Y3/4 (B): What are rivers and how are they used?
Use this unit hub to inform your Geography KS2 medium-term plan.
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Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify water stores and processes in the water cycle.
- Describe the three courses of a river.
- Name the physical features of a river.
- Name some major rivers and their location.
- Describe different ways a river is used.
- List some of the problems around rivers.
- Describe human and physical features around a river.
- Identify the location of a river on an OS map.
- Make a judgement on the environmental quality in a river environment.
- Make suggestions on how a river environment could be improved.
Lesson 6 involves fieldwork in a river or similar marine environment (e.g. a large lake or canal). It is important to risk-assess the proposed route taking into account any relevant school risk assessment policies and procedures. Refer to the Before the lesson section in Lesson 6 to prepare for this lesson. Please be aware this lesson may take longer than 1 hour.
Suggested prior learning
Y3/4 (B): Are all settlements the same?
Get startedLessons
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 1: What is the water cycle?
- To describe how the water cycle works.
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 2: How is a river formed?
- To recognise the features and courses of a river.
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 3: Where can we find rivers?
- To name and locate some of the world’s longest rivers.
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 4: How are rivers used?
- To describe how rivers are used.
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 5: What can we find out about our local river?
- To identify and locate human and physical features on a map.
Year 3/4 (B): Lesson 6: What features does our local river have?
- To collect data on the features of a local river.
Related content
Unit resources

Knowledge organiser: Geography – Y4 What are rivers and how are they used?
Aimed at pupils, a single page which gives key facts and definitions from the unit "What are rivers and how…

Vocabulary display: What are rivers and how are they used?
A display version of the vocabulary from the unit 'What are rivers and how are they used?'
Cross-curricular opportunities
English: Spoken language
Science: States of matter
Design and technology: Make
P.E
Art and design