New
New
River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition
I can understand the processes at work in a river.
New
New
River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition
I can understand the processes at work in a river.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Rivers erode landscapes through the processes of hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition and solution.
- Rivers transport sediment through the processes of traction, saltation, suspension and solution.
- Rivers deposit sediment in areas of low energy.
Keywords
Sediment - particles of rock, soil, and organic material that are carried by a river as it flows (they vary in size from fine silt to larger boulders)
River discharge - the volume of water that flows through a river at a given point over a specific period of time
River velocity - the speed at which water flows in a river
Common misconception
Deposition only occurs at the mouth of a river.
Deposition happens at the mouth of a river, but it also occurs wherever the river loses energy and can no longer carry its load of sediment.
Use of mini whiteboards to allow students to test understanding of these proceses will help to develop understanding for use in later lessons.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.What is erosion?
What is erosion?
The process of water slowing down
The movement of material along the river
The depositing of material by a river
Q2.What is a meander?
What is a meander?
A waterfall formed by erosion
A fast-flowing section of a river
A landform found in the upper course
Q3.What is a floodplain?
What is a floodplain?
A steep valley created by erosion
A type of river erosion
A deep section of a river’s channel
Q4.How does a river valley change as it moves downstream?
How does a river valley change as it moves downstream?
It stays the same from source to mouth
It becomes steeper with more waterfalls
It becomes deeper and narrower with no change in width
Q5.What is the watershed?
What is the watershed?
The start of a river
A smaller river that joins the main river
Where a river end meets the sea
Q6.A river's __________ describes the river's journey from source to mouth.
A river's __________ describes the river's journey from source to mouth.
cross section
gradient
Assessment exit quiz
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4 Questions
Q1.__________ is the breakdown and removal of material by a river.
__________ is the breakdown and removal of material by a river.
Transportation
Deposition
Q2.When does deposition occur?
When does deposition occur?
When a river is flowing very quickly
Q3.What ways do rivers transport sediment?
What ways do rivers transport sediment?
Suspension, supposition, trapping, saltinisation
Moving, dropping, rolling, dissolving
Q4.What is river discharge?
What is river discharge?
The sediment carried by the river
The speed of the water in the river