Dr. Agbe suggested limiting lectures to about 20 minutes and separating lectures with hands-on activities.

AFFECTS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, COASTAL MANAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS

During the 1997/1998 academic year, Ball High School students measured four profiles at a location in Galveston Island State Park (BEG02) and three profiles at a location on Follets Island to the southwest of Galveston Island (BEG08) (Fig. 1). The Bureau conducted quarterly surveys at these locations from 1983 to 1985 following Hurricane Alicia. Since 1985, however, the beaches were surveyed on an irregular schedule about once per year and only when specific projects were funded to do so or when Bureau personnel were in the area conducting other work. The High School Beach Monitoring Program helps ensure that the time series at these key locations are continued.

Although the March 6 beach profiles have errors, the other profile and process data the students collected are useful and have been incorporated into the beach profile database at the Bureau. These data will be used in Bureau studies that investigate beach erosion patterns in the area. Two such studies are in progress, one funded by the Texas Coastal Coordination Council and another three-year study sponsored by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). During the 1997/1998 academic year, the students data show an increase in sediment volume through the fall at both locations (Appendix A). The beaches vertically accreted about 30 cm on the upper beach while dune volumes remained stable. Over the winter from December 9, 1997 to April 28, 1998, however, the beaches lost a volume of sand that amounted to 14 to 19 cubic meters per meter of shoreline. This sand-volume loss was manifested by a lowering of the beach surface of 30 to 50 cm and shoreline retreat of about 15 m. Dune volumes, however, remained stable. The student-collected data show a large change that occurred over a winter that was non-eventful with regard to storms. Continuance of the beach profile measurements by students during the 1998/1999 school year may demonstrate if this change is permanent or part of a seasonal cycle. These data will give us insight into how to interpret other periods of the profile time series that do not have seasonal data.

It will take time to incorporate the data into products that support coastal management. It is clear, however, that the data will be useful in understanding beach cycles and defining short-term versus long-term trends. Defining these trends is important for making decisions regarding coastal development and beach nourishment. The program has increased public awareness through the students, but to this date, the increase is mostly confined to the students’ friends and families. A World Wide Web site will be instrumental in extending the reach of the program to the public. During this pilot year, we developed the beginnings of such a site, and we will expand and improve it during the following year. The program has also attracted the attention of the Texas Education Administration, and they will be filming students measuring the beach in March 1999, further increasing public awareness of coastal processes.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We consider the pilot year of the coastal monitoring program an overall success and offer the following recommendations for continuance and expansion of the program.

1. Emphasize to the students that they are working on a real research project and are collecting scientifically valid data that will eventually appear in a scientific publication. This is a major point that makes this program different from most other fieldtrips or laboratory exercises. Students are not asked to conduct experiments that have no real consequence. This seems to make a difference to many students, and it probably improves the quality of the data.
2. Clearly state to the students the specific scientific problems being addressed, but also emphasize that what they are gaining experience in is not just how to measure beaches but how to conduct scientific field research in general. The students are also learning a different way to view their surroundings.
3. Survey a reasonable number of beaches, which in most cases would mean two. The program goals of scientific research and science education could be at odds with one another. From a purely scientific point of view, it would be desirable to acquire as much data as possible. That approach, however, would not allow time for discussions on the beach not directly related to the measurements. It would also hinder the development of observation skills and keep the students from enjoying their work.
4. The number of official fieldtrips depends on the class, but a maximum of four trips is reasonable. Some students might be encouraged to make additional trips on weekends or after school. Interested students should be encouraged to use the program in a science fair project.
5. When adding additional schools to the program, a two- to three-day seminar with all the teachers and before the school year begins is desirable. This would be more efficient instruction and teachers and scientists would benefit by exchanging ideas.
6. A web site adds an important dimension to the project, especially when multiple schools are participating. A web site where students can exchange observations with other schools in Texas will increase the educational value of the program by allowing students to observe differences in the processes acting along the coast. A web site would also introduce the Internet to students and illustrate how it can be used to conduct research. Furthermore, the Internet is important to increase public awareness of coastal processes.

APPENDIX A: STUDENT-COLLECTED DATA AND GRAPHS

Beach Volume Tables and Profile Plots

Profile data were entered into the public domain software package called "Beach Morphology and Analysis Package" (BMAP). BMAP Version 2 was developed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and is commonly used by coastal engineers and scientists for beach profile analysis. Beach volume calculations and profile plots were created using BMAP. Students plotted their data and made volume calculations as class exercises, but UT scientists generated the tables and graphs presented here. We intend to install BMAP on the high school computer and develop protocol and write instructions for its use by students.

BEG02 Profile Volume (cubic meters/meter)
Volumes calculated from 0 to 80 m and above -1 m. Profiles that did not extend to 80 m distance were extrapolated.

BEG08 Profile Volume (cubic meters/meter)
Volumes calculated from 0 to 60 m and above -1 m. Profiles that did not extend to 80 m distance were extrapolated.

*Profiling errors make volume calculations erroneous.

Example Plots of Wind, Wave, and Longshore Current

Example Sediment Analyses

Field Data

APPENDIX B: EVALUATION FORMS BY STUDENTS