A river is a large stream of freshwater that flows across the land and eventually reaches the sea, a lake , or another river . Rivers begin high up — often in mountains — where rain and melting snow collect and trickle downhill . Water always flows downhill because of gravity , the same force that makes a ball roll down a slope , so every river journeys from high ground towards the lowest place it can reach .
✨ The Amazon River in South America carries more water than any other river on Earth . At its widest , it can be over 50 kilometres across !
📷 Cesar Paes Barreto · Copyrighted free useThe place where a river begins is called its source . As the river flows downhill , smaller streams called tributaries join it, making it wider and deeper . The place where the river reaches the sea is called its mouth . At the mouth , a river sometimes spreads out into many smaller channels and drops the mud it has carried , forming a flat , fan-shaped area of fertile land called a delta .
🧩 Put the parts of a river's journey in order, from start to finish.
Mouth — the river meets the sea ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Tributaries join and the river grows ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Small stream flows downhill ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Source — rain and snow collect in hills ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
💡 Rivers shape the land around them. Over thousands of years they carve out valleys , and when they flood they leave behind rich soil perfect for growing crops .
📷 NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team · Public domainBecause rivers give fresh water , fertile soil , fish to eat, and an easy way to travel by boat , many of the world's greatest cities grew up along their banks . London sits on the Thames , Paris on the Seine , and the Ancient Egyptians built their whole civilisation along the River Nile . Rivers have been the lifeblood of human settlements for thousands of years .
🔗 Match each famous river to the city or country it flows through.
Brazil Paris Egypt London
Brazil Paris Egypt London
Brazil Paris Egypt London
Brazil Paris Egypt London
A lake is a body of water surrounded by land on all sides . Most lakes are freshwater . They form in hollows scooped out by ancient glaciers , by volcanic craters , or in dips in the land where rivers or rainwater collect . A common mix-up is thinking all large bodies of water are seas — but a lake is enclosed by land , while a sea is part of the connected , salty ocean .
📷 NPS · Public domain✨ Lake Baikal in Russia is the world's deepest lake — over 1,600 metres deep . It holds about one fifth of all the unfrozen fresh water on Earth !
🗂️ Sort each one into river or lake.
River (flowing water) Lake (surrounded by land)
River (flowing water) Lake (surrounded by land)
River (flowing water) Lake (surrounded by land)
A volcanic crater full of water
? River (flowing water) Lake (surrounded by land)
🔗 Match each river term to its meaning.
Fan-shaped fertile land at the mouth Where the river meets the sea A smaller stream joining the river Where a river begins
Fan-shaped fertile land at the mouth Where the river meets the sea A smaller stream joining the river Where a river begins
Fan-shaped fertile land at the mouth Where the river meets the sea A smaller stream joining the river Where a river begins
Fan-shaped fertile land at the mouth Where the river meets the sea A smaller stream joining the river Where a river begins
