Engineering and Design: Reducing Shoreline Erosion (Developed by SEPUP)
kit #485S
In this engineering design activity students start by modeling the erosive effect of ocean waves on a sea cliff. They then design an erosion-reducing barrier and test it to observe how well it reduces the cliff erosion. They then use their experience with the cliff model to design, test, and redesign structures to limit beach erosion.
- Related NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.A Earth’s Materials and Systems
ESS2.C The Role of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ETS1.A Defining and Delimiting Engineering Practices
ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1.C Optimizing the Design Solution
- Key Concepts
Students design, test, and redesign a solution.
Water removes earth materials from some places and deposits it as sediment in others.
Some landforms are the result of destructive forces such as erosion.
Some landforms are the result of constructive forces such as deposition of sediments.
There are positive and negative effects of erosion and deposition.
- Key Vocabulary
deposition
engineering
erosion
Content List in Engineering and Design: Reducing Shoreline Erosion (Developed by SEPUP) is as follows:
| Quantity | Description |
|---|---|
| 16 | long rectangular steel blocks |
| 16 | short rectangular steel blocks |
| 16 | mesh sleeves |
| 8 | plastic basins |
| 8 | plastic cliffmakers |
| 8 | wavemaker paddles |
| 8 | wavemaker paddle holders |
| 8 | 30-mL graduated cups |
| 8 | 9-oz plastic cups |
| 8 | spoons |
| 1 | bottle of riprap rocks |
| 1 | bag of sand |
| 32 | Student Worksheet and Guides |
| 1 | Teacher's Guide |
- Recommended number of students
- maximum 32 per class
- Number of groups
- maximum 8 groups per class
- Number of clases
- unlimited (no consumable materials)
To complete this kit requires two to three ~50-minute class periods.
