Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection

Focus Questions

• What is one imaginative, but untrue, theory about how Carolina bays formed?
• Describe an ephemeral wetland. Why do some species, like the spotted salamander, depend on ephemeral wetlands?
• List two reasons why prescribed fire is important for Carolina bays.
• What wetland benefits are described as motivators for the creation of an artificial Carolina bay in Conway, South Carolina?

Standards

K

K-ESS2-2. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

K-ESS3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

K-ESS3-3. Obtain and communicate information to define problems related to human impact on the local environment.

1

1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

2

2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare patterns of diversity within different habitats.

2-ESS2-2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

2-ESS3-1. Design solutions to address human impacts on natural resources in the local environment.

3

3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can thrive, struggle to survive, or fail to survive.

3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the effectiveness of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and affects organisms living there.

4

4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.

5

5-ESS3-1. Evaluate potential solutions to problems that individual communities face in protecting the Earth’s resources and environment.

6

6-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

7

7-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

7-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

7-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

8

8-LS1-4. Use arguments, based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning, to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

Biology

B-LS2-6. Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

B-LS4-6. Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.

Earth Science

E-ESS2-5. Investigate the ways that water (given its unique physical and chemical properties) impacts various Earth systems.

Lesson Links and Educational Resources

This issue of Coastal Heritage focuses on Carolina bays and their importance as wetland ecosystems. The following lesson links and educational resources expand on these subjects in order of appearance in this issue.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey: Carolina Bays

Explore more about Carolina bays from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Geologic survey! Their online resource about Carolina bays provides details on their formation and includes in-depth geologic maps of these wetlands.   (4 – 12)

South Carolina Wildlife Federation: Carolina Bays Tour with Austin Jenkins

Take a 30-minute virtual tour of Carolina bay during its wet season with this issue’s featured naturalist, Austin Jenkins. Jenkins leads viewers through Savage Bay as he describes notable species and their adaptations. After exploring this ecosystem, Jenkins explains and debunks the various theories of the formation of these wetlands. (7 – 12)

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: Carolina Bays Fact Sheet

This Carolina bay fact sheet from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory provides an overview of Carolina bays including wildlife, plants, ecological importance, and more. ( 4 – 12)

PBS Learning Media: Carnivorous Plants of Cartwheel Bay Heritage Preserve

Join the late naturalist Rudy Mancke on a four-and-a-half minute tour of carnivorous plants of a Carolina bay! Mancke points out the unique adaptations that Venus fly traps and several species of pitcher plants must have to survive in this ecosystem. (3 – 8)

Field Trip Opportunities

Friends of Coastal South Carolina

Friends of Coastal South Carolina offer several educational programs in the Francis Marion National Forest ranging from carnivorous plants of the Carolina bays to freshwater wetlands.  For more information and a full list of programs offered, check out the Friends of Coastal South Carolina environmental education page. (K – 12)

South Carolina Wildlife Federation: State-wide Educational Programs

The South Carolina  Wildlife Federation offers in-person education programs. Visit their website for more information! Please note that program requests must be sent at least 8 weeks before the program date. (K – 12)

Caw Caw Interpretive Center

Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission’s (CCPRC) Caw Caw Interpretive Center provides school programming designed to explore wetland habitats, including swamps, marshes,  and other wetlands. Visit the CCPRC website to request a program. (K – 12)