New Bedford ECHO Project - ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

Charting the Contours of the Coastline and Ocean Floor

Disciplinary Focus:
Geography and Earth Science and Technology Curriculum

Grade Level:
Middle Grades 6-8

This middle grades science curriculum module is designed to help students understand how beaches, coastlines, and the ocean floor are structured and studied. In extension activities including further study in a module on this website, "Mapping and the Environment" students may explore how climate change, global warming, and possible sea level change could impact these fragile ecosystems. The module begins with a concrete experience in which students create a landscape model of a beach. Next, they learn about the ocean floor by participating in a simulated learning experience in which they investigate the bathymetry (depth and topography) of the ocean floor. They then create a three dimensional model of the ocean floor from a two dimensional contour chart. Through these investigations, students learn what the ocean floor looks like and about the variations in the depth of the ocean floor in different locales, Finally, they explore new technologies-Sonar, Autonomous Benthic Explorers, and Remote Sensing-that allow them to read, interpret, and analyze a combination of ground-based observations, satellite data, and computer models that demonstrate Earth systems and their interconnections.

Why is this science curriculum module important? Like all aspects of our environment, beaches, coastlines, and the ocean undergo constant changes that have the potential to impact our social, cultural, and economic systems. If we are to protect the coastline and the ocean's resources we need to understand them. The development and use of research devices has led us to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the mysteries of the ocean. In this science curriculum module, we explore some of these mysteries.

ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

What is ECHO?

ECHO is an educational and cultural enrichment initiative, annually serving thousands of children and adults in Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Established by Congress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ECHO brings innovative programs collaboratively produced by the regional cultural institutions to culturally diverse audiences. Read More