What’s this?

Aung San Suu Kyi

Nobel Peace Prize

motivation: "for her

non-violent struggle

for democracy and

human rights"

8 December, 2014 What are the characteristics of a

river’s drainage basin?

Starter: what are these parts of the hydrological cycle?

• All rivers receive a water supply and the area of land this comes from is known as a drainage basin.

• The boundaries of the basin are known as the watershed and will usually be marked by areas of high land.

The drainage basin

River drainage basins

• Rivers begin in upland areas and flow downhill, becoming deeper and wider until they reach the sea.

• The drainage basin (aka ‘catchment’) is an area of land that is drained by a river

• As the river flows downstream its characteristics change through the three main sections of

- The Upper Course- The Middle Course- The Lower Course

Drainage basin diagram:

• River basins are an open systemwith inputs and outputs of water

Any rain falling

here will flow

within this basin

Common exam Qs

• These Qs come up often in exams:

- Locate features on diagram of river

- Explain the main ways rivers erode

- Explain how rivers transport material

• Your book

• A template

• A stick of glue

• Scissors

• Pencil crayons- blue and brown

• A pen

Template

Cut out the template.

Make sure you cut up the vertical line.

Using a brown crayon, shade around the circumference of the circle.

Using a blue crayon, shade the left triangle, draw some blue lines running from the top of the triangle and branching out towards

the edge of the circle.

Watershed the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin.

Source where a river begins.

Mouth where a river meets the sea.

Confluence the point at which two rivers meet.

Tributary a small river or stream that joins a larger river.

Channel this is where the river flows.

Drainage Basin this is the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

1

You will now need a pen. Number the following features on your template.

2

3

4

5

6

7

Glue the remaining blank triangle.

Stick the glued triangle under the shaded triangle, so it fits neatly.

Open your book to a double page. Glue the triangle and the bottom sides of the

diagram. Stick this firmly across the cease of the book. The tip of the triangle should

correspond to the cease.

It should look like this!

Watershed the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin.

Source where a river begins.

Mouth where a river meets the sea.

Confluence the point at which two rivers meet.

Tributary a small river or stream that joins a larger river.

Channel this is where the river flows.

Drainage Basin this is the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Give your diagram the title ‘River Basin’. Provide a date.

Write neatly the numbers and corresponding definitions into your

book.

Close your book!

Open your book!

Badge off E-Bay!

What will the source and mouth of the River Amazon look like?

• Make a prediction.

• Write two sentences for each:

– Name size, height and what you’d see.

– What will the land be used for?

Stages of a River

Source

Mouth

Factor and definition: Upper Stage Middle Stage Lower Stage

Erosion

Gradient

Depth

Velocity

Width

Volume

Landforms

Amazon

• Watch the film clip

• Take notes on the River Amazon

• Describe the landscape, landforms and how the river + the land is used.