Protecting the land
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can name and describe different types of coastal protection and discuss their effectiveness.
Key learning points
- Some people living on the coast are at risk of losing their homes because of coastal erosion.
- Coastlines can be protected via hard or soft engineering techniques including sea walls, groynes and beach nourishment.
- 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.
Teacher tip
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.
Equipment
Trays, sand and water. Construction materials, e.g. Lego, lolly sticks, stones, clay, plastic unit cubes, cardboard, etc.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Waves approach the coast at an angle because of
Q2.Longshore drift is...
Q3.The backwash carries sediment back down the slope of the beach because of...
Q4.Order the stages of longshore drift.
Q5.When water loses its energy, any sediment it is carrying is...
Q6.Which three of these coastal features was created by the process of deposition?
Assessment exit quiz
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.
Q2.The UK coastline is...
Q3.Why are the cliffs at Happisburgh easy to erode?
Q4. engineering solutions are usually designed to act as a barrier between the sea and the land.
Q5.A fence-like framework built at a right angle to the shore. They help hold sand on the beach, instead of drifting away.
Q6.Which of these are soft engineering coastal defence strategies?
To help you plan your 6 geography lesson on: Protecting the land, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 geography lesson on: Protecting the land, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 geography lessons from the Coasts: what happens where the land meets the sea? unit, dive into the full primary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.