LKS2 Topic: Mountains, Rivers and Coasts Block B: Rivers for People
Rivers have always been extremely important for people. Find out about the importance of rivers in
settlements, travel and farming. Investigate bridges, irrigation, and the industrial use of rivers too.
Design and make your own water wheel!
Block B: Rivers for People
[5 Sessions]
Main Outcome: Geography
Other outcomes: Science and D&T
By the end of this block you
will have achieved the
following outcomes:

Session 1 Geography and
Science
River Crossings
Learn about how people
cross over rivers and about
different bridge designs; test
bridge strength and begin to
understand how forces act
on bridges.
Session 2 Geography and
Science
Rivers for Life
Investigate the importance
of the Nile to life in Egypt
and make a simulation
model with water flowing
through a crop of cress
seeds.
Describe and understand key aspects of human and physical geography including
land use and rivers.
 Use maps and atlases to locate and describe features studied.
 Describe and understand key aspects of human geography including, settlement,
land use and the distribution of water.
 Describe and understand key aspects of: physical geography including rivers and
vegetation belts.
 Set up simple, practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
 Use results to draw simple conclusions.
 Make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further
questions.
 To explore the requirements of a plant for life and growth.
 Shaping, joining and finishing], accurately; select and use a wider range of
materials and components … according to their functional properties and aesthetic
qualities.
Children will
 Understand the different ways people cross rivers.
 Know how place names can be derived from river crossings.
 Play a quiz game that will help them learn about some well-known bridges.
 Investigate the strength of different bridges, measuring variables and recording
results.
 Begin to understand the scientific forces that act on bridges.
Children will
 Learn about the importance of the Nile to life in Egypt and answer key questions
about it for a display.
 Make a simulation model of Egypt with the River Nile flowing through it, planting
cress seeds to simulate crops.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.The links to the websites and the
contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’) have been checked by
Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton Trust’s knowledge,
are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton Trust website,
you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links, changed
such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
LKS2 Topic: Mountains, Rivers and Coasts Block B: Rivers for People
Session 3 Geography
Settlements along Rivers
Review the importance of
rivers and rainfall in the
growing of crops; investigate
the relationship between
rivers and settlements in
Britain.
Session 4 Geography
Rivers for Transport,
Industry and Leisure
Learn about how we use
rivers for transport, industry
and leisure; make a tourist
leaflet or turning explanation
wheel; play a game to show
you understand these
categories of river use.
Session 5 Geography and
D&T
River Power
Learn about different types
of waterpower including
hydroelectric power stations;
investigate traditional
waterwheels and then design
and make a waterwheel
using recycled packaging.
Children will
 Review the cress seed models of the river Nile and surrounding desert and draw
conclusions about the importance of rivers and rainfall in the growing of crops.
 Understand the importance of the River Nile to life in Egypt and make an
information sheet (Easy/Medium).
 Investigate the relationship between rivers and settlements in Britain by finding
the mapped area of towns and cities along the course of 5 different rivers.
Children will
 Learn about the different ways in which rivers are used by people.
 Make a tourist leaflet or turning explanation wheel to demonstrate their
knowledge.
 Play a game to reinforce understanding of the different categories of river use by
people.
Children will
 Learn about the different types of water power including hydroelectric power
stations
 Learn how water drove a traditional waterwheel to create power to drive
machinery
 Design and make a waterwheel using recycled packaging, testing and refining it
during the making process
Resources
Session 1
Provided: PowerPoint: Bridges; Task sheet: I can test the strength of different bridges.
You will need: Plenty of books (for easy/medium group science investigation) to make river banks;
Sheets of A3 card, multilink cubes, rulers, pencils, pens.
Session 2
Provided: PowerPoint: Make a River Valley; Task sheet: River Lift Flap Questions
You will need: Google Earth installed on your class computer; 5 plastic school storage trays, an
atomiser water spray; 5 strong carrier bags, scrunched up scrap paper, strong tape; Kitchen paper, 5
small pots of PVA glue diluted 1:1 with water, brushes About 40 small stones or pebbles(8 per group),
5 packets of cress seeds; Access to the internet, printouts from websites on the Nile, Atlases; 5 sets of
the Lift up flap questions printed on A4 card (1 set per group).
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.The links to the websites and the
contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’) have been checked by
Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton Trust’s knowledge,
are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton Trust website,
you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links, changed
such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
LKS2 Topic: Mountains, Rivers and Coasts Block B: Rivers for People
Session 3
Provided: PowerPoint: Results of our River Nile Simulation Experiment; Task sheet: I know about life
beside the River Nile; Task sheet: I can research the size of settlements along the course of a river.
You will need:
Cress seed models of River Nile and the surrounding desert created in Session 2; Access to Google
Maps; Photocopied pages from a giant AA road atlas to show the settlements along these rivers- Arun
P.14, Ribble P.83, Colne P. 46, Itchen Ps 24/25, Hull ps 86/87; Acetate sheets with a 1cm grid
photocopied onto it (enough for hard group to have 1 between 2); Pens, pencils and colouring pencils.
Session 4
Provided: PowerPoint: Ways that People Use Rivers; Task sheet Easy: Make an
Explanation Wheel; Task sheet: Resource game; Task sheet Hard/Medium; Attractions at Riverside
Adventures.
You will need: Flip chart and pens;; A few tourist leaflets – zigzag fold type (readily available free in
tourist information centres, hotel foyers or even supermarkets) to show as examples for Hard/Medium
task; Medium/Hard task sheet copied in colour (enough for 1 each); Easy Task sheet copied onto white
card (enough for 1 each and an extra one to make segment shaped templates; An extra sheet of A4
white card each for the Easy group; Pens, pencils, scissors, colouring pencils, glue sticks, split pins, a
lump of sticky tack; Plenary Game copied onto card and cut up into a set of cards.
Session 5
Provided: PowerPoint: Water mills use the force of running water to turn machinery
You will need: A large selection of clean recycled packaging: large plastic, metal or cardboard
cylinders/drums (for water wheels), cardboard boxes of various sizes, e.g. cereal packets, tea boxes,
and larger boxes (for mills), egg boxes, aluminium cases, small containers, e.g. yogurt pots, lids and
caps from bottles (for the paddles/ buckets on the wheels); 5mm Wooden dowelling; 5mm plastic
tubing (cut into sections of roughly 1cm to use as stoppers over the dowelling); A bradawl or similar
sharp tool (e.g. large needle or knitting needle) for making pilot holes); Junior hacksaws and bench
hooks; Split pins, lumps of plasticine or sticky tack, scissors, paper, PVA glue, acrylic paints, brushes;
Jugs of fine, dry sand (or free flowing table salt) to simulate the flow of water to test the wheels; A
large tray (to put under the mill to catch the sand when testing it); A funnel (to return the sand to the
jug); Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.The links to the websites and the
contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’) have been checked by
Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton Trust’s knowledge,
are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton Trust website,
you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links, changed
such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.