Depositional coastal landforms
I can explain depositional processes and describe the coastal landforms they create.
Depositional coastal landforms
I can explain depositional processes and describe the coastal landforms they create.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Longshore drift is the lateral movement of sediment across the beach through swash and backwash.
- Longshore drift creates depositional landforms such as spits, bars and tombolos.
- Spits are long narrow ridges of sand or shingle which project from a coastline into the sea.
- Salt marshes may form behind spits, as these are low energy zones.
- Spits can change direction due to the prevailing wind, which makes them curve into a hook.
Keywords
Deposition - when material such as sand, mud or rocks is dropped by the water that was carrying it
Transportation - transportation is when water moves sand, mud and rocks
Swash - when a wave rushes up the beach
Backwash - when the water from a wave retreats back into the sea
Sediment - material that is moved by water or air and settles in another place
Common misconception
That the direction of the prevailing wind is the direction that the wind is blowing in at any particular time.
The prevailing wind is wind from a particular direction that is most frequently experienced in a location. Winds can come from other directions, especially in stormy conditions, but they are not the same as the prevailing wind.
To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: Depositional coastal landforms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: Depositional coastal landforms, 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 3 geography lessons from the Coasts: what shapes life at the coast? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the wearing away of rock
when water moves sand, mud and rocks from one place to another
when sand, mud or rocks are dropped by the water that was carrying it
Exit quiz
4 Questions
when material such as sand, mud or rocks is dropped by water
when water moves sand, mud and rocks from one place to another
when a wave rushes up the beach
when the water from a wave retreats back into the sea
material that is moved by water or air and settles in another place