HISTORY OF A SALT MARSH: CORES AND INTERPRETATIONS FROM THE MAINE COAST

Sixth-, eighth-, and tenth-grade classes from Bucksport, ME, undertook an integrated field-classroom study of a salt marsh. The conceptual goals of this project were to (1) introduce field-based research, (2) develop the concept of environmental change, (3) relate modern processes to past environments, and (4) understand how the past can be used to predict the future. In the field, students mapped different vegetation zones, identified plants, and collected marsh cores up to three meters long. In the classroom, students formalized their scaled maps, described and interpreted the cores, developed an interpretive cross-section of the marsh, and prepared a report. Ancillary activities addressed the causes and consequences of sea-level change, controls on salt marsh vegetation, and the relationship between humans and the environment. Although all grades had initial difficulty with the new concepts of geologic time and the relationship between past and present environments, by the end of the eight-week project, most students demonstrated a solid grasp of the basic goals and results. In addition to learning scientific concepts, students developed skills in classification, mapping and scales, observation, long-term data management, relating space and time, and report preparation.