InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society > Student Materials > Section 1: Introduction to the Coastal Zone: Society, Landforms, and Processes
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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These student materials complement the Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.

Section 1: Introduction to the Coastal Zone: Society, Landforms, and Processes

Overview

The focus of Section 1 is to develop a solid understanding of how society relies upon coastal zones, how a coastal zone is defined, and the physical processes that operate within coastal areas. This unit is divided into three modules:

  • The Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions (Module 1)
  • A Global Glance of Coastal Landscapes (Module 2)
  • Coastal Systems: Landscapes and Processes (Module 3)

Section Goals

Upon completion of Section 1, students will:

  • appreciate why societies are closely linked to coastal zones and how society interacts within different types of coastal zones;
  • understand the wide range of types of coastal zones and morphologies that are present on Earth;
  • recognize the many types of processes that operate within coastal zones and how these processes affect the form and function of different coastal settings and environments.

Section Objectives

In order to reach these goals, the instructors have established the following learning objectives. In working through the modules within Section 1, students will be able to:

  • examine a suite of societies and major population centers that are located within coastal zones;
  • identify the global distribution of cities that are most vulnerable to coastal hazards such as sea level rise, tropical cyclones, and tsunamis;
  • understand and evaluate the economics of coastal zones that cause societies to continue to inhabit coastal zones that are at high risk from coastal hazards;
  • recognize the globally diverse forms of coastal zones and the first and second order controls on coastal landscapes;
  • understand the types of processes that cause changes to the coastal zone across short-term (daily) and longer-term periods of time.

Assessments

Students should plan to use Google Earth, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other software where they can record notes and develop questions and ideas (i.e., Evernote, or Microsoft OneNote, or similar note-taking software/apps).


These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »