COASTWATCH IN THE SCHOOLS
Learning On Our Coast
Explore the Oregon coast with seasonally coordinated lesson plans and community partners
Nature's Calendar as Curriculum
Oregon Shores is excited to share updates to the CoastWatch in the Schools (CWIS) program, inspired by our long-standing CoastWatch community science initiative. Through CWIS, we are bringing the wonder and science of coastal stewardship directly to students, offering them hands-on, seasonal programming that mirrors the activities and observations of our CoastWatch volunteers.
Each season, we will share new lessons introducing students to a new aspect of coastal phenomenons, focusing on different types of data CoastWatchers collect and report on through their Mile Reports. With each module, students engage in meaningful, place-based learning that deepens their understanding of Oregon’s coastal environments while cultivating a sense of stewardship and scientific curiosity. Every lesson is enriched through partnerships with community organizations and local experts who bring additional resources, insight, and excitement to the classroom.
Through CoastWatch in the Schools, we are building a foundation for a resilient Oregon coast where everyone is empowered to protect and cherish our remarkable coastal landscapes.
Inspired by the CoastWatch Report
The CoastWatch report form is an online tool used by CoastWatch Volunteers to submit observations of their adopted mile on the Oregon coast. Schools and classrooms use the CoastWatch report form to complement classroom and outdoor learning and enhance curriculum. The form is divided into sections that characterize what our beaches look like at a space in time: weather conditions, human activity, shoreline wildlife, physical changes, and photos. A narrative summary is the last part of the report. Reports are then published and available for the public to read and discover.
The CoastWatch in Schools program connects students to academic and essential life skills, such as asking questions, defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, designing solutions, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.
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Winter: Coastal Conditions
Our coast is an energetic place, full of driving forces, both human and natural, that shape dunes, beaches, cliffs, and small creeks and rivers that meet the sea. Winter is a time to witness the power of the ocean on our coastal beaches and to imagine the impacts of sea level rise through seasonal tidal fluctuations. The Oregon King Tides Project asks students to analyze photos from their neighborhoods and communities and to visit these places, taking their own photos to document king tides before, during, and after. Participating in the Oregon King Tides Project teaches digital literacy skills, data management, science literacy, and helps students explore stability and change in the natural world.
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Spring: Human Activity
The effects of humans on the environment are particularly easy to observe on our ocean’s shores. The degree to which marine debris has escalated is nearly impossible to comprehend. Winter’s waves carve out steep dunes which have been storing ocean trash, and carry away sand covering all sizes of marine litter. Spring cleanups are one way to teach about this issue, with boots on the ground bringing students face to face with a global problem. This challenge inspires critical thinking about problem-solving, resulting in collaboration with community partners and producers. Studying marine debris helps students use mathematic and computational thinking, examine cause and effect, and explore the influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and the natural world.
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Summer: Shoreline Wildlife
The Pacific coast in the summertime is a place to witness the epic migrations of marine mammals and birds, whose patterns are changing due to massive shifts in water temperatures, water currents, and air quality. Some shorebirds and seabirds stay year-round, watched closely by volunteers. Sharks and other fish sometimes wash ashore, giving a glimpse of sea life. Colorful rocky habitats are alive with algae, kelps, and invertebrates like mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, and worms. Dune grasses catch sand and grow taller dunes. Observing and monitoring wildlife teaches us about change over time, creating a record to study. It connects students to mathematics, scientific literacy, problem-solving, and the development and use of models to explore concepts like cause and effect or structure and function.
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Fall: Physical Changes
The Oregon coast is an edge, a place where land meets the sea, and it is a dynamic mix of natural and human-built environments, including sea walls, jetties, and bays. Extreme low tides in the summer are fleeting, and autumn in Oregon represents a return to wetter weather and stormier seas. Coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion are important and interesting concepts to explore. The causes of the wearing away of sandy beaches are observable in near real-time. They can help students understand systems and system models, cause and effect, and the influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and the natural world.
