Coasts and Coastal Systems

Content/concepts goals
rocky vs. sandy coasts, coastal erosion and flood hazards, human activities that contribute to sea level rise

Higher order thinking skills goals
critical evaluation of the adverse impacts of levees and other engineered coastal protection approaches

Other skills goals
a basic understanding of federal agencies involved in managing flood and coastal hazards

Type and level of course
This is for the unit on coasts and coastal hazards in an undergraduate course in physical geography.

Skills and concepts students should have mastered
Students should have a general understanding of coastal processes, but the assignment has web links throughout where they can glean the answers. They should have read the text book chapter on coasts and coastal systems before beginning this assignment.

How the activity is situated in the course
Stand-alone exercise

• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/agencies.html
• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/types.html
• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/change.html
• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/longshore.html
• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/norfolk.html
• http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/conclusions.html