Teaching notes and ideas
Name of resource:
Rivers
Age group(s)
Subject(s)
11 to 14
Geography
Topic
Language Level
Rivers
Beginner
EAL Nexus
Description of resource
Resource pack comprising:
 Flashcards of key terms
 Flashcards of key visuals
 Flashcards of definitions
 PowerPoint on features of rivers for Interactive White Board
 A worksheet on the location of the river features
Preparation needed
You will need:
 A whiteboard or projector to use the main PowerPoint
 A copy of the set of flashcards from the other PowerPoints for the EAL
beginner(s)
 Copies of the worksheet for each EAL beginner in the class
You will need to:
 Make flash cards by printing out the 3 different coloured PowerPoint files as
two-to-a-page hand outs (recommended) or six-to-a-page for smaller cards.
These can be laminated for re-use.
 Print a copy of the worksheet for each EAL learner so they can be glued in their
exercise books and they have a list of key terms to refer to
Curriculum objectives
 To recognise the river features
 To understand the definition of each river feature
 To understand where a river feature is found in the river’s journey from start to
finish
Language / literacy objectives
Functions
Structures
 Describing
 Passive voice using singular and plural subjects
(is/are found)
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2014
EAL Nexus
Vocabulary
Key geographical terms:
Source, drainage basin, watershed, confluence, tributaries, flood plain, river mouth,
river bank, river bed, channel, delta, sediment, meander, silt, waterfall, ox-bow
lake, interlocking spurs, estuary.
This resource could be used:
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

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with the whole class as a revision session
as differentiation within class with EAL learners
one to one or small group with a teaching assistant
independent learning as a homework
Ideas for using the resource
What to do
 Use the key words and visuals for pre-teaching, see Introducing new
vocabulary. Encourage the EAL learners to translate the key word and / or the
definition into their first language, see Use of bilingual dictionaries.
 The river visuals, terms and definitions can be used as flashcards / pairs cards
in matching and sorting activities, when printed as hand-outs, 2 per page, cut
and laminated.
 The EAL learner can be given a pen to highlight unfamiliar words in the
definitions as they read them.
 The worksheet has a list of key words to translate.
 Use the substitution table in the worksheet to encourage the EAL learner to
generate simple sentences to describe the position of the river feature. Explain
the usage of the auxiliary verb is/are in the passive sentence.
Other ideas for making the best use of this resource
 Learners could be encouraged to group the river features depending whether
they would appear in the upper, middle or lower stages of the river’s journey as
collaborative group or pair work.
 Learners who share a language may find it helpful to discuss the definitions of the
features in their first language before trying to talk about them in English.
 Print copies of the keywords visuals and translations and laminate to use as a
mat or display on the walls in the classroom
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2014