Systems in physical geography: Systems concepts and their application to the development of coastal landscapes: energy, stores/components, flows/transfers, positive/negative feedback, dynamic equilibrium. The concepts of landform and landscape and how related landforms combine to form characteristic landscapes. Labelling and annotation of diagrams. relationships. Identify, describe and explain common characteristics of systems including: boundaries inputs outputs flows. Understand systems that are classified as: isolated systems closed systems open systems. Understand systems as being in a state of dynamic equilibrium that includes: positive feedback negative feedback. Identify the four major subsystems of the earth: atmosphere lithosphere hydrosphere biosphere. Understand that these are interlinked as a ‘cascading system’. Coasts as natural systems Identify coastal environments as open systems. Identify the different elements of a coastal system, including: inputs components/stores transfers/flows ‘spheres’ are interlinked, then feedback and share ideas. Opportunity here for a research task for interconnections. Practice low tariff exam questions to assess learning – peer assessment opportunity. group discussion/Q&A to understand coasts as open systems. Construct and annotate a diagram to illustrate various elements of the coast as an open system. Paired/small group task to identify examples of positive and negative feedback in coastal landscapes. Students to draw and annotate a diagram showing an example of a positive or negative feedback in a coastal landscape. Once all students have illustrated one example of feedback at the there is the opportunity for individuals/small groups to research for others. Small group discussion to identify prior knowledge of coastal landforms. Discuss what represents a characteristic coastal landscape. (Specific landforms and landscapes are studied in detail later.)
Human intervention in coastal landscapes. Traditional approaches to coastal flood and erosion risk: hard and soft engineering. Sustainable approaches to coastal flood risk and coastal erosion management: shoreline coastal zone management. Use of key subject specific and technical terminology. Opportunity to conduct fieldwork to investigate the characteristics and effectiveness of different approaches to coastal management. Online research. Handling primary and secondary sources of data. Construct and interpret a of graphical and statistical techniques. To use a range of maps to identify different management approaches. Opportunity to assess different coastal management approaches, including activities such as analysis, Understand why people manage different coastlines in different ways. Identify and describe traditional approaches to coastal flood risk and coastal erosion, including: hard engineering – sea walls; rock armour/rip rap; gabions; revetments; groynes; cliff fixing; offshore reefs; barrages soft engineering – beach nourishment; dune regeneration; managed retreat; land-use management; ‘Do nothing’. Paired/small group discussion with feedback/snowballing to the group as a whole. Possible questions include: Why should people manage the coastline? Why might some stretches of coastline be managed differently? What techniques could be used to manage different coastlines? Having studied a range of hard and soft engineering strategies (this is well covered in textbooks and online resources), there is an opportunity to develop understanding and illustrate learning by completing a study of a local coastline This could involve fieldwork or be classroom based. Activities include: finding a map of the area mapping the extent of different management strategies employed describing each strategy explaining how each strategy protects the coast suggesting why each strategy has been used in each location If field data is collected, this could be analysed alongside information on costs and benefits. Reminder of the definition of ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’. As part of the previous exercises, or following them, comment on the sustainability of each of the approaches studied. Opportunity to research sustainable approaches to coastal flood and erosion management in the Coastal management, and hard and soft engineering approaches are topics that are well resourced in and online – a sample of resources below: Fieldwork Studies Council , with reference to fieldwork opportunities. UK government information on how the Environment Agency and local councils are developing It is quite easy to find information about each of the SMP areas online like the last resource for the Southeast Coastal Group. 20 min interview with Dr. Burbridge from Newcastle University on with useful summary diagrams
environment(s) at a local scale to illustrate and analyse fundamental coastal processes, their landscape outcomes as set out above and engage with field data and challenges represented in their sustainable management. range of qualitative and quantitative data from a range of primary and secondary sources – this could include discursive/creative material when looking at the experiences of people in place. Present, analyse, draw conclusions and evaluate those findings using a range of geographical techniques (see skills checklist). through the use of secondary data sources (including online digital mapping, secondary data, local authority websites and text book resources) or engage first hand or complete fieldwork to collect primary data, or a combination of both. The aims of such work are to: illustrate how the coastal landscape is distinctive and is the unique combination of the processes and environmental characteristics that created it at a local scale to investigate and understand how the combination of local coastal processes and landscape features present specific challenges for sustainable management. If students complete a fieldwork investigation, they will be able to follow through a complete geographical investigation and route to enquiry. a of data relating to a local coastal environment for students to investigate and address the themes of the enquiry. Or, an opportunity for students to conduct a short fieldwork enquiry of a local coastal environment to investigate the main themes of the lesson. Students could write a enquiry to act as a case study of a local coastal environment. (This feed into the NEA element of the specification). coastal fieldwork opportunities and guidance may be found below. RGS guidance on coastal investigation Weeks 8–9 – Case study 2 Specification content Subject specific skills development Learning outcomes Suggested learning activities (including ref to differentiation and extension activities) Resources Case study of a contrasting coastal Collect, analyse and interpret a This example is on an investigation of the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. Opportunity for individual, paired or group research Information is readily available about the