Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit explores how coastal landscapes form and change. Pupils learn about erosion, habitats and human activity at the coast, and investigate how coastal environments are used, protected and managed in the face of ongoing change.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use geographical vocabulary to describe coastal processes.

Key Notes

• Coastal communities at risk are deeply affected by changes caused by erosion, flooding or sea level rise.
• The sea transports sediment such as mud, sand and stones: these can create coastal patterns of erosion and deposition.
• Sediment patterns on beaches reflect wave energy and wind direction.

Vocabulary To Learn

• sediment: Sediment is material that is moved by water or air and settles in another place.
• erosion: Erosion is the process of Earth's surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site.
• deposition: Deposition is when sand, mud and rocks are dropped by the river.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Children may believe prevailing wind is the direction of wind on any particular day.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Coastal erosion Study Guide
• Coastal habitats and ecosystems Study Guide
• Coasts and the future Study Guide
• Coasts and tourism Study Guide
• Mapping the coast Study Guide
• Protecting the land Study Guide
• The coast of the UK Study Guide