Winter: Exploring the King Tides
Investigating Sea Level Rise
Students are guided through the use of NOAA data (sea level and tide data from NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services) to understand how scientists monitor sea levels to determine the effect of sea level changes on coastal communities. The module offers lessons at five different levels, beginning with basic graph interpretation (Levels 1 & 2) and building towards activities that challenge students to ask questions and develop their own data investigations (Levels 4 & 5).
Standards supported include:
- MS-ESS3-2: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects. Students build towards aspects of this standard by using NOAA tide data to analyze the effect of storms on coastal sea levels.
- MS-MS-ESS2-4: Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity. Students access and analyze NOAA data tools (data being used as a basis for models) to identify and explain changes in sea level resulting from winds and tides.
Grade Level: 6-8
King Tides Science Journal
Students will analyze photos taken for the Oregon King Tides Project in order to learn about king tides and make a prediction of king tide event impacts and potential sea level rise at a particular location. A follow-up field visit to locations on a non-king tides day would greatly enhance this lesson. It may also be possible to view on a webcam to revisit their prediction.
Standards supported include:
- ESS1: Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
- K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions
- ESS2.D: Weather and Climate Weather is the combination of sunlight, wind, snow or rain, and temperature in a particular region at a particular time. People measure these conditions to describe and record the weather and to notice patterns over time. to describe patterns over time.
- K-ESS3-2. Ask questions to obtain scientific information about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather.
Lesson plan and resources coming in January!
Grade Level: k-5
Stay tuned for…
Spring: Investigating Marine Debris
In the spring, students will dive into the pressing issue of marine debris, learning about its sources, impacts, and potential solutions. Through interactive lessons and activities, they will analyze the types of debris found on beaches and how human behavior contributes to this problem. Students will also explore the ecological consequences of marine debris on wildlife and ecosystems, gaining a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of coastal environments.
Hands-on projects will empower students to act against marine debris in their communities. Whether through beach cleanups, creating educational campaigns, or designing innovative ways to reduce plastic use, students will apply what they’ve learned to real-world challenges. By collaborating with local community partners, they will see firsthand how collective efforts can protect and restore Oregon’s coastlines.
Lessons are coming in Spring 2025!
Summer: Plants, Animals, and Seaweeds
In the summer, students will explore the diverse plants and animals that call Oregon’s coast home. Lessons will focus on shoreline wildlife, introducing students to species that inhabit dunes, beaches, tidepools, and nearshore waters. They will learn about these organisms’ roles in coastal ecosystems and how environmental factors like tides, currents, and human activity influence their habitats. Activities such as guided field observations and wildlife identification will give students a close-up look at the rich biodiversity along the shoreline.
Students will gain insight into ongoing conservation efforts to protect coastal species through collaboration with local experts and organizations. They will be exposed to citizen science projects, such as monitoring populations of shorebirds or documenting intertidal life, to contribute to larger research initiatives. These lessons will deepen their connection to Oregon’s natural heritage and inspire them to become advocates for coastal wildlife and their habitats.
Lessons are coming in Summer 2025!
Fall: Engineering for a Changing Coast
Students will investigate the physical changes shaping Oregon’s coastline, such as erosion, sediment movement, and the impact of extreme weather events. Lessons will include hands-on engineering challenges where students design and test solutions to mitigate coastal erosion, connecting them to real-world applications of Earth and environmental science. Students will better understand how natural forces and human activities interact to shape the dynamic coastal landscape by analyzing coastal features and processes through observations and models.
Students will engage in scientific practices such as analyzing and interpreting data and designing solutions to minimize human impacts on Earth systems. Through inquiry-based learning, they will connect physical changes on the coast to broader concepts in Earth science, such as systems thinking and the impact of natural hazards. This approach encourages students to explore sustainable solutions for protecting Oregon’s coastline while meeting key educational benchmarks and exposing them to potential career paths.
Lessons are coming in Fall 2025!
