Use Real Data to Graph Topographic Changes

Barrier Island Monitoring
Graph Topographic Changes
Overview
Students will learn about
topographical transect
monitoring techniques along
barrier islands.
Objectives
Students will use Assateague Island topographical transect data from
1996, 2004, and 2010, to plot three graphs and compare them to see
how the topography changes across the island from the bay to the
ocean.
National Science Education Standards
Grade Level
6th - 12th
Materials
• colored pencils
• ruler
• graph paper
• lined paper
Time Required
45 minutes
Standard A: Science as Inquiry
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry
Standard E: Science as Technology
• Understandings about science and technology
Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
• Natural resources
Procedure
1. Have students work in groups of two, and use a pencil and blank
graph paper to plot the data points represented in Tables 1 - 3. You can
print off the blank graph page for students if you do not want them to
set up the scales by themselves.
2. Afterwards, students should share their graph with the class. Once
the first graph is done, have students continue plotting the second
and third set of data points.
3. Students will then compare the three plots to see the change over
time. Instruct students to name which physical features of the island
are seen on the graph as they would be moving from bay to ocean.
Discussion
What is a topographical profile?
Why do park rangers and other scientists conduct them?
What is your favorite beach and why? What are the key elements to an
enjoyable day at the beach? How would sea-level rise, at your favorite
beach, change what kind of activities you can enjoy?
Students will share their graphs of a topographic profile and
discussion questions with the class in a short presentation.
National Park Service
www.nps.gov
Integration & Application Network (IAN)
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
www.ian.umces.edu
www.ian.umces.edu/learn/education_modules/barrier_islands_and_sea_level_rise/
Barrier Island Monitoring: Graph Topographic Changes
Student Worksheet
All good scientists know how to graph, but it takes some practice. Not all graphs need to start at zero! The
lowest and highest distance values will be your range for setting up the graph. So your x-axis will range from
140 to 440, and your y-axis from 0 to 7. Setting up the graph is the hard part of the assignment so use a pencil.
Make sure you label your graph.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Maryland and Virginia
ASIS: Topographic Profile Locations
PP
PP P PPPP PPP
P PP
PP PPP
Ocean
City
P
PPP P
PPP PPPP PPPP
P
P
PP
Berlin
PPP
PPP P
PPP PPPPP PP
PP
Snow Hill
PPP
The Transect Topographical
Profile data came from here
ag
u
e
PPP P P
PP
X
P
PPP
P
PP P
Ch
in
co
te
Transect Data
PP
P PP
P
PP
PP
PPP
The black lines on this map
are transects across the island
from bayside to oceanside.
P
PP
PP
PPP
PP
Each data point is like a point on a
graph, it has a distance and an
elevation. This set of data was
collected in the Fall of 1996. (150,
0.92) is the first data point and
represents a 150 meter distance
from the bay as the transect is
walked towards the Atlantic
Ocean, and 0.92 meters high in
elevation, from a set starting
point. The red arrow points to the
transect on Assateague where the
data was collected.
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
0
1 Kilometers
0
1 Miles
Produced by Assateague Island National Seashore, Resource Management, GIS
±
July 2011
Table 1: 1996 (Sept) Data Points
Make three separate graphs. Plot the 1996 data
set first and see how the elevation changes
across the island. Use a green color pencil.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Distance
in meters
Elevation
in meters
150
158
167
176
185
192
201
209
217
224
232
239
247
254
263
272
275
281
290
.92
.88
.86
1.7
1.2
1.4
1.1
1.5
1.0
1.0
1.1
.89
.89
1.2
1.9
1.3
2.9
1.2
1.3
www.ian.umces.edu/learn/education_modules/barrier_islands_and_sea_level_rise/
Distance
in meters
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
32
298
306
314
323
332
340
345
353
360
367
374
382
391
399
408
417
424
432
439
Elevation
in meters
1.3
1.8
1.8
2.4
3.3
4.9
3.8
3.2
2.8
6.1
2.5
2.4
2.3
2.1
1.7
1.6
1.6
.84
.17
Barrier Island Monitoring: Graph Topographic Changes
Student Worksheet
Plot the 2004 data in blue and the 2010 data in red.
Discussion
Would you expect the elevation of Assateague Island to remain exactly the same from 1996 to 2004? If there
are changes on the island, where do you think they would or would not occur?
Compare the elevation profiles for the different years - Does the island seem to change its topography over
the years?
What natural processes cause the island to change its elevation?
Table 2: 2004 (Oct) Data Points
Distance
in meters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
152
162
172
173
176
178
182
186
188
190
192
195
197
202
207
212
222
232
242
252
255
257
257
257
259
262
272
279
282
292
302
312
Elevation
in meters
.90
.89
1.0
1.3
1.7
1.5
1.1
1.3
1.3
1.7
1.4
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.4
1.3
.95
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.5
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.7
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.6
1.4
1.7
2.0
Distance
in meters
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
322
332
342
352
360
361
361
362
362
362
362
362
363
363
364
365
366
366
367
367
368
369
370
371
372
382
390
392
397
399
402
404
Table 3: 2010 (Oct) Data Points
Distance
in meters
Elevation
in meters
2.1
2.9
3.9
3.3
2.6
2.8
3.7
4.0
4.2
4.5
4.7
4.8
4.7
4.4
4.7
5.5
5.8
5.9
5.7
4.6
4.3
3.7
3.2
2.8
2.7
2.6
2.6
2.4
1.8
1.4
.95
.66
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
192
197
202
208
212
222
232
242
252
257
259
267
272
282
292
302
312
320
322
332
342
352
360
362
365
www.ian.umces.edu/learn/education_modules/barrier_islands_and_sea_level_rise/
Elevation
in meters
1.4
1.3
1.5
2.0
1.8
1.5
1.8
1.6
1.7
2.5
2.2
2.4
2.2
2.0
1.6
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.3
2.5
2.1
2.2
2.6
3.1
3.0
Distance
in meters
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
372
382
392
402
402
412
422
422
432
432
433
434
Elevation
in meters
2.4
2.3
2.3
2.4
2.4
1.8
1.2
1.3
.30
.31
.16
.16
Barrier Island Monitoring: Graph Topographic Changes
Teacher Notes and Completed Graphs
Height (meters)
Use this page to see if students completed the data plot graph correctly. You can also provide
students with the blank graph pages that already have units listed in the correct scale.
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Elevation - 1996
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
400
450
500
400
450
500
Height (meters)
Distance from bayside (meters)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Elevation - 2004
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Height (meters)
Distance from bayside (meters)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Elevation - 2010
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Distance from bayside (meters)
www.ian.umces.edu/learn/education_modules/barrier_islands_and_sea_level_rise/
Barrier Island Monitoring: Graph Topographic Changes
Student Worksheet
Height (meters)
Name:________________________
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Period:_____________
Elevation - 1996
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
400
450
500
400
450
500
Height (meters)
Distance from bayside (meters)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Elevation - 2004
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Height (meters)
Distance from bayside (meters)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Elevation - 2010
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Distance from bayside (meters)
www.ian.umces.edu/learn/education_modules/barrier_islands_and_sea_level_rise/