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Geography

Coastal Erosion Role Play

Overview

Students simulate wave action and coastal processes through movement.

Learning Objective
Students understand how waves erode and shape coastlines.

Resources needed

  • Open space
  • Chairs or objects to represent cliffs

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Set up a line of students as a cliff.
  2. 2 Other students act as waves, moving rhythmically toward the cliff.
  3. 3 With each wave, the cliff loses one student (erosion).
  4. 4 Discuss what the eroded material becomes (beach, sediment).
  5. 5 Introduce the idea of deposition in another area.
  6. 6 Discuss human responses to coastal erosion.
  7. 7 Debrief and relate to real places.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Add a hard rock and soft rock cliff for comparison.
  • Include sea defences (a wall of chairs) and discuss if they work.
More information

Teach erosion, deposition, cliff, wave, sediment.

Use drawings of a coastline instead of movement.

Can students explain the difference between erosion and deposition and give one example of each?

Uses only students and open space. No materials needed.

Students often think coasts only erode. Deposition (building up) is equally important — beaches and deltas are created this way.

Links to landforms, hazards, and human geography.

Activity details
Secondary Medium 20 minutes no prep Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Coasts Physical Geography