Using GIS to analyse river catchments and profiles
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use GIS to analyse river catchments and profiles.
Key learning points
- The GIS tool 'Trace Downstream' can be used to analyse the course of a river.
- The GIS tool 'Create Watersheds' can be used to analyse the drainage basin (catchment) of a river.
- The GIS tool 'Elevation Profile' can be used to find out if a river's long profile corresponds to a theoretical model.
Keywords
Analysis tools - a range of GIS applications used to support the processing, analysing, and visualising of spatial data
Trace Downstream - a GIS tool which maps the course of a river from a location such as its source to the end of the river
Create Watersheds - a GIS tool which maps the drainage basin or catchment of a river and all of its tributaries
Elevation profile - a GIS tool which visualises changes in height above or below sea level along any transect line such as a river course
Common misconception
Difficulty in remembering meaning and location of icons in ArcGIS Online, e.g. Analysis Tools and Scene Tools.
Frequent reminders and checks for understanding about icon locations and their meanings, e.g. Analysis Tools and Scene Tools.
Teacher tip
No matter what your level of experience is with GIS, go through all the steps yourself first until you feel confident and fluent. Don't worry if you make a mistake, everybody does, even experienced practitioners!
Equipment
The lesson will require students to have access to a suitable IT device, e.g. laptop and log-ons for ArcGIS Online. Some tasks would be facilitated by using a mouse to control the cursor.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a river source?
Q2.What is the mouth of a river?
Q3.What is a river’s watershed?
Q4.What is a river catchment?
Q5.What is a river profile?
Q6.In which part of the river is the slope or gradient steepest?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.How can GIS help analyse a river profile?
Q2.GIS analysis tools such as _________ Downstream can be used to analyse the course of a river.
Q3.Which of these is 'a GIS tool which visualises changes in height above or below sea level along any transect line such as a river course'?
Q4.What is the main benefit of using GIS for river analysis?
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: Using GIS to analyse river catchments and profiles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: Using GIS to analyse river catchments and profiles, 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.
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