Sunrise on 8 September 2014 and the high tide enters the newly created Steart Marshes in Somerset, UK.

Photo: Environment Agency

These resources, written by Gemma Pollard, have been developed by the GA in partnership with the Environment Agency. The resources will enable students in key stage 3 to answer the following questions:

• What is sustainability and sustainable development?
• Who are the Environment Agency and how do they support sustainable development in the UK?
• What are the threats to coastal areas in the UK?
• What hard and soft engineering techniques are used to manage UK coastlines and how sustainable are they?
• What is the Steart Marshes Managed Realignment Scheme and how sustainable is it?
• What other managed realignment schemes are there in the UK and how are they the same or different than the Steart Marshes scheme?

Why use these resources?

• Links to careers: many of schools are currently trying to align their schemes of work with Gatsby Benchmark 4 (see teacher notes) and these resources include references to jobs at the Environment Agency that align well with geography.
• Easy to add to existing units: these resources could be used to add to or update a current scheme of work on flooding, coasts, climate change or sustainable development.
• Adaptability: each resource can be used on its own or with the others, depending on what each school is looking for. Also, most of the resources have been produced as both a PowerPoint presentation and an information sheet so that you can choose how you would prefer to present the information to students.
• Variety: the resources incorporate a variety of different tasks and skills suitable for key stage 3: map skills, literacy skills, new case study information, sustainability links, careers links, high-quality resource material, etc.
• New case study material: these resources provide a contemporary example of a managed realignment scheme that may be different to typical hard engineering case studies. The resources could also be adapted for a case study more local to the school, if appropriate.

Resources overview

Resource 1: What is sustainability?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

Information about sustainability that includes a definition and information about the three branches of sustainability: social, economic, environmental. It includes simplified EIA targets and Defra’s 25-year targets into the environmental information. This resource can be used alongside later resources when assessing the sustainability of the Steart Marshes Scheme (Resources 5–7) or on its own as an introduction to sustainability.

Resource 2: How does the Environment Agency support sustainable development in the UK?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

A set of job cards outlining different roles at the Environment Agency. Students are encouraged to answer questions as they engage with the job role cards: how are the roles linked to geography? What might day-to-day tasks involve? Which roles are appealing to students? How does the Environment Agency maintain sustainability?

Resource 3: What are the threats to UK coastal areas?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

Information exploring the risks to coastal areas in the UK, including climate change, sea level rise, tourism, coastal erosion, human development, population change, land management. Data from the Environment Agency is included.

Resource 4: How are coastlines managed?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

Information detailing different coastline management strategies including soft engineering schemes such as managed realignment and restoring natural flood areas, as well as hard engineering structures, such as groynes and sea walls. The activity asks students to compare one hard coastal engineering strategy with one soft coastal engineering strategy, then complete a PIN (positive, interesting and negative) table about their chosen strategies and consider their sustainability.

Resource 5: What is the Steart Marshes Managed Realignment Scheme?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

Information about the Steart Marshes Realignment Scheme in Somerset, UK including the various stages/aspects of the project, maps and a video link. Students learn where the scheme is, what is being done and why, and who is involved. A series of questions (also available as a printable activity sheet – see Resource 6) help them to investigate the scheme further.

Please note: OS maps 1 and 2 and the legend are available as separate PDF files (see below) to allow them to be displayed at larger size if necessary. Schools with access to Digimaps for Schools may find it more useful to display that way.

Resource 6: Understanding the Steart Marshes Scheme

Printable activity sheet

An activity sheet for students for use in conjunction with Resource 5. The questions help them understand the scheme in detail, e.g. where is it? What does it involve? Why was it needed?

Resource 7: How sustainable is the Steart Marshes Managed Realignment Scheme?

Printable activity sheet

An activity sheet to help students assess the sustainability of the Steart Marshes Scheme (to be used in conjunction with Resource 5). They consider the social, economic and environmental positives and negatives of the scheme (students may also need to refer back to Resource 1). A set of suggested tasks helps them summarise their findings.

Resource 8: What other managed realignment schemes are there in the UK?

Available as a PowerPoint presentation or a printable information sheet

Information detailing other managed realignment schemes in the UK with links to allow students to investigate them further.

To extend this lesson, students could be asked to pull out common themes such as conservation, link to contours and height, etc. They could also reflect on and summarise the common factors influencing managed realignment.

Further resources

• Teacher notes, outlining all the resources, learning objectives and curriculum and other links
• OS map 1 (PDF) – showing the area of the Steart Marshes – for use with Resources 5 and 6
• OS map 2 (PDF) – showing the area of the Steart Marshes – for use with Resources 5 and 6
• OS map legend (PDF) – to accompany OS maps 1 and 2 – for use with Resources 5 and 6

Download all the resources as a zip file here.

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