Starter quiz
- What process causes the Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site.
- erosion ✓
- deposition
- transportation
- landform
-
What is this landform?- waterfall ✓
- meander
- floodplain
-
Which statements describe this river?- can't erode the land
- causes lots of erosion ✓
- lots of deposition takes place
- transports lots of material ✓
-
- A meander is a bend in the river., which of these statements correctly describe the processes taking place?
- erosion takes place on the outside of the bend ✓
- erosion takes place on the inside of the bend
- deposition takes place on the inside of the bend ✓
- deposition takes place on the outside of the bend
-
- Where are estuaries found?
- mouth ✓
- source
- on the floodplain
-
- As a river slows down it loses energy. This means what process increases?
- deposition ✓
- transportation
- erosion
-
Exit quiz
- Which of these describe the three parts of a river's course?
- upper course ✓
- middle course ✓
- top course
- lower course ✓
-
- Which of these statements describe the lower course?
- wide ✓
- slower flow
- deep ✓
- fast flow ✓
-
- Where on the river are these landforms found?
- waterfall⇔upper course ✓
- meander⇔middle and lower course ✓
- floodplain⇔middle and lower course ✓
What landforms can you see on this image?- meander ✓
- waterfall
- floodplain ✓
- estuary
-
- What happens to rocks in the river as they are eroded?
- smaller and rounder ✓
- larger and flatter
- no change at all
-
- Can you match the river course to the correct description?
- upper course⇔narrow, shallow and slow with large rocks ✓
- middle course⇔larger, wider and faster with smaller rocks and sediment ✓
- lower course⇔very wide and deep with very small sediment ✓
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The width and depth of rivers get larger and the river gets faster as it flows from source to mouth.
- The rocks in the river usually get smaller as the river flows downstream.
- Landforms like waterfalls are usually found in the upper course of a river.
- Landforms like meanders and floodplains are found in the middle and lower course of a river.
Common misconception
Rivers are fast near the source and become slower as they flow downstream.
Rivers are, on average, slower in the upper course. The reason for this is due to small rivers being slowed down by friction with the bed and the banks.
Keywords
Course - The course of a river is the path it takes from its source at the start to its mouth at the end
Downstream - Downstream is the direction a river flows as it moves towards the mouth
Tributary - A tributary is a smaller river or stream that joins a bigger river
Landform - A landform is a natural feature created by a process such as erosion or deposition
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