Lower Key Stage 2 Mountains, Rivers and Coasts
Coasts - Where Land Meets Sea

Investigate coastlines and the animals and plants that live there. Carry out research in the classroom and, if you are lucky, on a field trip to the beach; use your research to deepen your knowledge of coastal food chains and webs. Use IT to create your own nature movie!

Session 1 What is a coast?

Objectives

Geography

  • To describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including coasts, cliffs and beaches
  • To understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.

Lesson Planning

Investigate the fascinating world of coastlines and discover what a coast actually is!

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand what the coast is and to begin know why it is so varied.
  • To begin to label key features of a coast.

Children will:

  • Know what the coast is and begin to use some geographical language to describe some key features of a coastline.
  • Work in groups to discuss what they already know and what they want to know about coasts.
  • Begin to understand why coastlines are so varied and why they are always changing.

Provided Resources

  • Coast vocabulary list
  • Mind-map; coast sentences

You Will Need

  • A3 paper, 1 sheet per group

Session 2 Beach field trip

Objectives

Geography

  • To describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including coasts, cliffs and beaches.
  • To understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.
  • To use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps.

Science

  • To begin to identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways.

Lesson Planning

Visit the beach and take part in a fieldwork exercise measuring and recording plants, animals and other features.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To see some of the key features of a coastline and begin to consider how they might have formed.
  • To use fieldwork to observe, measure and record some features of the coastline.
  • To identify what difficulties coastal plants and animals may need to overcome and to begin to identify how they have adapted to their environment.

Children will:

  • Use fieldwork to observe, measure and record some of the features of the coastline.
  • Begin to consider how and why the coastline might have changed over time.
  • Identify what difficulties coastal plants and animals may need to overcome and to begin to identify how they have adapted to their environment.
  • Begin to identify the impact of humans on the coastal landscape.

You Will Need

  • Clipboards and pencils
  • Magnifying glass
  • Bucket and net
  • Camera or flipcam
  • Plain paper for sketching

Session 3 Coastal animals

Objectives

Science

  • To begin to identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

Computing

  • Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.

Lesson Planning

Research coastal animals and plants and their adaptations to their environment.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand how some coastal plants and animals have adapted to their environment and to begin to understand how these adaptations have evolved.
  • To continue to develop their ability to effectively use the internet as a tool for gathering information.

Children will:

  • Consider how to effectively and efficiently use an internet search engine.
  • Identify how and why animals and plants have adapted to their coastal environment.
  • Begin to understand that animal and plant adaptations have evolved.

Provided Resources

  • Coastal animals and plants adaptations sheet

You Will Need

  • Internet access
  • A4 paper

Session 4 Coastal food chains

Objectives

Science

  • To construct and interpret a variety of food chains, including producers, predators, and prey.

Lesson Planning

Discover the complex world of coastal food chains and food webs.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand what a food chain is and to begin to consider the impact on a chain if a food source is no longer being available.

Children will:

  • Use scientific language to describe a coastal food chain.
  • Begin to consider the impact on a food web if a food source is no longer available.

Provided Resources

  • Coastal wildlife names
  • Food web worksheet
  • Food chain vocab
  • Wildlife name notes for teacher

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 5 Narrating a wildlife documentary

Objectives

Science

  • To construct and interpret a variety of food chains, including producers, predators, and prey.
  • To begin to identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

English

  • To write for a range of real purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum.

Lesson Planning

Create an engaging and informative wildlife documentary about a coastal scene.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To narrate a wildlife documentary about a coastal food chain using scientific language about the animals, their position in the chain, and their environment.
  • To consider the audience when writing a narrative for a wildlife documentary.

Children will:

  • Use scientific language to narrate a coastal wildlife scene.
  • Consider the audience when writing a narration and add personification to their writing.
  • Begin to consider the impact of well made, and well researched documentaries on peoples understanding of issues in nature.

Provided Resources

  • Food chain diagram
  • Extra links to video clips of coastal wildlife

You Will Need

  • Stop watch

Session 6 Animated food chain - stop motion

Objectives

Computing

  • To select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

Science

  • To construct and interpret a variety of food chains, including producers, predators, and prey.

Lesson Planning

Use the IT programme Scratch to create a simple stop-motion animation about a coastal food chain; add titles, credits and an audio narration to create a mini movie.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To use (insert name of animation software) to create a stop motion animation for an audience.
  • To explore Scratch animation and use it to create their own animation creation.
  • To show an understanding of a coastal food chain using animation.

Children will:

  • Work together to create animals, plants and a background to form a coastal food chain.
  • Explore Scratch and create a simple animation by entering instructions for a character into Scratch animation.
  • Spend time filming a stop-motion animation about their food chain for an audience.
  • Experiment using an animation software program to play their mini movie, including adding a title and credits.
  • Add their own audio narration to the animation.

Provided Resources

  • Coastal food chain animation planning sheet.

You Will Need

  • A small cardboard box with one side removed
  • Digital camera
  • Tripod
  • Chicken Run or similar DVD

Session 7 Animated food chain - Scratch animation

Objectives

Computing

  • To select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

Science

  • To construct and interpret a variety of food chains, including producers, predators, and prey.

Lesson Planning

Use the IT programme Scratch to create a simple stop-motion animation about a coastal food chain; add titles, credits and an audio narration to create a mini movie.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To use (insert name of animation software) to create a stop motion animation for an audience.
  • To explore Scratch animation and use it to create their own animation creation.
  • To show an understanding of a coastal food chain using animation.

Children will:

  • Work together to create animals, plants and a background to form a coastal food chain.
  • Explore Scratch and create a simple animation by entering instructions for a character into Scratch animation.
  • Spend time filming a stop-motion animation about their food chain for an audience.
  • Experiment using an animation software program to play their mini movie, including adding a title and credits.
  • Add their own audio narration to the animation.

Provided Resources

  • Coastal food chain animation planning sheet.

You Will Need

  • A small cardboard box with one side removed
  • Digital camera
  • Tripod
  • Chicken Run or similar DVD