Rivers KS2 Geography PowerPoint Lesson – The Course of a River (Lesson 2)

£4.50

Clear, engaging KS2 geography lesson (17 slides) on the course of a river. Covers the upper, middle and lower course, erosion, transportation, deposition, river features and the river mouth. Includes discussion, labelling task and assessment questions.

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course of a river image
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Description

The Course of a River

KS2 Geography – Rivers (Lesson 2)

Teach pupils how rivers change from source to mouth with this structured and visually clear KS2 geography lesson.

This PowerPoint explains the three main stages of a river’s journey — upper course, middle course and lower course — and links key river processes to each stage.

Perfect for building strong geographical understanding and vocabulary within a Rivers unit.

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🌊 What’s Covered:

✔ The source of a river
✔ The upper course (V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, rapids)
✔ The middle course (meanders, lateral erosion, transportation)
✔ The lower course (deposition, floodplains, oxbow lakes)
✔ The mouth of a river
✔ Deltas and estuaries
✔ Erosion, transportation and deposition
✔ Key river features and vocabulary

🎯 Learning Objectives

Pupils will:

  • Identify the three main parts of a river

  • Describe the characteristics of the upper, middle and lower course

  • Explain how rivers change as they flow downstream

  • Link erosion, transportation and deposition to each stage

  • Use accurate geographical vocabulary

🗺 Key Vocabulary Included

Source
Mouth
Upper course
Middle course
Lower course
Erosion
Transportation
Deposition
Meander
Oxbow lake
Delta
Estuary
Sediment
Tributary

📚 Lesson Features

✔ Clear explanations of each river stage
✔ Visual slides to support understanding
✔ Guided discussion prompts
✔ Independent labelling activity (river journey diagram)
✔ Written challenge task
✔ True/False plenary assessment

This lesson works perfectly as Lesson 2 in a Rivers topic sequence.

⭐ Why Teachers Love This Resource

• Strong curriculum alignment for KS2
• Builds secure understanding of river processes
• Clear progression from source to mouth
• Encourages use of geographical terminology
• Ready-to-teach PowerPoint
• Ideal for Year 4–6

📦 Product Details

Subject: Geography
Topic: Rivers
Lesson: 2 – The Course of a River
Key Stage: KS2
Format: PowerPoint
Editable: Yes

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