Year 3 - Geography
Flooding rivers
Rivers: what's special about them?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores how rivers change the land as they flow. Pupils learn about the journey of a river from source to mouth, the effects of flooding, and what makes rivers important. They compare rivers in the UK, Europe and other parts of the world.
Lesson Summary
You can identify some causes and impacts of flooding and give recent examples.
Key Notes
- Rivers flood when they can't hold all the water that is entering into them from tributaries, the soil and the rock.
- Heavy rainfall or long-lasting rainfall is a common cause of flooding.
- Steep slopes can cause flooding as rainwater will run quickly downhill to the river during a storm.
- Humans can make flooding more likely by deforestation and building tarmac and concrete surfaces.
Vocabulary To Learn
- banks: The sides of a river are called its banks.
- drainage basin: A drainage basin is the area drained by a river and its tributaries.
- deforestation: Deforestation is where trees are chopped down by humans.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- River flooding is only influenced by natural factors like the amount of rainfall.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Rivers flood when they can't hold all the water that is entering into them from tributaries, the soil and the rock. Heavy rainfall or long-lasting rainfall is a common cause of flooding.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'banks'
The sides of a river are called its banks.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: River flooding is only influenced by natural factors like the amount of rainfall. Correction: Humans can make flooding more likely by building towns and cities and deforestation.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 3 Geography guide library.