Infinity Academies Trust
Topic
Misty Mountain, Winding River!
This project teaches children about the characteristics and features of rivers and mountain ranges around the world, including a detailed exploration of the ecosystems and processes that shape them and the land around them.
Rivers
VocabularyDelta, floodplain, interlocking spurs, meander, oxbow lake, V-shaped valley, waterfall. |
We will learn about how rivers are formed, the names for the different parts of the river and carry out a case study on the River Trent. Whilst doing this we will learn to use 4 and 6 figure grid references to identify where human and physical features can be found on the river bank. Using atlas' we will then find out about rivers in other countries and learn about their uses.
Mountains
VocabularyContour lines, altitudinal zones, fold mountains, volcanic mountains, fault-block mountains, dome mountains, plateau mountains. |
We will learn what a mountain is, how it is formed and the names of different types of mountains! After that we will investigate different mountain ranges in other countries and locate these on maps and in atlas'.
Our Visit to Snipedales Nature reserve
To start of our topic we visited snipedales nature reserve near Spilsby where we were able to study how rivers are formed. Whilst at the nature reserve we were able to practice our fieldwork skills by measuring parts of the river, testing what lives in the river and measuring the speed the river flows.
Learning to take samples from the river
Kick Sampling
What did we find?
We found many different creatures and we used the key to try to identify them.
Measuring the speed of the river
We measured a section of the river using the measuring tape. Next we got our stopwatches ready and we timed how long it took for the dog biscuit to travel along the section we had measured. We were then able to work out the speed of the river.
What are rivers used for?
We found out about the different uses of rivers by looking at Google Earth and following a river. We found out that rivers can be used for leisure activities such as kayaking, fishing or paddle boarding, for transportation, for settlements, for generating power and for nature.
Using an atlas or a map
We have been learning how to use an atlas or map. We found out that an atlas has an index which we can use to locate places. We then learnt how to find the correct place using the grid reference given!
What are the names of the major world rivers?
We used an atlas to locate some of the major world rivers and to find out which countries they are located in. Click the link below to try out your river knowledge!
Mountains
We have started learning about mountains! To begin our learning we looked at the different types of mountain and some of us researched how they were formed. We identified mountains on maps and learnt how contour lines are used to show the height of land on a map.
Our Special Visitor
We were very excited to meet a real-life mountaineer! Miss Anstey came to visit us to tell us about the mountains she has climbed, what equipment she used and how she prepared for her walks! We learnt that Miss Anstey had to be very determined to reach the peaks as sometimes the journeys were long and the weather made them hard too! Miss Anstey also showed us the maps she used to plan her route up the mountains and we were able to see the real contour lines on the map.
