TEACHER RESOURCES

 Knowledge is Power!

Louisiana’s coast is one of the most dynamic and interesting coasts in the world. This coastal zone is home to thousands of animal and plant species, as well as human communities and vast industrial holdings. But for all their bounty, the wetlands are disappearing at an alarmingly high rate. Every 38 minutes, a football field sized parcel of Louisiana's wetlands is taken over by water. The recent oil spill has become an addition to Louisiana’s coastal problems and action must be taken now to conserve, preserve and protect America’s southern coast. With so much going on, there is much to learn and be made aware of.  Below, teachers and students will find a plethora of information with the goal to both inform and inspire knowledge and action in the youth of Louisiana, the United States of America, and internationally. Links for educational resources from other active coastal and state sites are located at the very bottom of the page.

    
                  Click on the images above to view a flash video (courtesy of Times Picayune) on coastal land loss

Definitions:

Restoration - Returning ecosystems and habitats to their previous, or better conditions. Using human and natural resources to re-establish the natural working order in a wildlife and/or social community, like Louisiana's.

Conservation - The supervision of natural resourses, like rivers, forests, beaches and wetlands. Combining protection and restoration with the effort to preserve or save.

Protection - Coastal, Shore, and Sea. Measures aimed at protecting the coast against coastline retreat, storm surge and flooding, as well as habitats and ecosystems.

Coastline - This is the line that forms the boundary between the coast and the shore, or between land and water. This measurement is taken by counting the miles of coast that borders a large body of water, leaving out the the minute measurements that are depicted through the amount of shoreline. Louisiana has nearly 400 miles of coastline.

Shoreline - Not as easy to identify as the coastline, the shoreline depicts the intersection between the average high water line and the shore. This measurement is taken by counting the miles of shore along and intruding into the landmass, taking in to account every nook and cranny. In contrast to the amount of coastline miles, there is in fact 7,721 miles of shoreline in Louisiana, all of which border the Gulf of Mexico and the rivers and lakes that feed her.

NEW
Save the Wetlands Rap -
A big thanks from the CPRA to Mandeville Junior High, Students Damon Koukoutchos, Jannah Boudreaux, Riley Stephens, and Katy Crosby as well as their Social Studies teacher Mrs. Karen Griggs!! The four students mentioned above are responsible for writting the lyrics as well as providing the music for their project: A rap video about saving our coast and wetlands. Click here to view the video via YouTube.

        
(The map above is a representation of land loss in Louisiana from 1932 to 2050. Areas displayed in orange will be underwater by 2050 if we neglect to protect and restore our fragile coast)

 
Coastal PowerPoint Presentation Links:

Coastal Louisiana Background Presentation

Oil Spill Update Presentation

CPRA Media Relations & Public Outreach

Barrier Berm Project Update

LA Environmental Educators Presentation

                                              Kermit the Frog - Public Service Announcement
               Click on the image to listen to Kermit!  He loves to talk about Louisiana's coast!

Links to educational resources for Teachers, Students, & Kids:

K-12 Teacher Reasources from National Geographic

CWPPRA (Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act) Educational Resources

Education and Lesson Plans, Hosted by America's Wetland Foundation

GCOOS (The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System): Reasources for Formal & Informal Education

LRCE (Louisiana Resource for Educators): Attention Teachers!