Coastal Erosion Solution

Students in second grade STEAM are working this week to build a solution for a house that is in danger of coastal erosion. Students completed a unit in science recently about pebbles, sand, and silt and are now putting their knowledge to use in STEAM. We first watched a time lapse video of coastal erosion then we modeled with water and dirt in a tub how a coastline can change its shape and integrity overtime due to wave action. Currently, second grade students are working through the engineering design process by identifying the problem, imagining potential solutions, and creating their designs. Next week, students will test out their solutions, and identify ways to improve their creations. So far, some of the students solutions include building retaining walls, adding more structural support to the house, lifting the house on stilts, and creating a raft base for the building as an emergency back up plan!