Protecting the UK's coastline
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how different methods of hard and soft engineering protect the UK's coastline from erosion.
Key learning points
- Hard engineering is the building of fixed structures to slow down the waves and the rate of erosion.
- Soft engineering is working with nature to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion.
- Examples of hard engineering include groynes, sea walls and gabions.
- Examples of soft engineering include beach replenishment and dune stabilisation.
Keywords
Erosion - the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site
Cliff - a tall, vertical rock face
Wave - waves are the movements of energy across water
Beach - an area of land between low and storm tide marks made up of materials like sand, mud and stones
Common misconception
Students may think that coastal defences stop erosion entirely.
Coastal defences aim to protect the coastline from erosion, and can greatly reduce erosion but they can't stop it completely. Defences don't last forever, so eventually the power of the sea will regain strength in areas previously protected.
Teacher tip
You can demonstrate some coastal defences using small models and water. Take a thick piece of card representing a cliff, and another representing a sea wall. Stand them parallel in a watertight container and throw water at the sea wall. Which piece of card gets wettest and deteriorates quickest?
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The __________ is the boundary between the land and the sea or ocean.
Q2. is the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site.
Q3.Match these terms to their correct definition.
Q4.The UK’s coastline is shaped by natural processes of erosion, transportation and .
Q5.What could be done to protect the coastline from erosion?
Q6.Sometimes we need to protect areas of the coastline and reduce by slowing down waves that hit the coast.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1. engineering involves building fixed structures at the coast to reduce erosion and flooding.
Q2.Examples of hard engineering are:
Q3.How do groynes reduce erosion?
Q4.Some examples of soft engineering are:
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Protecting the UK's coastline, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Protecting the UK's coastline, 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 3 geography lessons from the Coasts: what shapes life at the coast? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.