Rivers: what's special about them?
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Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ learning about the water cycle and land use by focusing on rivers and their role in shaping the land. Its placement helps pupils understand how rivers work, why they matter, and how they affect people and places in the UK and beyond.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Knowledge of what a river is and does (flows from high to low), basic river vocabulary.
- Experience of having visited a local river or waterway and understanding of the water cycle.
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ learning about the water cycle and land use by focusing on rivers and their role in shaping the land. Its placement helps pupils understand how rivers work, why they matter, and how they affect people and places in the UK and beyond.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Knowledge of what a river is and does (flows from high to low), basic river vocabulary.
- Experience of having visited a local river or waterway and understanding of the water cycle.
Rivers: what's special about them?
This unit explores how rivers change the land as they flow. Pupils learn about the journey of a river from source to mouth, the effects of flooding, and what makes rivers important. They compare rivers in the UK, Europe and other parts of the world.
8 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Rivers: what's special about them? unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our primary geography curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for primary geography programmes.