Coastal Cities

1
Coastal Cities

• The Threat of Rising sea levels is a major
  consequence of global warming. As Greenland and
  Antarctica melt, coastal cities around the world
  may experience flooding that will change the
  geography of our land.

2
Coastal Dilemma

• In the this lesson you will
• 1. Share hypothesis and conduct an experiment
  demonstrating the effect of melting on water
  level in a glass.
  
• 2. Learn about observations of global warming by
  reading and discussing the article The Warming
  of Greenland.
  
• 3. Create scale models of coastal regions to
  measure the possible effects of rising ocean
  waters on those areas.
  
• 4. Write community preparation plans that
  consider the impact of oceanic changes on coastal
  communities.
  

3
Coastal Dilemma

• Opening Activity
• Working in groups of two.
• Each group is given a beaker ¾ filled with
  water., and three ice cubes.
  
• They write two hypothesis stating
• What will happen to the water level when three
  ice cubes are added
  
• How the water level will change once the ice
  cubes have melted.
  
• Students will then record the level
• before adding the ice cubes,
• Again after adding ice
• Once more after they have melted.
• After completion discuss predictions and results.

4
Coastal Dilemma

• While the ice is melting,begin reading the
  Article The Warming of Greenland
  
• The Teacher will read the first page, after that
  volunteers may read.
  
• Be sure to listen for key questions that need to
  be answered, and have your vocabulary out.
  
• The following slide contains the questions to be
  answered.

5
The Warming Of Greenland

• Questions that all students are responsible for
  answering?
  
• What changes are scientists observing in
  Greenland?
  
• What is seen beneath the glaciers of ice?
• How much ice does Dr. Carl Egede Boggild say that
  Greenland is losing per year?
  
• What effect might the melting have on coastlines
  around the world?
  
• How soon might communities begin to witness these
  changes first hand?
  
• According to martin Truffer, what hypothesis
  about climate change is being disproved and why?
  
• What tools do scientists use to observe, monitor,
  and note changes to the earths topography?
  
• What are the possible long-term predictions for
  the worlds coastlines?

6
Coastal Dilemma

• Now in the same groups you will build a small
  scale model of an Atlantic coastline to
  demonstrate the effects of rising water levels on
  human communities.
• Choose one of the following coastal regions Nova
  Scotia, Cape Cod, New York City, Chesapeake Bay,
  Bermuda, Miami, Shelton Island, Tierra del Fuego,
  Belfast, Cape Verde, Casablanca, Cape Town.

7
Coastal Dilemma

• Before you are given materials to start building
  you must research the demographics (population
  size) and Topography (landscape).
  
• On the next slide are your guiding questions.

8
Guiding Questions-these questions will help you
design your city.

• What is the current population of the area?
• What type of community exists in the area (urban,
  metropolitan, rural/agricultural, tourist,
  residential-use google earth)?
  
• What is the elevation of the land along the
  coast? A mile inland?
  
• What natural or man-made elements might bring
  water inland (such as rivers, deltas, inlets,
  bays)?
  
• What natural or man-made elements may keep water
  from reaching areas (such as cliffs, dunes, or
  sea walls)?
  

9
Now you are ready!

• Each group will get a tray of materials and a
  directions that must be followed.
  
• Dont forget to take photos before, during and
  after, you raise the ocean level on your
  coastline! present your pictures to the class.
  

10
Preparation Plans

• Now that you have seen how you coastline was
  effected by the rising water levels, you will
  write a short action plan to prepare for the
  implications of global warming on communities
  located in the regions investigated during class.

11
Preparation Plan Questions

• How might individuals and communities prepare for
  these changes over the next decade?
  
• To what location might people being displaced by
  rising water levels migrate?
  
• What challenges might these people face in
  finding new homes and employment?
  
• What might be the impact on the communities into
  which the migrants move?
  
• How might this effect quality of life issues in
  terms of traffic, homes, community resources,
  medical care, etc.
  

12
Group presentation

• Each group will present to the class their
  preparation plan using
  
• maps of the area
• pictures of the area
• pictures of the small scale lab demonstration
• preparation plan.

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