This interactive mapping tool allows students to view a wide variety of environmental, demographic, and risk mitigation data for the New Jersey shoreline.
Students can view the map using a number of tools, including "Marsh Explorer," "Living Shorelines," "Regional Planning", and "Risk Explorer."
A range of layers and limiters allow students to focus the map data on specific areas and/or types of risk.
Teaching Tips
Positives
There is a feature under "Regional Planning" that allows you to see the extent of flooding from Hurricane Sandy, as well as projected amounts of flooding from hurricanes of various strengths.
Clicking on the wrench icon on the right-hand side of the screen will allow students to measure an area, zoom, bookmark a map, or create a map.
Additional Prerequisites
Clicking on the word "Tour" located at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen will launch an overview of the mapping applications.
This resource can be a little tricky to navigate so teachers should spend time familiarizing themselves with the many mapping options available in order to find the ones that fit best with the lesson.
The "Living Shoreline" tool has a user's guide which can be accessed from the tool's three-lines (hamburger) menu button.
This 36-page Community Resource Guide provides background material about planning a "living shorelines" project that may help students better understand the purpose of the resource.
Differentiation
Earth science classes could use the "Regional Planning" tool to discuss what will happen to New Jersey if the sea level increases. Students can locate the data by selecting "Coastal Resilience" then "Coastal Hazards".
Social studies classes could layer the demographics data in the "Coastal Resilience" section of the "Regional Planning" tool with hurricane storm surge data in order to understand how vulnerable populations are affected by storm surge.
Other resources on this topic include this interactive mapping portal that will allow students to look at data for coastal regions around the world, this Vox video on chronic flooding in New Jersey, and this article on solutions for protecting coastal communities.
Scientist Notes
The map explores coastal areas at risk of erosion and sea level rise and provides evidence-based information on reforestation needs, ecological disturbances, and coastal resilience in New Jersey counties. Variables adopted to calculate the vulnerability index and risk are appropriate. Thus, this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
HS-ESS2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
ETS1: Engineering Design
HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
Social Studies
Geography
Geography 1 (F1): Students understand the geography of the community, Maine, the United States, and various regions of the world, and geographic influences on life in the past, present, and future by using the geographic grid and a variety of types of maps, including digital sources, to locate and access relevant geographic information that reflects multiple perspectives.
Geography 1 (F1): Students understand the geography of the United States and various regions of the world and the effect of geographic influences on decisions about the present and future by analyzing the local, national, and global geographic data on physical, environmental, and cultural processes that shape and change places and regions.
Geography 1 (D3): Students understand the geography of the United States and various regions of the world and the effect of geographic influences on decisions about the present and future by describing the major regions of the Earth and their major physical, environmental, and cultural features using a variety of geographic tools, including digital tools and resources.
Geography 2 (F2): Students understand geographic aspects of unity and diversity in Maine, the United States, and the world, including Maine Native American communities, by summarizing and interpreting the relationship between geographic features and cultures of Maine Native Americans, and historical and recent immigrant groups in Maine, the United States, and the world.
