The Coastal Zone Lesson One

Welcome to your firstfirst GCSE lesson in Geography!

Please sit down quietly.

On to the post-it note please write down…

1. Your name2. Any question you have about your GCSE course

in Geography

On my post-it note…Name:Miss Ainslie

Question:What would you like

to do more of in

Geography?

On your second post stick note write down what you would like to do more of in Geography...

Doing group work.

Going on fieldtrips

Using computers to

do work.

Making and creating

posters or leaflets

Doing roll plays and

using drama.

Watching DVD clips.

Please stick your post stick notes together so I can collect them in.

I will read these and answer all your questions next lesson!

What skills will I be What skills will I be developing?developing?

• Decision-making skills, thinking about how coastlines should be managed

• Independent enquiry skills, asking your own questions and finding out the answers

• Communication skills, backing up your ideas with well explained arguments

You will also need to understand and consider the views of different people and stakeholders

Put the title: The Coastal ZoneNow make two lists in your book using the photo below. Try to think of at least

3 for each column.Human features Physical Features

Learning Focus: What are waves and Learning Focus: What are waves and how do they work?how do they work?

• What: Identify the two main types of wave and learn the key terms

• How: Label diagrams and compare constructive and destructive waves

• Why: To begin to understand the importance of waves and the coastal zone

Who is affected by waves? How?

• Property Owners• Fishermen• Surfers

Add at least 2 more of your own…

The action of waves

Waves are created by wind blowing over

the surface of the sea

Friction is created - producing a swell in

the water

The water particles then rotate and the

wave moves forward

Wave length

CrestWave height

Seabed

Trough

Swash

Backwash

• Wave Frequency

• Velocity

• Fetch

Wind

Types of waves• When a wave breaks,

water is washed up the beach - called swash

• Then the water runs back down the beach - called backwash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN42EWWTP3w

Backwash

Swash

Note: Backwash is always at right angles to the beach

Whenever you see either one on the video, shout

‘SWASH’ or ‘BACKWASH’!

Waves can be constructive or destructive

• With a constructive wave, the swash is stronger than the backwash

• With a destructive wave, the backwash is stronger than the swash.

Destructive Waves

Constructive Waves

backwash>swash

swash>backwash

Constructive Waves

• Created in calm weather

• Break on the shore and deposit material, building up beaches

Destructive Waves

• Created in storm conditions when the wind is powerful and has been blowing for a long time

• Occur when wave energy is high and the wave has travelled over a long fetch, tend to erode the coast

Constructive or Destructive?

Check your

answers

Demonstrate: Decide whether the statements are talking about

destructive or constructive waves and add them to the correct diagram

• The swash is stronger than the backwash• The backwash is stronger than the swash• Short wave height• Tall wave height• Strong swash causes a lot of material to be

deposited on the beach• Strong backwash pulls sand and shingle back

to the sea eroding the beach

Dorset Fieldtrip!• 14th September 2012• £10 each• Leave school 7:30am (arrive by

7:15am)• Arrive back by 6pm• All details on the letter sent

home• Bring money and forms back

into school a.s.a.p.

Coastal Bingo

• Write down 4 key words from those you have learnt today

• If I say one you have written, cross it off and put your hand up to give its definition

• The first one to get all 4 words crossed off is the winner!

Constructive Destructive Swash Backwash Fetch

Frequency Wave Height Wave Length

Crest Trough Wave Frequency Velocity