Rivers are important natural features that serve several key purposes. They carry water and nutrients across the landscape, playing an important role in the water cycle. Many rivers also support agriculture by providing irrigation water for crops. Large rivers like the Ganges flow through densely populated areas, providing freshwater and enabling settlements to develop along their banks.

1. Why are rivers important?
Geography
Mr Burton

2. Why are rivers important?
Geography
Mr Burton

3. Rivers are a key feature of the Earth’s natural
landscape
River - a moving body of water that flows
from its source on high ground, across land,
and then into another body of water
Landscape - everything you can see when
you look across an area of land, including
hills, rivers, buildings, trees and plants
3
Credit: Wikimedia Commons - NASA - Satellite
image of the Indus River Delta, Pakistan

4. Key features
● Rivers carry water and nutrients
● They play a very important part in the
water cycle, acting as drainage channels
for surface water
● Many rivers are seasonal and flow only
during the rainy season. During the dry
season, lots of surface water evaporates
and storage of water can be difficult
4
Credit: Wikimedia Commons - NASA - Satellite
image of the Indus River Delta, Pakistan

5. Major rivers
of England
and Wales
Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Ilmari Karonen - Map showing
major rivers in England
Stoke
Nottingham
London
Reading
Oxford
Bristol

6. The River Trent
6
Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Richard Croft - Photograph
showing industrial buildings,
Newark on Trent

7. The River Thames
7
Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Unknown author - Picture showing
London Docks in 1845

8. Major rivers of
England
Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Ilmari Karonen - Map showing
major rivers in England

9. The River Thames
9
Credit: Wikimedia
Commons - George
Melashvili - Map showing
path of the River Thames,
England
North Sea
N

10. Pause the video to complete your task
Resume once you’re finished
Task:
1) Describe the path of the River Thames in England
2)Describe the distribution of settlements near to this river
Success criteria:
● Use compass directions
in your answer
● Name specific
settlements in your
answer
Credit:
Wikimedia
Commons -
George Melashvili
- Map showing
path of the River
Thames, England
N

11. 1. Describe the path of the River Thames in England
The River Thames flows eastwards across south-east England ✔, into the
North Sea ✔.
1. Describe the distribution of settlements near to this river
Many settlements are located on the river ✔. For example, the River
Thames flows eastwards from Kemble to Oxford ✔. It then flows south
to Reading ✔, before flowing eastwards through Slough and London ✔.
11
Did you get?

12. The River Ganges
12
Credit: Mapswire - Unknown author - Map showing location of
River Ganges
● The Ganges is a river in South
Asia
● It flows through India and
Bangladesh and into the Bay
of Bengal

13. Why is the River Ganges so important?
13
Credit: Pixabay - Unknown author - Photograph of the River
Ganges, Varanasi, India
● More than 400 million
people live in the area which
is drained by this river
● It flows through many well-
populated regions of India,
providing freshwater to
millions
● Having access to water allows
settlements to develop

14. Why is the River Ganges so important?
14
Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Rajarshi Mitra - Agricultural land
in Madhya Pradesh, Idia
● The River Ganges can be
used for watering farmland
and crops
● This is known as irrigation
and is important in helping
agriculture in the area and
for the production of a food
supply

15. Why is the River Ganges so important?
15
Credit: Pikist - Unknown author - Boats on the Ganges
● The River Ganges is
important for the region as
lots of fishing takes place on
the river
● It provides people with jobs
and is important in
developing the economy of
the area

16. Pause the video to complete your task
Resume once you’re finished
True or false: Write whether the statement is true or false.
If it is false, write down why it is false.
1. The River Ganges is a river located in eastern Asia.
2. The River Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal.
3. The Ganges is important for the economy because lots of fishing takes
place.
4.‘Irrigation’ means water which is given to crops and farmland.
5. The River Ganges does not flow through many well-populated areas.

17. 1. The River Ganges is a river located in eastern Asia. False - it is in South
Asia.
2. The River Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal. True.
3. The Ganges is important for the economy because lots of fishing takes
place. True.
4.‘Irrigation’ means water which is given to crops and farmland. True.
5. The River Ganges does not flow through many well-populated areas.
False - it flows through many well-populated areas (home to 400
million people).
17
Did you get?

18. Pause the video to complete your task
Main task:
Use connectives in your
writing such as:
“This means that…”
“Which means that…”
“This leads to…”
Explain two reasons why rivers, such as the
Ganges, are important for people.

19. Explain two reasons why rivers, such as the Ganges, are important to
people.
The River Ganges flows through many well-populated areas and
provides drinking water to many people ✔. This means that people have
a reliable supply of drinking water and settlements can develop ✔.
19
My model example

20. Pause the video to complete your task
Main task:
Use connectives in your
writing such as:
“This means that…”
“Which means that…”
“This leads to…”
Explain two reasons why rivers, such as the
Ganges, are important for people.

21. Explain two reasons why rivers, such as the Ganges, are important to
people.
Water from the River Ganges can be used to irrigate crops and
farmland ✔. As a result, food supply is likely to be increased ✔.
The river provides many jobs in the fishing industry ✔. This means that
many jobs are created, developing the economy of the area ✔.
21
Did you get?

22. Why are rivers important?
Geography
Mr Burton