THE GRAND STRAND OF SOUTH CAROLINA: A UNIQUE TEACHING RESOURCE

The beaches along the Grand Strand of South Carolina are popular travel destinations for tourists from all over the eastern United States and as far away as Canada. Nearly every school age child in South Carolina has heard of Myrtle Beach and most have either been there personally or know a friend who has vacationed there. Recreational opportunities abound, both on and off the beach, and many of these activities are particularly popular with middle and high school students. For this reason, using the Grand Strand region as a geographic framework for a set of thematic interdisciplinary activities generates immediate interest and instant learning connections among South Carolina students.

Geologic and environmental themes dominate the Grand Strand landscape. The shoreline follows an ancient beach ridge that discourages the development of typical southeastern coastal features such as inlets, lagoons, and salt marsh which are so common along the rest of the South Carolina coast. The beach setting itself invites student inquiries into the daily and seasonal movement of sand grains and the environmental impact of beach renourishment projects. Noting the potential danger from rising sea level to popular entertainment attractions and structures leads naturally into an informed discussion of the predicted impact of climate change on such human activity. A geographic study of tourism and traffic patterns can be used to assess the relative dangers from point-source and non-point-source pollution. Activities referencing salt-water fishing activities and the emplacement of artificial reefs provide an important connection to offshore topography. Technologies such as side-scan sonar offer new ways of viewing shipwrecks and other underwater structures. All classroom activities tie to a set of maps, aerial photographs, and remotely sensed images that provide a unique spatial perspective to an otherwise familiar locality.