New
New
Year 6

Protecting the land

I can name and describe different types of coastal protection and discuss their effectiveness.

New
New
Year 6

Protecting the land

I can name and describe different types of coastal protection and discuss their effectiveness.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Some people living on the coast are at risk of losing their homes because of coastal erosion.
  2. Coastlines can be protected via hard or soft engineering techniques including sea walls, groynes and beach nourishment.
  3. There are many points of view to consider when deciding whether installing coastal defences is cost-effective.

Keywords

  • Static - Something that is static does not move or change

  • Flood - A flood is when there is too much water in a waterway, such as a river, and it overflows onto land that is normally dry

  • Energy - Energy is the power used to make things work, for example to provide heat or light or to operate machinery

Common misconception

An idea that protecting the land is always the right decision.

Sometimes protecting one stretch of coastline can have negative consequences for the coastline nearby. It may become sediment starved or impacted by higher energy waves.

Build a coastline of sand in a tray and add water. Make a ‘house’ from building blocks or modelling materials and sit it on top of the coastline. Protect your stretch of coastline by constructing ‘sea defences’ using blocks, lolly sticks, etc. Experiment with different designs and materials.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Trays, sand and water. Construction materials, e.g. Lego, lolly sticks, stones, clay, plastic unit cubes, cardboard, etc.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Waves approach the coast at an angle because of
the sun
Correct answer: the direction of prevailing wind
the gravitational pull of the moon
Q2.
Longshore drift is...
Correct answer: sediment carried or transported by waves along the coastline
the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away
when sand, mud and rocks are dropped by the water carrying them
Q3.
The backwash carries sediment back down the slope of the beach because of...
Correct Answer: gravity
Q4.
Order the stages of longshore drift.
1 - Waves approach the coast at an angle because of the direction of prevailing wind
2 - The swash will carry the sediment towards the beach at an angle.
3 - The backwash carries sediment back down the beach because of gravity.
4 - The process repeats itself along the coast in a zigzag movement.
Q5.
When water loses its energy, any sediment it is carrying is...
eroded
transported
Correct answer: deposited
Q6.
Which three of these coastal features was created by the process of deposition?
stack
Correct answer: spit
arch
Correct answer: tomblo
Correct answer: bar

6 Questions

Q1.
A is when there is too much water in a waterway, such as a river, and it overflows onto land that is normally dry.
Correct Answer: flood
Q2.
The UK coastline is...
static.
always the same.
Correct answer: always changing.
Q3.
Why are the cliffs at Happisburgh easy to erode?
Correct answer: They are made of sands, silts and clay.
They are made of stone and clay.
They are six to ten metres tall.
Q4.
engineering solutions are usually designed to act as a barrier between the sea and the land.
Correct Answer: hard
Q5.
A fence-like framework built at a right angle to the shore. They help hold sand on the beach, instead of drifting away.
Correct answer: groyne is
sea wall is
gabions are
Q6.
Which of these are soft engineering coastal defence strategies?
sea wall
Correct answer: beach nourishment
Correct answer: beach reprofiling
rip rap