New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

Processes creating distinctive landscapes

I can explain how distinctive upland and lowland landscapes result from physical processes and human activity.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

Processes creating distinctive landscapes

I can explain how distinctive upland and lowland landscapes result from physical processes and human activity.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Physical processes shape landforms through interaction with geology.
  2. Weathering, rivers and slope processes shape the land.
  3. Climate affects the formation of landscapes over time.
  4. Human activity also changes how landscapes look and function.

Keywords

  • Weathering - the breakdown or disintegration of rocks at or near Earth's surface

  • Erosion - process where material is worn away and removed by the action of rivers, wind, ice and waves

  • Slope processes - processes that move material downslope due to gravity

  • Climate - the long-term average of weather over a 30-year period

  • Human activity - actions like farming, forestry and building that alter landscapes

Common misconception

Weathering and erosion are the same process.

Weathering breaks down rocks in place without movement, while erosion involves the removal and transport of that material by wind, water, ice, or gravity.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Processes creating distinctive landscapes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use of GIS could be used to investigate different lowland and upland areas to consider the processes involved in their development. A good understanding of key processes will help ideas to be developed in this lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the term to its definition.
Correct Answer:Igneous rocks,Formed from cooled molten magma

Formed from cooled molten magma

Correct Answer:Sedimentary rocks,Made from compacted sediment layers

Made from compacted sediment layers

Correct Answer:Metamorphic rocks,Changed by heat and pressure

Changed by heat and pressure

Correct Answer:Geology,Study of Earth's structure

Study of Earth's structure

Q2.
Which process shaped upland landscapes in the UK 20 000 years ago?
Rivers
Correct answer: Glaciers
Volcanic activity
Tectonic plates movement
Q3.
What is a landscape?
Only natural scenery
Correct answer: An area shaped by physical and human processes
Just flat land
A geological map
Q4.
Which of these landforms are created by river erosion?
Headland
Arete
Correct answer: Waterfall
Floodplain
Q5.
Which process does not move rock material?
Correct answer: Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Transportation
Q6.
Which landform is created by river deposition?
V-shaped valley
Correct answer: Floodplain
Corrie
Drumlin

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:Weathering,Rock breakdown without movement

Rock breakdown without movement

Correct Answer:Climate,Long-term average weather over 30 years

Long-term average weather over 30 years

Correct Answer:Slope processes,Movement of material downslope

Movement of material downslope

Q2.
breaks down rock in place, without transporting it.
Correct Answer: Weathering
Q3.
What happens during freeze-thaw weathering?
Rock melts
Correct answer: Water freezes in cracks and breaks the rock
Trees rub against rocks
Wind smooths rock surfaces
Q4.
Some people think weathering and erosion are the same. What’s the key difference?
Erosion is slower
Correct answer: Erosion removes material, weathering breaks it down in place
Weathering uses wind, erosion uses water
There is no difference