Summary

As we left the Santee Lakes area we paddled the historic Upper Cooper River passing by Mepkin Abbey and through Chicken Creek. As we neared the Charleston area the landscape became industrial and I have to admit after three weeks on the river it felt very good to pass the old navy yards of North Charleston and see the Cooper River Bridge in the distance. On Sunday we stopped at the South Carolina Aquarium, meeting the Charleston Kids with Cameras group to discuss historic Charleston Harbor. The next morning we went around the peninsula and up the Ashley River to end our trip at beautiful Magnolia Gardens. We took a tour of the grounds with the middle schoolers from Haute Gap, sharing a great time with them on the river to end our Web of Water adventure.

Though this is our last webisode post for this trip, we hope to see you in the future here at Web of Water or at Riverventure.org!

View the Webisode 5: In the Coastal Zone transcript.

Wait! There's more...View the Coast and Credits of the WOW documentary!
or View the entire documentary!

Landform

The Coastal Zone, sometimes referred to as the tidewater area, extends from the coast inland about ten miles and covers approximately 1.2 million acres. Elevations range from sea level to 25 feet and local topographic relief is usually less than five feet. The water height and salinity of streams in the area are influenced by the daily cycles of the tides and most stream valleys widen into estuaries before they reach the ocean. Coastal beaches are fairly wide and slope gently. Parallel ridges of sand adjoin the coast. Beaches are interrupted by many inlets, bays, and islands along with wide expanses of marshlands, particularly south of the Santee Delta.

The South Carolina Coastal Zone is usually divided into three distinct geographic regions based on different landforms produced by different geological processes. Each distinctive area can be easily identified on maps or on aerial photographs. The first area is a long, crescent shaped beach referred to as the Carolina Grand Strand or Myrtle Beach Grand Strand. The second area is primarily the Santee Delta, the largest cuspate delta on the east coast. The third geographic area is composed of the Sea Islands and extends from the Santee Delta to the Georgia border. Some of these islands are referred to as barrier islands because they serve to protect the mainland from waves, tides, and hurricanes coming in from the Atlantic Ocean. Beaches of any kind protect inland areas by absorbing wave energy even though they may become eroded in the process. Formed through time by the steady transport of sand by water and wind, sand dunes serve as reservoirs of sand to replenish beaches during erosive events caused by storms.

South Carolina is fortunate to have an extensive 200-mile coastal area as one of its state boundaries. Including all of the bays, sounds, inlets, beaches, deltas, and marshes, the coastline is more than 3,000 miles long. Furthermore, the coast is within easy driving distance from all parts of the state. In comparing South Carolina with other states, only a few have the advantages of a coastal area, and none have one that is as diverse, intriguing, and delightful to explore as our Carolina coast.

SC Maps Teaching Manual, 4th Edition (2000), section 9

Scavenger Hunt

Find the answers to these questions in Webisode 5: Coast!

1. What early colonist is responsible for building and developing the Native American deerskin trade? What important seeds did he plant from Madagascar?

2. What do you call mammals and birds that can generate their own heat and stay active year-round?

Check your answers with the "Scavenger Hunt Master," found in the Resources section of the site! Teachers can use Ian's "Discussion Questions," with standards correlations, for further extension and enrichment - also in the site's Resources section!

Teachers

Look for South Carolina science standards correlations to Web of Water webisodes under "Teachers" and "Standards" in the Resources section of the site! You will also find Ian's "Discussion Questions" for extension and enrichment, also tied to the South Carolina science standards, in the Resources section of the site!

Here are some Web resources related to this webisode. Find Web resources to other webisodes on respective pages, or see them ALL under "Teachers" and "Web Links" in the Resources section of the site!

