The middle and lower course of a river
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the characteristics and landforms associated with the middle and lower course of a river.
Key learning points
- As the river flows downstream, the gradient becomes flatter and the river becomes wider and deeper.
- Landforms such as meanders form in the middle course of a river.
- Landforms such as levees, flodplains, estuaries and deltas can be found in the lower course.
- Over time oxbow lakes can form when meander loops become cut off following a flood.
- Deposition occurs in the lower course and this forms landforms such as deltas and estuaries.
Keywords
Meander - a winding bend in a river
Oxbow lake - a curved lake formed by an old meander
Levee - an embankment alongside a river
Floodplain - a flat area of land either side of a river which experiences flood in periods of high river flow
Estuary - the tidal mouth of a river, where the river meets the sea or ocean
Common misconception
Levees are man made.
Levees can be built as a flood defence but they can also be created naturally.
Teacher tip
Use google maps satelite view to show the colour of rivers near the estruary to show where deposition is taking place.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is river erosion?
Q2.Why is the hydrological cycle important?
Q3.What is precipitation?
Q4.What is the largest river in the world by length?
Q5.What is the name of a waterfall’s steep drop?
Q6.What is the main cause of river erosion?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is the main feature formed in the middle course of a river?
Q2.What is a floodplain?
Q3.What causes the formation of levees?
Q4.Which process increases in the lower course?
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The middle and lower course of a river, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The middle and lower course of a river, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Rivers: How do rivers shape the land? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.