In this Grade 6 Earth Science lesson from Chapter 5, students learn how waves and wind shape shorelines and landscapes through processes including longshore drift, longshore current, sandbar and barrier island formation, and dune building. Students explore how wave action erodes rocky coastlines to form features like sea stacks while also depositing sediment to build up beaches. The lesson includes a hands-on experiment modeling how sand moves along a beach, connecting key vocabulary to real-world landforms.
Section 1
Waves Shape Coastal Landscapes
Ocean waves crash against shorelines, eroding cliffs while building up beaches through longshore drift and currents. These forces create unique formations like sandbars, spits, and barrier islands that continually change shape.
Section 2
Wind Creates Dunes and Deposits
Strong winds transport sand and pile it into dunes with gentle windward slopes and steeper leeward faces. Dunes form where loose sand meets powerful air currents, reaching heights up to 300 meters.
Section 3
Loess Deposits Build Fertile Soil
Wind carries fine dust particles over long distances before depositing them as loess. These deposits can accumulate over millions of years, creating layers hundreds of meters thick that form valuable agricultural soil.
Section 4
Longshore Currents Transport Sand
Waves hitting shorelines at angles create currents that move sand in zigzag patterns along beaches. This longshore drift redistributes sediment, causing beaches to shrink in one location while growing in another.
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Section 1
Waves Shape Coastal Landscapes
Ocean waves crash against shorelines, eroding cliffs while building up beaches through longshore drift and currents. These forces create unique formations like sandbars, spits, and barrier islands that continually change shape.
Section 2
Wind Creates Dunes and Deposits
Strong winds transport sand and pile it into dunes with gentle windward slopes and steeper leeward faces. Dunes form where loose sand meets powerful air currents, reaching heights up to 300 meters.
Section 3
Loess Deposits Build Fertile Soil
Wind carries fine dust particles over long distances before depositing them as loess. These deposits can accumulate over millions of years, creating layers hundreds of meters thick that form valuable agricultural soil.
Section 4
Longshore Currents Transport Sand
Waves hitting shorelines at angles create currents that move sand in zigzag patterns along beaches. This longshore drift redistributes sediment, causing beaches to shrink in one location while growing in another.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter