Lesson Plan

• Describe the main erosional (cliffs, wave‑cut platforms, arches, stacks, blowholes) and depositional (beaches, barriers, spits, bars, dunes, salt‑marshes) coastal landforms.
• Explain how vegetation influences sediment capture and stabilises dunes, marshes and cliff tops.
• Analyse the balance between wave energy and vegetation cover using the simplified sediment equation.
• Evaluate soft‑ and hard‑engineering options for managing coastal erosion.
• Apply knowledge to a case‑study by proposing a suitable coastal management strategy.

• Projector and screen
• PowerPoint slides with diagrams of coastal profiles
• Handout containing a comparative table of erosional vs. depositional features
• Blank A4 worksheets for the equation activity
• Samples of dune‑grass and salt‑marsh plant images
• Sticky notes for exit tickets

Begin with a striking aerial photo of a rugged coastline that transitions into a sandy dune system. Ask students what they notice about the differences in landforms and why vegetation appears in some areas but not others. Clarify that by the end of the lesson they will be able to identify key coastal features, explain the role of plants, and justify management choices.

1. Do‑now (5'): Quick quiz on wave energy and basic landform terminology (projected on screen).
2. Direct instruction (10'): Present the erosional and depositional landforms with labelled diagrams; highlight vegetation‑related systems.
3. Interactive activity (15'): In pairs, students fill a Venn diagram comparing the two groups of landforms and annotate where vegetation is important.
4. Equation workshop (10'): Using the handout, calculate ΔS for a hypothetical dune and a cliff scenario; discuss results.
5. Management debate (15'): Groups choose either a soft‑engineering or hard‑engineering solution for a given coastline and defend their choice.
6. Formative check (5'): Whole‑class poll using clickers to assess understanding of key concepts.

Summarise how wave energy, sediment supply, and vegetation interact to shape coastal landforms and influence management decisions. Students write one “exit ticket” stating which management approach they would recommend for a real‑world coastline and why. Assign a short homework: research a local coastal site and identify its dominant landforms and vegetation.