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Year 7

The UK's coastline

I can explain what the coast is and describe how we use the UK's coastline.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

The UK's coastline

I can explain what the coast is and describe how we use the UK's coastline.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The coastline is where the land meets the sea.
  2. The United Kingdom is a range of islands, each with their own coastline.
  3. Some parts of the coastline have a beach whereas other parts have cliffs.
  4. The coastline has many uses, for example for fishing and tourism.

Keywords

  • Coastline - the boundary between the land and the sea or ocean

  • Beach - area of land between low and storm tide marks made up of beach materials like sand, mud and stones

  • Cliff - a tall, vertical rock face

  • Tourism - people travelling to a different place from where they live for a visit or holiday

Common misconception

That all coastlines are sandy beaches.

Not all coastlines are sandy beaches. Some coastlines have beaches of stones called shingle, and some coastlines only have cliffs without any beach.


To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: The UK's coastline, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Ask students if they have ever visited the coast before and if so can they share their experiences. What was it like? What did they do there? Alternatively, if you live at the coast, ask students to talk about what your local area is like. Does it have a sand or shingle beach, or cliffs?
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these landscapes is a coastline?
A woodland area with trees and ferns.
Correct answer: An area showing the sea, a beach and some grassy banks.
A desert showing sandy soils and patchy vegetation.
Q2.
What can beaches be made from?
Correct answer: sand
concrete
Correct answer: rocks
wood
Q3.
Some coastlines have cliffs instead of beaches. What is a cliff?
another name for a rocky shoreline
part of a slope on a mountain
Correct answer: a tall vertical rockface
a physical feature only found at the coast
Q4.
What sort of industries are often based at the coast?
fashion
Correct answer: fishing
manufacturing
Correct answer: tourism
Q5.
Sea level in coastal areas regularly rises and falls each day. What is this known as?
Correct Answer: tides, tide
Q6.
Match the coastal processes to the descriptions.
Correct Answer:erosion,Wearing away of materials such as rock over a long period of time
tick

Wearing away of materials such as rock over a long period of time

Correct Answer:deposition,Building up of materials in one place over a long period of time
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Building up of materials in one place over a long period of time

Correct Answer:transportation,Moving materials along the coast by the sea
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Moving materials along the coast by the sea

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these coastal areas has cliffs?
A palm tree on a beach near the sea
A boat moored on a river near a harbour
Correct answer: A coastal landscape showing a beach and waves.
Q2.
What is shingle?
sand found on beaches
Correct answer: pebbles and stones found on beaches
a path along a beach
a section of a harbour
Q3.
Why does the UK have such a long coastline?
Correct answer: it is made up of a range of islands
it is bigger than other countries
it has lots of long beaches
it does a lot of fishing
Q4.
What are some reasons why people are attracted to live in coastal areas?
the houses are cheaper
Correct answer: they are beautiful places
Correct answer: there are jobs in tourism
Correct answer: there is less air pollution than cities
to learn to do watersports
Q5.
Which of these are part of the tourism industry?
Correct answer: restaurants
schools
Correct answer: hotels
hospitals
Correct answer: entertainment
Q6.
What human features might attract tourists to a coastal resort?
Correct answer: camping and caravan sites
beautiful relaxing views
Correct answer: unique or historic buildings
Correct answer: funfairs or amusement arcades
calm clear waters