Coastal fieldwork
I can collect primary and secondary data at the coast to help me answer a geographical enquiry question.
Coastal fieldwork
I can collect primary and secondary data at the coast to help me answer a geographical enquiry question.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- There are many geographical enquiry questions that you can investigate at the coast.
- Data collection techniques at the coast look at beach and wave morphology and coastal management.
- Secondary data can provide contextual information about particular coastlines and comparable data.
Keywords
Coastal morphology - the physical shape and size of a beach, a cliff, waves and beach sediment
Transect - an imaginary line along which samples of data are collected
Ranging pole - a metal pole (traditionally red and white striped) that is used to mark a point in a survey
Clinometer - a hand-held device used to measure the gradient of a slope
Quadrat - a square frame used at ground level to show the limits of a sample area
Common misconception
Enquiries that focus on coastal management have to discuss effectiveness.
While many coastal enquiries focus on how effective management strategies are, the concept of effectiveness is far broader. Enquiries could study how coastal defences look, if they prevent access to the beach, or how sustainable it is to build them.
Equipment
Clinometer, ranging poles.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - outdoor learning
Supervision
Adult supervision required