Coastal fieldwork
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can collect primary and secondary data at the coast to help me answer a geographical enquiry question.
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.
Teacher tip
It is important to remind students that beaches and waves change their size and shape constantly. This means that any data collected is a representation of these features at that particular time rather than how they appear every day.
Equipment
Clinometer, ranging poles.
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - outdoor learning
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is reliable data?
Q2.Geographers should always look at the and moral impacts of their enquiry.
Q3.Which of the following should not be mentioned in an evaluation?
Q4.A field sketch is a good way of recording and presenting __________ data.
Q5.Which of these is not an example of secondary data?
Q6.Which dimension that is measured in physical geography enquiries, is missing from the following list? Depth, length, width, height and .
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is a clinometer?
Q2.'How has the new sea wall affected how people use the beach?' This is an enquiry question focusing on coastal .
Q3.Sort these stages of measuring the angle of a beach into the correct order.
Q4.If a geographer wants to study the effectiveness of a groyne, they can measure from the of the groyne to the top of the beach sediment on either side of the groyne.
To help you plan your 11 geography lesson on: Coastal fieldwork, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 geography lesson on: Coastal fieldwork, 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 4 geography lessons from the Fieldwork unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.