the ‘systems in physical geography’ material outlined in this section) 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. Students will be able to identify, describe and explain common characteristics of systems including: boundaries inputs outputs flows. Students will understand systems that are classified as: isolated systems closed systems open systems. Students will understand systems as being in a state of dynamic equilibrium that includes: positive feedback negative feedback. Students will be able to identify the four major subsystems of the earth: atmosphere lithosphere hydrosphere biosphere. To understand that these are interlinked as a ‘cascading system’. Coasts as natural systems Students will be able to identify coastal environments as open systems. Students will be able to identify the different elements of a coastal system, including: inputs components/stores of any more examples of systems in geography. Students to work in groups to think of ways in which the four ‘spheres’ are interlinked, then feedback and share ideas. Opportunity here for a short research task for interconnections. Practice low-tariff exam questions to assess learning – peer assessment opportunity. Small group discussion/Q&A to understand coasts as open systems. Construct and annotate a diagram to illustrate various
transfers/flows outputs. Students will be able to understand coastal landscapes as in dynamic equilibrium that includes: positive feedback negative feedback. Coasts as characteristic landscapes Students will understand the concepts of: landform landscape. Students will appreciate that characteristic coastal landscapes are the combination of related landforms. 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 coast, 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.) Weeks 2-3 Systems and processes Sources of energy in coastal environments: winds, waves (constructive and destructive), currents and Use of key subject specific and technical terminology. Opportunities to develop skills such as drawing, labelling Students will be able to identify different zones of the coastline, to include: backshore foreshore inshore offshore nearshore Construct a diagram to illustrate the different coastal zones. Paired/small group discussion to identify sources of energy at the coast. are a huge range of resources online covering all aspects of coastal processes especially erosion and weathering. Some examples are given below:
tides. Low energy and high energy coasts. Sediment sources, and budgets. Geomorphological processes: weathering, mass movement, erosion, transportation and deposition. Distinctively coastal processes: marine: erosion – hydraulic action, wave quarrying, corrosion/abrasion, cavitation, solution, attrition; transportation: traction, suspension (longshore/littoral drift) and deposition; weathering, mass movement and run off. and annotating diagrams. Opportunity to measure/study characteristics of waves and other coastal processes including erosion, transportation, deposition and weathering. Handling primary and secondary sources of data. Online research. Constructing and interpreting a range of graphical and statistical techniques. Using a range of maps to identify coastal features. Opportunity to apply systems theory to identify the inputs, processes, and outputs operating at the coastal zone. swash zone surf zone breaker zone. Students will be able to identify, and analyse the characteristics of the sources of energy in a coastal system, including: wind waves tides sea currents. Students will be able to identify the sources of sediment for the coastal system, including: rivers and streams reaching the estuaries cliff erosion offshore sand banks material from a biological origin. Students identify the features of coastal sediment cells – to understand these using a systems approach. Understanding of the concept of the coastal sediment budget, including: positive budgets negative budgets. To explore these using a systems approach. Students will understand that coastlines are affected by two main sets of geomorphological processes: Students to explore energy at the including: Wind - idea of fetch, and global pattern of major winds – opportunity to study atlas maps to identify coasts exposed to large and small fetch Waves – discuss the characteristics of waves. Opportunity to use the internet, text or VLE resources to research the characteristics of waves. Construct diagrams of the characteristics of waves. Research constructive and destructive – annotate photographs and diagrams to identify characteristics. Use atlas or internet maps to produce a map of ocean currents, accompanied by video notes to describe/explain the pattern of ocean currents. Discuss different types of ocean currents in the coastal zone. Q&A/group discussion about tides. Following short explanatory video, construct annotated diagrams to illustrate high and low tides, neap and spring tides, and the role Summary of and the effect of wind Exploration of Exploration of 3 minute video on covering tides and ocean currents , with links to activities and other information about tides , including high and low energy coastlines
