Barrier Beach Dynamics

This full-day program is appropriate for grades 4 through 12. By participating in hands-on activities in NJSGC’s classroom and at the beach., students will gain an in-depth understanding of beaches and the processes that influence them.

Through discussion and instruction your NJSGC Instructor will cover the following key concepts of this program:

  • Coastal processes (winds, waves, currents and tides)
  • Origins of sand and its movement
  • Beach zonation and the importance of dunes
  • Identification, succession and importance of plant life on the barrier beach
  • Coastal erosion
  • Marine debris – origins and impacts
  • Marine species of the barrier beach

At the Beach

  • Shell collecting and identification
  • Beach hike to observe a natural beach, bird nesting area, and the NY/NJ shipping channel
  • Sand sampling
  • Beach profiling
  • Beach zonation sand sampling
  • Longshore current measurement
  • Wave analysis
  • Optional marine debris investigation (“mini-beach clean-up”)

 At the Classroom

Students will participate in the following laboratory activities in NJSGC’s Building #22 classroom:

  • Sand investigation (sand sampling, grain size and shape analysis, comparisons, etc.)
  • Modeling beach erosion
  • Species identification using taxonomic keys
  • Marine debris analysis
  • Beach profile graphing
  • Importance of dunes

Beach Profile Graphing Template

This excel workbook supplements the beach profiling activity included in NJSGC’s Barrier Beach Dynamics field trip program: Beach Profile Calculator (.xls)

This program supports:

Next Generation Science Standards
Grades 3 through 5  PE:3-LS2-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 3-ESS3-1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS2-2, 4-ESS3-2, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS3-1.  DCI:ESS2.A, ESS2.C, ESS2.E, ESS3.B, ESS3.C, LS1.A, LS1.C, LS2.B, PS3.A.
Middle School  PE:MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5, MS-ESS2-2, MS-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-3. DCI: ESS2.C, ESS3.A, ESS3.C, ESS3.D, LS2.A, LS4.C,
High School  PE: HS-ESS2-5, HS-LS2-6, HS- LS2-8. DCI:LS4.C and D, ESS2.A, ESS2.C, ESS3.A, ESS3

Program limited to twenty-five (25) students per group. Limit of two (2) group per day.
Fee: $475.00 per group.

For more information contact the Education Department at reservations@njseagrant.org or by phone at (732) 872-1300, ext. 13. Fill out our program reservation request form HERE!