The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the role climate, marine and sub-aerial processes play in coastal erosion.
Key learning points
- Climate (seasonality, storm frequency, prevailing winds) affects the rate of erosion along coastal landscapes.
- Marine processes (destructive waves) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
- Sub-aerial processes (mass movement, weathering) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
Keywords
Erosion - the wearing away of rocks along the coastline
Constructive wave - low-energy waves that result in the buildup of sediment along the coastline
Destructive wave - high-energy waves that result in the removal of sediment along the coastline
Weathering - the breaking down or dissolving of rocks through plants, animals and weather
Mass movement - downhill movement of sediment due to gravity
Common misconception
Swash is when a wave moves down the beach to the sea and backwash is when a wave moves up the beach from the sea.
The swash is the movement of the wave from the sea to the beach which brings sediment with it. Whereas the backwash is the movement of the wave from the beach to sea.
Teacher tip
GIS could be used in this lesson to overlay different data sets, such as historical maps, on current OS maps to explore rates of coastal erosion.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which answer correctly describes the difference between climate change and global warming?
Q2.Features found along discordant coastlines include and headlands.
Q3.Match the rock types to their correct characteristics.
Formed from cooled and solidified magma or lava.
Made from compacted layers of sediment over time.
Changed by heat and pressure from existing rocks.
Loose sediments like glacial till not yet cemented into rock.
Q4.Re-order the statements to explain the formation of a stump.
Q5.Identify the correct definition for swash and backwash.
Q6.What process does 'the wearing away of rocks along the coastline' describe?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What type of weathering is caused by plants and animals?
Q2.What erosion process does the statement 'rocks and sediment collide and break into smaller and smoother pieces' describe?
Q3.Match up the type of mass movement with its correct definition.
Soil and rock move down in a curved motion.
Sudden drop of loose materials down a slope.
Rocks and boulders become detached from steep slopes or cliffs.
Q4.What factors will determine the strength of a wave?
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion, 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 Coastal landscapes unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.