Rivers – a fieldwork approach

Going back to the Key Stage 3 Geography overview, another unit that focuses on physical geography is Unit 7: Rivers – a fieldwork approach. The various stages of rivers are shown in detail, from fresh springs, tributaries and streams in the upper stage, to river mouths, deltas and estuaries in the lower stage, and everything in between. This includes other features such as meanders, waterfalls, rapids, and draws on specific case studies, such as those on the Ganges delta and Severn estuary.

Hydrological processes are also covered, in footage, for example, showing an underwater cross-section of a river clearly displaying how it transports its load through processes such as suspension and traction. There are BBC news reports on flooding caused by rivers swollen from heavy rainfall, the issue of building on flood plains, and on the effectiveness of levee systems in the Netherlands and New Orleans.

The final section of the unit explores various uses of rivers, such as for leisure activities (including a case study looking at boating on the Thames at Windsor), how rivers historically facilitated trade by providing a means of transport, and how they contribute to the economy of areas along them in a different way today, often being the location for modern apartment blocks, for example.

If you take out a free 30-day trial of the gallery you will be able to see that each video is accompanied by a set of classroom usage suggestions, written especially with the clip and learning objective in mind. The usage suggestions for the river clips are particularly useful to tie them in with the fieldwork dimension of the unit, and offer helpful ideas for methods of investigation and fieldwork techniques.

This example clip from the unit shows the various stages of the River Tay in Scotland from source to mouth:

Please note that this is an example clip provided through our YouTube channel and does not reflect the actual quality of clips in the gallery.