WATER CYCLE, WATERSHEDS, AND WATER SCIENCE
(ALL webisodes)

A 70-page .pdf from the Environmental Protection Agency containing in-depth examination of water resources, the water cycle, and more that includes lessons, conservation tips, worksheets, etc:
http://www.epa.gov/region01/students/pdfs/gndw_712.pdf

Water Source Books for grades k-12 from the Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/wsb/index.html

An entire unit on hydrology from the National Park Service about Wind Cave National Park:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/Hydrology_PDF.htm

Lessons and activities relating to groundwater:
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html

This “Models of the Water Cycle” set contains background information with activities and links to an interactive demo of the water cycle for grades 6-8:
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=11&DocID=8

This “Models of the Water Cycle” set contains background information with activities and links to an interactive demo of the water cycle for grades 3-5:
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=393

Lessons on hydrology surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park:
http://www.nps.gov/brca/forteachers/hydrology.htm

United States Geological Survey (USGS) site on “Water Science for Schools:”
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/

Create a model of a watershed with the following lesson:
http://sf-rocks.sfsu.edu/SFROCKS_Website/For_Teachers_files/WhenItRains.doc

Lesson dealing with issues relating to water conservation:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/waste-not-want-not/

Lesson materials to help teachers get students to start thinking about water usage; this can be used as a collaborative project in which students can share their results on the Web:
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/drainproj/index.html

Posters for United States Geological Survey (USGS) outreach, including ones on watersheds, water quality and water use:
http://water.usgs.gov/outreach/OutReach.html

A Discover Carolina lesson about drainage divides and watersheds that involves use of topographic maps:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature09d01.pdf

A series of questions testing knowledge of watersheds:
http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/watershed/watershed2.html

Resources about ecosystems, including climate, food webs, biogeochemical cycles:
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html

In-depth explanations of Earth’s cycles, including the water cycle:
http://www.visionlearning.com/library/cat_view.php?c3=&cid=22&l=&let1=

A grade 4 “Land and Water Unit Template” from the Delaware Department of Education:
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/content_areas/files/science/4%20Land%20and%20Water%20Unit%20Template.pdf

FOREST ECOLOGY, STREAM ECOLOGY AND THE FOOD WEB
(Blue Ridge, Sandhills, Coastal Zone)

Introductory lesson from Discover Carolina about forest ecosystems including forest layers, and the food chain:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature09b02.html

An introduction to mountain stream ecology from Discover Carolina:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature09a02.html

Discover Carolina lesson including a forest layer diagram and food chain worksheet:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature09b01.html

Discover Carolina lesson about stream ecology and the food web at Carrick Creek in Table Rock:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature09a03.html

Discover Carolina lesson about forest ecology, including habitats, biotic and abiotic factors, food chain dynamics, and transfer of energy:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature02b02.html

A suite of biology lessons from NASA about Earth’s cycles and the food web:
http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/teachers/bio_train.html

RICE IN SC
(Coastal Zone)

A South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium lesson based on the article “African Roots, Carolina Gold:”
http://www.scseagrant.org/Content/?cid=136

A Discover Carolina series of lessons on rice culture in SC from Hampton Plantation State Historic Site:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s04history103.html

A .pdf including lesson plans from the Chicora Foundation called “Benjamin Mazyck, The Mystery Man of Goose Creek: A Curriculum for the Study of Eighteenth Century South Carolina Huguenots, Rice Plantations, and Slavery:”
http://chicora.org/pdfs/Mazyck.pdf

MARINE ECOLOGY
(Coastal Zone)

A Discover Carolina lesson on barrier island ecology:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature104a01.pdf

A lesson for 5th grade from Discover Carolina about populations, energy flow, and the food chain in marine ecosystems:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature104b01.pdf

A closer look at roles of organisms in marine ecosystems for 5th graders from Discover Carolina that allows hypothesizing about various scenarios, such as removal of an organism, or a shift in biotic or abiotic factors:
http://www.discovercarolina.com/html/s05nature07f.pdf.pdf

Knowitall

Use RiverVenture.org to learn about how rivers are connected, and how we are all connected to them:

• In the Estuary Module of RiverVenture, look for an object relating to the city of Charleston to learn more about rice cultivation in the lowcountry.

• Look for the connection between the Cabbage Palmetto and Revolutionary War forts in the Estuary module of RiverVenture.org.

• Find more examples of animals of the estuary at Knowitall.org in the Estuary module of RiverVenture!

Learn more about West African cultural heritage through Knowitall.org at Gullah Net.

Go to The Salt Marsh module of SC Life to find out more about the plants and animals of the estuary.

Find lesson plans about slavery, rice cultivation, and colonial plantations at Knowitall.org through the following Web sites:

• History of South Carolina Slide Collection, and

• Teaching American History in South Carolina (look for "Historical Background Notes" within Lesson Plans)