To learn more about the educational programs listed, call 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 4740, (979) 863-2603 or email matagordabay@lcra.org. (Most outdoor programs can be scheduled ahead to suit the needs of your class, youth group or organization.)
Educational Programs
All education programs are grade-level appropriate and support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) objectives.
Adaptations of Reptiles, Amphibians and Bony Fish (Elementary, Intermediate)
In this activity, students interact with live specimens of reptiles, amphibians and bony fish in Matagorda County to identify anatomical adaptations and to discover the extent of the organisms’ dependency on freshwater. This comparative study is a fact-finding adventure that leads students to think about their actions as part of the environment.
A Slice of the Watershed (Elementary, Intermediate)
Historically, watersheds and river basins have determined where people live and work. Texas droughts and floods have taught us that water management is vital for reliable water supplies to municipalities, agriculture and industries. In this activity, students will build a surface water and groundwater model and then apply water systems concepts.
Salt Marsh Munchers (Elementary, Intermediate)
Texas wetlands serve as nursery grounds for more than 95 percent of the recreational and commercial fish species and a third of the threatened and endangered fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. In this activity, students analyze and define wetland characteristics, identify the roles of the biotic and abiotic components of a salt marsh and investigate how organisms adapt to life in this unique environment. Students will discover why it is important to protect the wetlands.
Water Coursing Through History (Elementary, Intermediate)
Because water is important to all members of a community, as demands for this finite resource grow the need to conserve and manage supplies also grows. In this activity, students simulate changes in a watershed over several time periods. In each round, the students represent different water users whose demands exceed the resource. This program encourages students to practice math skills, evaluate scientific thoughts and social behavior and discuss environmental concerns in their own hometowns.
Ride the Electric Wave (Elementary, Intermediate)
The Lower Colorado River Authority provides Texans with energy generated from various sources. Learn how energy is created through hydroelectric,solar and wind generation. Students learn the forms of energy, how to identify renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and compare methods of energy transformation devices.
Trapped in Chains and Webs (Elementary, Intermediate)
Every living creature is unique but tied to each other by food chains and food webs. Students will learn about producers, consumers and decomposers and how man affects this delicate balance. Students also will learn about habitat zones and discover why it is necessary for us to protect and conserve all elements of the environment.
A Class of Their Own (Elementary, Intermediate)
The varieties of Earth’s living organisms are the result of adaptation. Students use the taxonomic classification system of living organisms to examine different phylum. This program gives students a chance to observe organisms up close and compare their anatomical adaptations, unique behaviors and habitat requirements.
Sand and Sediments of the Matagorda Bay Area (Elementary, Intermediate)
The sands and sediments found along the Texas Coast have a story to tell. In this activity, students will determine agents of erosion and deposition using shape, sorting and size information. Students will infer about the region’s geological history, marine life and variations in flow patterns of water currents.
Shelling Out Fun (Elementary, Intermediate)
Finding shells on the beach is a fun activity for all ages. Scientifically identifying shells involves the process of sorting and classifying. This process groups organisms which share physical characteristics, then separates organisms based on their unique physical characteristics. Students will gather, sort, create and use a dichotomous key to classify shells found on the beach.
Defining Laws of Motion (Middle School)
Students experience Newton’s Laws of Motion and investigate the scientific definition of work while performing specific kayak maneuvers while kayaking on Matagorda Bay. In this activity, paired students work with a facilitator to complete actions designed to clarify force, motion and work while using a wedge and lever and experiencing the waters that need to be cared for in Matagorda County. Liability waivers required.
Seasons and the Solar System (Middle School)
Students actively discover what happens as a result of the cosmic intersection that occurs between Earth and the sun. In doing so, students review the difference between revolutions and rotations and the importance of the tilt of the Earth on an imaginary axis. These and other cosmic concepts are brought to light in this activity.
Investigating Solar Radiation (Middle School)
Heat energy from the sun passes through space before it passes through Earth’s atmosphere to warm its surface. The energy is radiated. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through space by electromagnetic waves. In this activity, students collect, analyze and record information to explain a phenomenon by using tools including thermometers, field equipment and computer probes. Students apply scientific applications to socio-economic aspects associated with protection and exposure to solar radiation. This activity emphasizes sun-safe behaviors.
A Sea of Green, Brown and Red – Plant Life on the Coast (Middle School)
Plants, moving? Primary producers in the marine environment are single-celled floaters better known as phytoplankton. This program investigates aquatic and terrestrial plant life and examines the special adaptations needed to survive in the marine environment. Students will compare/contrast the variety of plant life and algae that thrive at the coast and determine why it is important to protect these members of the environment.
Oyster Reef Community and Water Quality (Middle and High School)
A Matagorda Bay oyster reef community is an ecosystem in and of itself. Interactions between freshwater inflow from the Colorado River and saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico are interwoven with other biotic and abiotic factors to produce a healthy or not so-healthy oyster reef community. In this activity students examine water quality parameters to infer health conditions and needs of an oyster reef community. Students also will identify organisms’ responses to external stimuli.
Estuary Investigation (Middle and High School)
Life for a vast array of aquatic organisms starts where saltwater and freshwater mingle. This brackish habitat is the nursery or first home for fish, crab, shrimp, oysters and other marine organisms. Degrees of salinity determine where marine organisms breed and live. Participants investigate saltwater/freshwater interaction, determine salinity levels at several locations using various tools to collect, examine and then release estuary organisms.
GPS on the Trail (Middle and High School)
Learn how to use a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit and apply what you learn while kayaking in East Matagorda Bay or walking along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico. This far-reaching technology has numerous applications. Students will use the GPS units to collect and plot data. Information collected from this tool will be a reference source for the final analysis of the activity. This technology is used in the Coastal Investigation Program, Nature Scavenger Hunt and Beach Dunes Monitoring Project.
Dune Defense and Beach Processes (Middle and High School)
Dunes are valued as the first line of defense against powerful ocean waves. To understand dunes and the importance of dune conservation, one must understand beach processes. Using appropriate tools and skills, this activity highlights shoreline slope, wave formation, wind direction and other beach processes which create the intricate relationship between dunes and beach.
Naturally Changing – Erosional Deposition at the Coast (Middle and High School)
Natural processes are constantly changing and shaping the coastal regions. Elevation and climate affect the rate of change that occurs as rivers deliver sediment to the Texas beaches. Beaches are the accumulation of sediment found along the landward margin of the ocean. No matter what the beach composition, the material does not stay in one place. In this activity, students will work with stream tables, various substrates and other agents of erosion and deposition to examine the changing nature of streams, rivers, beaches and other depositional features.
For more information or to book your school or youth group, call (979) 863-2603 or email matagordabay@lcra.org.
