Rivers are one of the topics covered in KS2 geography. Children will look at the different features of rivers, for example deltas, banks or the source.
Rivers are natural streams of water. They are formed by the movement of water from high ground to lower ground and then usually to the sea. The place where a river begins is called its source. Rivers are constantly changing as they flow over lands and have many different features. They can change shape as they erode the ground at their banks. When rivers eventually meet the sea they may form 'D' shaped masses of channels called deltas.. Small rivers are also called streams, creeks and brooks.
For a lovely look at the beauty of many rivers, we highly recommend the Geoaffairs website, particularly Europe's 2nd longest river.
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You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Explore rivers
The upper course is on steeper ground so it flows faster
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The river bed is made up of rocks, mud, sand or pebbles
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River banks can be eroded by the water in the river over time
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Rivers often have their sources in mountains or hills
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A tributary is a stream or river that flows into another river rather than into the sea
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Transportation is part of the process that changes the shape of the river over time
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Erosion can occur both on the banks and bed of the river
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When a river slows down near its end the materials it has been carrying are often deposited
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The Humber and the Thames are both famous estuaries in Britain. The picture is a view of the Humber Estuary taken from the International Space Station
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Deltas are named after the Greek letter delta, which is the shape of a triangle
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