The River Thames
I can explain the importance of the River Thames to London.
The River Thames
I can explain the importance of the River Thames to London.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- People settled by the River Thames for navigation, trade and a water supply. Today, many bridges connect both banks.
- Today, Londoners use the most water in the country; much of this comes from the River Thames.
- Waste water is also pumped into the River Thames, which is why a new super sewer is being built.
- The Thames’ Barrier is a special piece of engineering that is designed to protect London from flooding.
Keywords
Navigation - Navigation is finding a way from one place to another
Banks - Banks are the edges of the land beside a river or waterway
Bridges - Bridges are structures that enable people and vehicles to travel over another space, such as a river or road
Sewer - A sewer is an underground pipe that takes dirty water, such as from baths and toilets, to the sewage works to be cleaned
Flood - A flood is when there is too much water in a waterway, such as a river, and it overflows onto land that is normally dry
Common misconception
Pupils may think the banks of a river actually "burst" in an explosive way when there is a flood.
During a flood, the water level of a river is higher than the banks, so the water 'bursts' out of the river, over the banks onto the surrounding land.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence. The mouth of a river is where it meets the .
Q2.How do we use rivers?
Q3.About how many parks and green spaces are there in London?
Q4.Why do people that live in cities enjoy spending time in parks?
Q5.What is recreation?
Q6.Put the words in order to complete the sentence. London is the world's first .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these allows people to cross from one side of a river to the other?
Q2.What does the Thames Barrier help to protect London from?
Q3.Where does most of our waste water end up?
Q4.Complete the sentence. We use water every day when we brush our .
Q5.Match the words to the definitions.
A natural stream of flowing water.
The part of the river that enters the sea.
The land alongside the river.
When a river channel overflows.