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Year 2 - Geography

The River Thames

What is life like in London?

Unit Summary

This unit explores the capital cities of London and Cardiff through their landmarks, transport, rivers and green spaces. Pupils describe key physical and human features and plan a day out using maps, images and simple route planning.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the importance of the River Thames to London.

Key Notes

  • People settled by the River Thames for navigation, trade and a water supply. Today, many bridges connect both banks.
  • Today, Londoners use the most water in the country; much of this comes from the River Thames.
  • Waste water is also pumped into the River Thames, which is why a new super sewer is being built.
  • The Thames' Barrier is a special piece of engineering that is designed to protect London from flooding.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • navigation: Navigation is finding a way from one place to another
  • banks: Banks are the edges of the land beside a river or waterway
  • bridges: Bridges are structures that enable people and vehicles to travel over another space, such as a river or road
  • sewer: A sewer is an underground pipe that takes dirty water, such as from baths and toilets, to the sewage works to be cleaned
  • flood: A flood is when there is too much water in a waterway, such as a river, and it overflows onto land that is normally dry

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think the banks of a river actually "burst" in an explosive way when there is a flood.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

People settled by the River Thames for navigation, trade and a water supply. Today, many bridges connect both banks. Today, Londoners use the most water in the country; much of this comes from the River Thames.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'navigation'

Navigation is finding a way from one place to another.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think the banks of a river actually "burst" in an explosive way when there is a flood. Correction: During a flood, the water level of a river is higher than the banks, so the water 'bursts' out of the river, over the banks onto the surrounding land.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 2 Geography guide library.