Summary Earth Science Module  Grade Levels: 9-12  Grounded in inquiry-based learning  Use real-world examples  Promotes investigations of estuary monitoring data  Hands-on activities  Connections to field-based activities  Correlated to the National Science Education Standards and State Standards    Icon means: Printable Version (Requires Adobe Acrobat) Pilot Test the Life Science Module Please provide us with feedback on the activities and the functionality of this estuaries.gov website by completing this on-line Feedback Form. Contact Us if you have any problems accessing any of these materials.

• Activity 1: Observing Estuaries: A Landform and Feature Scavenger Hunt 
• Activity 2: Salinity and Tides in York River 
• Activity 3:Estuary and Watershed
• Activity 4: Extreme Weather and Estuaries

Plus...

• Final Earth Science Module Assessment

Activity 1: Observing Estuaries: A Landform and Feature Scavenger Hunt

In this activity, students investigate landforms and features associated with estuaries. They begin by taking a journey down a river to an estuary system where the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico near Weeks Bay NERR to investigate how landforms differ between uplands and riverine/estuarine environments. Student teams then use Google Earth and other resources to engage in a scavenger hunt to locate and identify landforms and features of estuaries.

This activity has 3 parts:

1. What is an Estuary?
2. A Trip Down the Alabama River
3. Estuary Landform and Features - Scavenger Hunt

Activity 2: Salinity & Tides in York River

In this activity, students learn about tides and salinity in estuaries. They observe time-lapse models of tides and salinity distribution in the York River, part of the Chesapeake Bay, VA NERR. They learn how salinity changes with an incoming and outgoing tide, observing the dynamics of the salt wedge at various sites along the river. They make predictions about the salinity changes at each site based upon their observations of the animation. They then use salinity data from monitoring stations along the river to see changes during a typical day. They describe the patterns of each salinity graph and compare the graphs.

This activity has 4 parts: 

1. Tides in the Chesapeake Bay 
2. Salinity as York River Flows into the Bay 
3. Interaction of Tides and River Flow 
4. Salinity as Measured by Water Quality Stations in York River 

Activity 3: Estuary & the Watershed – San Francisco Bay

In this activity, students investigate the nature of watersheds and their relationship to the dynamic changes that occur in estuaries due to drainage and runoff. Students begin by examining the San Francisco Bay Estuarine Research Reserve and tracing the extent of the watershed using Google Earth. Then they identify possible sources of pollution and contamination along the major rivers that feed into the bay. Students also examine water quality data in the San Pablo region of the estuary and identify changes that occur due to a storm event.

This activity has 4 parts:

1. Exploring the San Francisco Watershed
2. What’s Upstream Comes Downstream
3. Water Quality at the Mouth of a Watershed
4. Optional Extension: Mapping Your Local Watershed

Activity 4: Extreme Weather and Estuaries 

Students investigate how hurricanes can affect NERRS estuaries. Students begin by studying the North Carolina NERR in the Cape Fear area with Google Earth and predict which areas of the reserve might be more vulnerable to the onslaught of high winds, heavy rain and storm surge than others. Then students monitor and interpret the changes in water quality factors day by day as a severe storm approaches, strikes the estuary, and then dissipates.

This activity has 4 parts:

1. Investigating an Estuary
2. Which NERRs Are Affected by Hurricanes?
3. Impact of Extreme Weather on an Estuary

Final Earth Science Module Assessment

Supporting Materials

• Estuary Landforms and Features: Preparing for an Earth Science Scavenger Hunt! [PDF] [PowerPoint]