River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand the processes at work in a river.
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.
Teacher tip
Use of mini whiteboards to allow students to test understanding of these proceses will help to develop understanding for use in later lessons.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is erosion?
Q2.What is a meander?
Q3.What is a floodplain?
Q4.How does a river valley change as it moves downstream?
Q5.What is the watershed?
Q6.A river's __________ describes the river's journey from source to mouth.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.__________ is the breakdown and removal of material by a river.
Q2.When does deposition occur?
Q3.What ways do rivers transport sediment?
Q4.What is river discharge?
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition, 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 4 geography lessons from the River landscapes unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.