Download Controlled Assessment 2015 Coastal Processes and Landforms

Controlled Assessment 2015 Coastal Processes and Landforms Draft.
Theme
Generic Enquiry Task
Key Question
2
Investigate variation of
coastal processes and
landforms along a defined
stretch of coast.
5.1 How do geomorphological
processes contribute to the
development of distinctive
coastal landforms?
5.2 What landforms are
produced?
Page in
Specification
19
How tasks may be contextualised
Centres may provide students with an overarching enquiry question such as:
How and why are the coastline and landforms different at Weybourne and
Overstrand on the North Norfolk coast?
Alternatively, centres may present the tasks to their students as a hypothesis such as:
Longshore Drift is the most important process affecting the coastline between
Weybourne and Blakeney on the North Norfolk coast.
The focus must be on coastal processes and landforms along a defined stretch of coastline.
Consideration of management strategies, types of sea defences and their impact on
processes may figure but in a supporting role only. Coastal management and the
effectiveness of defences / strategies would not be an appropriate focus.
Data Collection
Your choice of sites is critical to the success of the assessment. Ease of access to the site,
safety including tidal and weather conditions, and features facilitating effective group
management vary from site to site and must be taken into account.
Primary Data
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Longshore drift, measured with tape, paint coloured stones or disposable float
Wave orientation and period measured using compass, stop watch and observation
Groynes, sediment build up on either side
Beach profiles shape / structure
Sorting of beach materials across beach using stone boards
Photographs / sketches for annotation
Cliff erosion / stability surveys
Secondary Data
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Historic maps / photos / postcards for comparison with present
Aerial photographs
Geology maps / digital maps / GIS map information
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North Norfolk District Council website
Monitoring of weather conditions in days / weeks prior to the fieldtrip (see useful
weblinks). These can be used to research the short and medium term history of
energetic events on the beach / cliffs / coastline providing an important source of
evidence to allow students to suggest causes of characteristics etc.
How to encourage independent thought
Students should be encouraged to be a part of the development of the field work planning
and a consideration of the most effective ways of collecting data. Time must be allowed for
students to become involved in the planning process before the fieldwork is conducted. (See
page 34 of the specification).
One successful approach could be for the department to set the measure / criteria for one or
two factors / variables as the primary focus for all students but for teams of students to
discuss at the planning stage what other factors / data might be relevant. They can then set
up their own data collection of these factors eg data on local geology / lithology. Data is
collected during the fieldtrip and allows for a wide range of individuality, knowledge, range of
skills for presentation, analysis and evaluation to be developed by the students in the write
up phase.
The amount and range of secondary supporting data and how it is selected and processed
to support the primary evidence also allows for independence to be exhibited.
Application AO2 (see page 36 of the specification)
Your students will only be able to access marks for AO2 if they link their observations of the
places visited to their wider knowledge of coastal locations or their wider understanding of
coastal processes and the creation of both erosional and depositional landforms. Some
discussion as to whether the processes / landforms observed are typical / atypical is a
productive line for analysis for AO2. Comparisons could be made with other parts of the UK
eg Holderness using evidence from case studies in text books or video clips. Your more
able students may be able to provide an explanation for the situation within the context of
littoral cells, relating the findings at the sites to the bigger picture locally / regionally.
More able students will be able to explain the interconnections between processes /
landforms and how the different factors relate to each other. Views about the future changes
/ shape / landforms / coastline should be offered based on the evidence collected.
Useful weblinks
www.old-maps.co.uk This company provides historic maps of many parts of the UK which
may be browsed online for free.
www.meto.gov.uk Met office regional weather statistics for wind speeds and directions for
wave related energy inputs.
www.magicseaweed.com is a surf prediction website that will provide weekly predictions of
waves and weather but not past records. The site has really useful links to data and map
displays of offshore buoys, wave height, wave length and meteorological readings. Tidal
information, important for safety and for students attempting to explain process / features is
also available.
www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/tkfaxbraar.htm This site has an archive of synoptic charts
from the met office for any day going back to 1998.
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Fieldwork+and+local+learning/Fieldwork+techniques/c
oasts.htm The RGS has a useful web page that describes coastal fieldwork and data
presentation.
http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/189.asp Use this page of the NNC website for coastal
geography issues.
http://geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/holdernesscoast.html This website designed
for secondary geography students includes photos and description of coastal erosion along
the Holderness coast for comparison.
http://news.google.com Old photos guide books and newspapers.
Digital maps, GIS, Google maps have maps photos of North Norfolk coast with GIS layers
including height, cliff geology and stability.