River skills practice- The River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in the United Kingdom. It begins in Wales and ends in England. Today you will explore the river Severn using maps and satellite images.

Lesson aims- Double trouble!

1) Improve your knowledge of rivers and the landscape around them for Paper 12) Improve your ability to interpret maps and satellite imagery for Paper 2

Instructions

1. Click on the following link http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm2. Click on the binoculars at the top of the screen and search for “source of river severn”

3. You will see a map and a satellite image of the area appear on either side of the screen. If you wave the cursor over the satellite image it should show you where that is on the map

4. The blue rectangle on the map screen is indicating which area is shown on the satellite image

5. Zoom in on the source and try and find it on both the map and the satellite image6. Take a screen shot (print screen) and paste it into the box below, using an arrow to point out the

river source.

7. Make sure you are zoomed in on the source to a level where you can see contour lines on the map.

8. Take a screen shot of the contour lines around the river Severn’s source and paste it in the box below. Using the contour lines and the satellite images , describe the relief of the land around the river source in the box below around your pasted image

REMEMBER- relief means the shape and height of the land. You should be using phrases like- Valley, Hill, Slope, Steep , Gentle, Flat and actually giving heights where possible.

9. Now follow the river Severn on the screen from its source to an area called Old Hall- you should do this on a zoom level where you can see the in depth contour line.

Using the map and the satellite images- describe what the landscape around the river is like along this section of the upper course as you move from the source to old hall under the following headings

Vegetation-

Relief

10. In this upper course area of the river Severn- you can find many upland river features. Try to find an example of each of the following and add a screen shot of them labelled below

A confluence

11. Either follow the river to a town called Llanidloes or just type Llanidloes into the seach box and find the river. Now answer the following questions.

Tributary

Add image here

Confluence

Add image here

Waterfall

Add image here

a) What stage of the river do you think you are now looking at?

b) How do you know this is the stage you are in?- Consider shape and size of river, and relief

12. In this stage of the river you find the flood plains around a river. Complete the following tasks on flood plains

13) Meanders are also found in this stage of a river. Copy and paste a satellite image of a meander near Llanidloes below and annotate it to show the following things you have learnt about a meander.

Outside bend / River Cliff/ Inside bend / Slip off slope/ Deposition / Erosion/ Fastest water / Slowest water

a) What is a flood plain?

b) Screen shot a satellite image and map image of a flood plain and label it to show how you knew this was a flood plain

13. Either follow the river all the way to the large town of Shrewsbury or search for Shrewsbury in the search area. Explore the area and the river Severn in this area and then answer the following questions.

14. Follow the river Severn to the settlement of Buildwas or search for it using the search tool.

15. Now either follow the river to the Mouth of the Severn or search for it with the search tool. Scroll back up the river for a bit and scroll around the mouth to explore the area. Then complete the following tasks.

a) In which settlement pattern would you say Shrewsbury was built?

b) Name at least 4 services that you can see existing in Shrewsbury

c) Why could the people of Shrewsbury be at risk from the River Severn?

EXTRA: Using street view- explore the area near the river Severn in Shrewsbury- see if you can find any ways in which people have managed the river Severn.

a) What type of land use is found in this area?

b) Why is this land use often found around a river at this stage?

a) By using screen shots and annotations , show evidence of the following- Deposition of material - Widening of the river