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Life's a Beach - Dunes form and function

This is one of six education resource topics created for teachers of science and social science.

This page includes activities for students looking at how sand dunes are formed and why we need them.

View our Life's a Beach resource videos

The chart below outlines all activities that can be used in the classroom as well as out in the environment.

Activities

Environmental Education Aspect

Environmental Education Concept

Curriculum Links

Suggested Curriculum Level

4a

The importance of sand dunes

Activity summary and activity sheets

About the environment

Interdependence
Sustainability

English
Social Science
Science

Any

4b

Dune formation

Activity summary and activity sheets

PDF of PowerPoint Presentation

About the environment

Interdependence

Social Science
Science

Senior Secondary

4c

Sand budgeting

Activity summary and activity sheets

About the environment

Interdependence
Sustainability

Literacy

Secondary - Senior Secondary

4d

Role of plants in dunes

Activity summary and activity sheets

PDF of PowerPoint presentation

About the environment

Biodiversity
Interdependence
Sustainability

Social Science
Science

Any

4e

Role of plants in dunes - Bryans Beach case study

Activity summary and activity sheets

About the environment

Biodiversity
Interdependence
Sustainability

Social Science
Science

Level 4 and above

4f

Beach profiling - eroding and accreting dune comparison

Activity summary and activity sheets

About and for/with the environment

Interdependence
Sustainability
Biodiversity

Social Science Science

Senior secondary

4g

Tsunami and the dunes!

Activity summary and activity sheets

About the environment

Interdependence

Social Science
Science

Any secondary