Skip to content
Fieldwork: A River or Coast Near Me
Global Perspectives and Local Landscapes · 6th Year · Rivers and Coastlines of Ireland · Summer Term

Fieldwork: A River or Coast Near Me

Students will carry out a fieldwork visit to a river or coastal site near their school, observing and recording features of the landscape using fieldwork recording sheets, annotated photographs, and sketch maps. They will collect evidence of river or coastal processes at work in their local environment and present their observations to the class.

NCCA Curriculum SpecificationsNCCA: Geography Year 6 - Natural Environments - Local natural environmentsNCCA: Geography Year 6 - Environmental Awareness and Care - Care of the local environment

About This Topic

Students will carry out a fieldwork visit to a river or coastal site near their school, observing and recording features of the landscape using fieldwork recording sheets, annotated photographs, and sketch maps. They will collect evidence of river or coastal processes at work in their local environment and present their observations to the class.

Key Questions

  1. What evidence of erosion or deposition can we observe at our local river or coastal site?
  2. How does what we see in our local landscape connect to what we have learned about rivers and coasts?
  3. What questions does our fieldwork raise that we would need more time or data to answer?

Active Learning Ideas

See all activities

Activities & Teaching Strategies

See all activities

Planning templates for Global Perspectives and Local Landscapes

More in Rivers and Coastlines of Ireland

Ireland's Major Rivers

Students will identify and locate Ireland's principal rivers, including the Shannon, Liffey, Lee, Boyne, and Bann, on maps and trace their courses from source to sea. They will investigate the significance of these rivers to the settlements, history, and culture of the regions they flow through.

8 methodologies

River Systems and Tributaries

Students will examine how rivers form systems by gathering water from tributaries across a catchment area, using the River Shannon and its tributaries as the primary Irish example. They will create annotated drainage basin maps and investigate how a river changes in character from its source in upland Ireland to its mouth.

8 methodologies

Coastal Landforms of Ireland

Students will explore the diversity of Ireland's coastline, investigating how cliffs, beaches, spits, estuaries, and sea stacks are formed by wave action and other coastal processes. They will use examples from the Wild Atlantic Way and the east coast, such as the Cliffs of Moher, Dingle Bay, and Killiney Beach, to ground their learning in real Irish landscapes.

8 methodologies

The Impact of the Sea on Irish Life and Economy

Students will investigate how the sea has shaped Irish life through fishing, trade, tourism, and emigration. They will explore how coastal communities in counties such as Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Cork, and Wexford depend on the sea for their livelihoods, and how Ireland's island character has influenced its history and culture.

8 methodologies

Coastal Erosion and Protection

Students will examine the processes of coastal erosion affecting Ireland's shoreline and investigate how communities and local authorities respond to the threat of losing land to the sea. They will explore case studies from vulnerable areas such as Lahinch in County Clare and Rosslare Strand in County Wexford, considering the human and environmental dimensions of coastal change.

8 methodologies

Water Quality in Irish Waterways

Students will investigate the quality of water in Irish rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, examining causes of pollution such as agricultural run-off, sewage, and plastic waste. They will explore the work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local conservation groups in monitoring and improving water quality in Ireland's waterways.

8 methodologies

Edited by Adriana Perusin, Editor-in-Chief, Flip Education