marine processes, including: marine erosion – hydraulic action; Wave quarrying; abrasion/corrasion; attrition; contribution of solution/corrosion marine transportation – traction; saltation; suspension; solution; longshore/littoral drift marine and aeolian deposition Sub-aerial processes, including sub-aerial weathering – mechanical/physical; biological; chemical mass movement – landslides; rock falls; mudflows; rotational slip/ slumping run-off. of the alignment of earth, moon and sun. Research opportunity to find out about high and low energy coasts – possibly produce a short presentation/poster information sheet/electronic resource about each and identify an illustrative example of each. Q&A/paired discussion where coastal sediment comes from. Following an introduction to sediment research the sediment cells and sub cells of England and Wales - identify these on an outline map, then identify and map the characteristics of the most local cell. Draw simple flow diagrams to illustrate the concepts of a positive and negative sediment budget. Practice low-tariff exam questions to assess learning – peer assessment opportunity. Q&A/paired discussion – how does the sea erode the land? Ensure students have notes of the processes of coastal erosion. video on ‘’ US Geological Survey information on There is a Geofile article with a good summary of coastal systems including sediment cells. Maps of the sediment cells of England and Wales are easy to find online. US Geological Survey information on Video introduction to Brief including a short video clip illustrating fluvial transport but also has links to landforms, climate change and fieldwork ideas. A guide to completing an investigation into longshore drift
large poster/information sheet, model answers to sample exam questions on the topic. Also give named illustrative examples of places where the processes are occurring (not extended case studies). Again there are opportunities to visit a local coast and investigate which are the dominant weathering processes and why. Weeks 4-5 Coastal landscape development This content must include study of a variety of landscapes from beyond the United Kingdom (UK) but may also include UK examples. Origin and development of landforms and landscapes of coastal erosion: Cliffs and wave cut platforms, cliff profile features including caves, arches and stacks; factors and processes in their development. Origin and development of landforms and landscapes of coastal deposition. Beaches, simple and compound spits, tombolos, offshore Use of key subject specific and technical terminology. Develop knowledge and understanding of a range of related landforms that combine to form distinctive coastal landscapes. To identify connections and interrelationships between different aspects of geography. Opportunities to develop skills such as drawing, labelling and annotating diagrams. Students will revisit the idea of distinctive coastal landscapes resulting from a combination of related landforms. Students will be able to describe the characteristics and analyse the factors and processes in the development of landforms and landscapes of coastal erosion, including: cliffs and wave cut platforms cliff profile features – caves, arches and stacks. Students will be able to describe the characteristics and analyse the factors and processes in the development of landforms and landscapes of coastal deposition, including: beaches simple and compound spits tombolos offshore bars Q&A/discussion to define ‘landforms’ and ‘landscapes’. For each erosional landform listed in the specification, use a range of resources to produce a revision card/sheet (or electronic resource). To include: annotated sketch/ diagram showing its characteristics a flow diagram giving a sequenced explanation of formation – explaining processes in development. factors affecting their formation reference to inputs, processes and outputs of erosional coastal landscapes Simple with many effective images and a range of video clips and diagrams clip discussing Coastal erosion is widely covered in a range of paper or online resources. Video presentation of including animations of erosional features British Geological Society’s with interesting information and images
Case study 2 Case study of a contrasting coastal landscape beyond the UK to illustrate and analyse how it presents risks and opportunities for human occupation and development and evaluate human responses of resilience, mitigation and adaption. Collect, analyse and interpret a 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. This example is based on an investigation of the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. Students will be able to describe, analyse and evaluate a range of themes relating to how the human population of the Sundarbans interacts with their coastal landscape, including: an understanding of the coastal processes that combined to create this unique coastal landscape the challenges and risks of living in the Sundarbans the opportunities offered by living in the Sundarbans the human response to the challenges of the Sundarbans, including strategies aimed at resilience, mitigation and adaptation the potential for possible sustainable development in the future for the people of the Sundarbans. Opportunity for individual, paired or group research task, using a range of textual, digital or audiovisual resources. Findings could be shared in traditional classroom approaches or shared through a VLE on a blog for example. For a more active learning approach students could research from the point of view of different stakeholders. Feedback could then take the form of a debate/roleplay or construction of SWOT analysis in groups etc. Information is readily available about the Sundarbans, but a selection is given below: Quantitative and qualitative skills Students must engage with a range of quantitative and relevant qualitative skills, within the theme landscape systems. These should include observation skills, measurement and geospatial mapping skills and data manipulation and statistical skills applied to field measurements.