1. Teaching rivers creatively
How to make geography fun

2. Rivers is a technical topic to teach and the pupils need to understand and be confident using the correct technical vocabulary as well as have a good understanding of the processes and how they work.
Teaching about a rivers long profile can be challenging, as it is rare that pupils get to see the whole long profile in reality, so find it difficult to make the connections.

3. Why be creative ? How we teach has an impact on how well pupils learn
Lecture %
Reading %
Audio-visual %
Demonstration %
Discussion %
Practice by doing %
Teaching others %

4. Key terminology and ideas
Key features
Key processes/ terminology
Source
Waterfall
Rapids
V shaped valley
Meander
Upper, middle and lower course
Floodplain
Ox bow lake
Mouth/ estuary
River cliff
Slip off slope
Erosion – hydraulic action, attrition, abrasion.
Transportation – solution, suspension, traction
Deposition
Velocity – highest/ lowest
Hellicoidal flow
Fastest flow

5. The course of a river

6. Building a river long profile
There are two different techniques here that you can use. One group is going to use the marble run the other produce a river in a box.
Both groups will need to be able to describe and explain the process taking place on their model using technical terminology.

7. Creative rivers River marble run River in a box
Using only what is in the box make a working model of a river.
It must have a source, rapids waterfall, meanders, ox bow lake, floodplain and mouth.
You must be able to run both marbles down together
Label the main features and describe the processes taking place.
Using only the materials in the box make a model of a river from source to mouth in the box provided.
It must have a source, rapids waterfall, meanders, ox bow lake, floodplain, mouth and ‘V’ shaped valley,
Label the features and describe the processes taking place.

8. Some examples to inspire you

9. Helpful material www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdFZy4n2wwA