New
New
Year 3

River processes and landforms

I can describe processes happening in a river and landforms that they create

New
New
Year 3

River processes and landforms

I can describe processes happening in a river and landforms that they create

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Rivers move water and processes of erosion, transport and deposition create different landforms along a river’s course.
  2. Rocks pebbles and sediment carried by the river bash against the banks to crack and weaken them.
  3. Landforms like waterfalls, meanders and floodplains are created by rivers.
  4. An estuary forms where fresh river water mixes with salty sea water.

Keywords

  • Erosion - Erosion is the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site

  • Transportation - Transportation is where rivers move sand, mud and rocks

  • Deposition - Deposition is when sand, mud and rocks are dropped by the river

  • Landform - A landform is a natural feature created by a process such as erosion or deposition

Common misconception

Rivers always stay in exactly the same place over time.

Rivers can change their course over time due to erosion.

Use a snow globe or stir some sediment into a clear beaker of water to demonstrate transportation and deposition.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
Unscramble the letters to find the missing word; rivers __________ the land.
1 - D
2 - R
3 - A
4 - I
5 - N
Q2.
How does rainwater that falls on the ground reach the river?
Correct answer: over the surface
Correct answer: through soil
Correct answer: through rock
people tip it in
Q3.
Can you match the key word to its correct definition?
Correct Answer:stream,these are small rivers

these are small rivers

Correct Answer:tributary,a smaller river that joins a larger river

a smaller river that joins a larger river

Correct Answer:confluence,where two rivers meet

where two rivers meet

Q4.
What is a reservoir?
Correct answer: a man made store of water
a natural lake
a tributary
Q5.
Which city does the River Thames run through?
Correct answer: London
Paris
Madrid
Q6.
The area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries is called a drainage __________ . Unscramble the letters to help you find the missing word.
1 - B
2 - A
3 - S
4 - I
5 - N

6 Questions

Q1.
Match these key words with their correct definition?
Correct Answer:erosion,the process of Earth’s surface being worn away and removed.

the process of Earth’s surface being worn away and removed.

Correct Answer:transportation,where rivers move sand, mud and rocks

where rivers move sand, mud and rocks

Correct Answer:deposition,when sand, mud and rocks are dropped by the river

when sand, mud and rocks are dropped by the river

Q2.
Which of these are natural landforms you see on a river?
Correct answer: waterfall
Correct answer: meander
mountain
Q3.
Which of these describe how a river transports material?
Correct answer: bouncing
Correct answer: floating
Correct answer: rolling
erosion
Q4.
Waterfalls can form when a river flows from an area of rock to an area of soft rock.
Correct Answer: hard
Q5.
What is a bend in a river is called?
1 - M
2 - E
3 - A
4 - N
5 - D
6 - E
7 - R
Q6.
Which of these statements describe a floodplain?
Correct answer: flat land next to the river
Correct answer: floods after heavy rain
steep land in the mountains
a bend in the river