1. The upper course of the river
What are the main processes that operate in the upper course?
What landforms occur in the upper course of a river?
How are the landforms created?
Learning objectives

2. How does a river change from source to mouth?
Think, pair, share

4. Many people think that rivers flow faster in upper course – why?
Lower course
Upper course

5. Is it true though?

6. The Bradshaw Model Positive changes Negative changes
Explain to students – get them to note down on their long profile diagram the changes. Get verbal feedback after activity.
Negative changes

7. The Bradshaw Model Activity:
Choose 3 characteristics to explain (including at least one positive and one negative)- use page 66 (tomorrow's geography ) to help
Explain to students – get them to note down on their long profile diagram the changes. Get verbal feedback after activity.

8. How does the channel cross section change as you move from the source to the mouth?
Why does it change in this way?

9. Exam practice

10. Mark scheme

11. Exam practice

13. Watch the video of the upper course of a river….
When complete you will be undertaking the following activities:
Describe characteristics of the upper course of the river?
What processes are happening?
What landforms are found?

14. Landforms in the upper course
V-shaped valleys and interlocking spurs
Rapids
Waterfalls
river disappears from view hidden by this spur of land
River Conwy
(near Mignant Moor)

15. Why do V-shaped valleys occur?

16. 4 mark question…explain the formation of a V shape valley

17. Interlocking spurs
In the upper course the river does not have a huge amount of energy to erode as it does not have a high discharge and it has to transport large pieces of sediment.
When the river meets areas of harder rock that are difficult to erode it winds around them. A series of hills form on either side of the river called spurs. As the river flows around these hills they become interlocked. So, a series of interlocking spurs are often found in the upper course of a river valley.

20. Techniques! – 1. Fieldsketching….
Produce an annotated fieldsketch to show that this is part of an upland river valley.

21. Waterfalls!
Seljalandsfoss, SW Iceland

22. Waterfall formation

23. Waterfalls

24. How does a waterfall form?
Rearrange the stages of formation into the correct order:

25. Your labels should contain detailed explanations!
Waterfalls
Draw and annotate a diagram to explain the formation of a waterfall.
Suggested labels:
More resistant rock
Less resistant rock
Plunge Pool
Unsupported rock
Fallen rocks
Gorge
Your labels should contain detailed explanations!

26. WATERFALL
RETREATS . .
UPSTREAM . .
OVERHANG
PLUNGE
POOL
UNDERCUTTING
OF SOFT ROCK

32. River load in upper course
Why are they rounded?

33. River load in upper course
Why are they rounded?
Boulders are large and semi-rounded, due to attrition within the load and abrasion with the stream bed and banks

34. Skills (paper 1) linked to rivers