Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks. rapids riverbanks mouth source channel flood lake ocean flows low transportation riverbed dry up water tributaries waterfalls

A river is a body of water that ______flows from high ground to ______low ground. The beginning of a river is called the ______.source As a river flows down, other smaller rivers called ______tributaries join it and it becomes bigger.

The river flows in its ______.channel The bottom of the river is called the ______.riverbed The sides of the river are called the ______.riverbanks Usually, the river stays in its channel but sometimes, after heavy rains, the river overflows its banks and there is a ______.flood At other times, during the summer or during a drought, some rivers ______dry up completely and people can walk on the riverbed.

The river usually flows down to a ______lake or an ______.ocean The place where the river meets the larger body of water is the end of the river and is called the ______.mouth

Sometimes rivers flow very fast over rocks. These areas, which are called ______,rapids are dangerous for boats. And sometimes, rivers flow over cliffs forming beautiful ______.waterfalls

Rivers are very important for civilization. They provide ______water for drinking and irrigation. As well, they were important routes for ______transportation by boats in

the past.

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4Learning Geography Essentials: Unit 14 – Investigating rivers Activity sheet B – A river system

Name As soon as rain falls on high ground it starts to flow downhill. The water finds the easiest way it can to the sea. The picture shows the course of a river from the hills to the sea.

What are the features marked at A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I? Choose the correct labels from those listed below and write the letter in the boxes.

mouth G lake D waterfall B delta H

meander E tributary C flood plain F sea I source A

Use the picture to help you fill in the gaps in these sentences:

The place where a river starts is called its SOURCE .

A TRIBUTARY is a smaller river or stream which flows into a larger one.

A large bend in a river is called a MEANDER .

A DELTA is an area of land roughly triangular in shape which forms where a river enters a lake or the sea.

Which type of water will have the greatest amount of dissolved oxygen? A. Fast moving water flowing over rocks and waterfalls B. Slow moving water in the ocean C. Very warm water