Living By The Coast_SS503

​Arriving at the Coast

By Heba Di Giacomo

When you reach the coast, the land feels different from anything you’ve known. You are not sure if this change is scary or exciting. The sand shifts under your feet. There is no tall grass, no trees, no caves. You have no where to hide.

The wind blows hard, and the waves crash in steady, powerful rhythms. Everything moves: the water in front of you, the sand under your feet, the air surrounding you.

There is plenty of ocean water, but none of it is drinkable. Driftwood and seaweed lie scattered along the beach, but you don’t know yet if they can help you survive.

There is a lot to learn here, for sure. You can sense a big adventure ahead.

Open Ended

 What is your first move on the coast? Do you stay near the shore, move inland, or observe before deciding?
Explain your choice and your first survival priority in this new environment.

The Tide Changes Everything

On the first morning, the water pulls far away from shore. Tide pools appear and they are full of crabs, mussels, fish, and seaweed. Food is so readily available that you can hardly believe your eyes. Sure, there is no where for you to hide, but no where for your food to hide either.

A few hours later, the ocean returns, swallowing everything you were just standing on. The ground underneath you is changing. How can you find stability with your family when everything around you is changing?

Open Ended

How will you gather food safely during low tide?
Will you work quickly, build markers to track the tide, or avoid tide pools until you understand them? Explain your thinking.

Build a Home

Shelter is harder to build here than anywhere else you’ve lived.

• The sand is loose and can’t hold heavy structures.

• The wind is strong and changes directions.

• The salty air wears down anything that isn’t sturdy.

  There are no tall trees, no thick branches, and no caves. You must use what the coast gives you. You look around for materials: driftwood washed up from storms, long grasses that grow near the dunes, seaweed that dries into tough fibers, smooth stones worn by the waves. How many pebbles and twigs will you need to build a home for your family?

Open Ended

How will you build a shelter by the coast?
What materials can you use? Driftwood, grasses, seaweed fibers, stones, something else?
Explain why these materials will help protect you from wind, tides, and storms.

Storms on the Coast

Clouds gather fast over the ocean. The sky darkens. Wind becomes stronger and colder. Waves grow taller, hitting the shore with force that rattles your bones. Rain arrives sideways, and the sea becomes rough and loud. But after the storm passes, you discover that the stormy waves brought you a little treasure of large tree branches and leaves. What will you do with this gift from the ocean?

Open Ended

How will you respond to coastal storms?
Will you stay close for the rewards, move inland for safety, or build stronger shelters? Explain your decision.

Survival Tools

The ocean offers food, but catching it requires skill and the saltwater destroyed your tools. You have to build new ones. You notice that birds dive for fish, and seals hunt with speed underwater. You realize you will need new tools: nets, hooks, baskets, or even simple rafts. Every tool must be strong enough to survive the ocean. Every tool must be made from materials around you. Shells, twigs, rocks, pebbles, and kelp or seaweed.

Open Ended

Which tools will your family focus on building?

Nets, traps, or boats?
Explain how the coast’s challenges influenced your decision.

Danger Beneath the Water

The shallow water feels safe at first, but when you try to catch fish, you find that it is tricky. The sand shifts under your feet, the waves push you unexpectedly and some areas drop off suddenly into deep water. It is not as easy as it looks. You also notice big fish in deeper waters. Should you spend your time mastering of the skill of shallow water fishing, or venture into the depths of the ocean aiming for the big catch?

Open Ended

How far into the water will you go to fish?
Will you stay in the shallows for safety, risk deeper areas, or divide your group?
Explain how water danger affects your choice.

The Choice: Life by the Sea

You’ve learned the rhythm of the tides. You’ve built nets and shelters. You understand storms and have found reliable food sources. The coast is full of danger, but also full of life and opportunity. You stand on the shoreline and feel the sea breeze against your face. It is time to decide whether this place can be your forever home.

Open Ended

Would you choose to stay by the sea forever?
Explain your decision using the real challenges and real benefits you experienced here.