Fourth Graders Learn About Erosion

Fourth grader’s in Peck Lower School Science & Design Teacher Kathy Kennedy’s class learned about the detrimental effects of erosion in a place close to home, our beloved Jersey shore.

The effects of erosion on New Jersey beaches are eating away at our shores, reducing the size of beaches. So what can Peck fourth graders do to help preserve the habitats of New Jersey’s native species and our closest vacation spots?

In class, Kennedy challenged students to brainstorm and design ways to reduce erosion and then come together in small groups to build protective barriers from classroom materials for replica beaches in plastic containers.

“To see if our structures are working, first we measured our beach's height and length before we started making waves. We measured them again after making waves, and if the beach was lower and wider, then we knew we had to rebuild something better,” said Matías A. ’28.

In order to take their ideas a step further, in an effort to make real change and protect New Jersey beaches, students wrote letters to Jersey Shore Emergency Management Officers, offering suggestions on how to better preserve what is left of our shores.