Shapes of land and water
Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land (mountains, valleys, plains) and bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans) in an area
What a learner can do afterwards
- Name and describe at least four types of landforms (mountain, valley, plain, hill, cliff)
- Name and describe at least three types of water bodies (river, lake, ocean, pond)
- Create or interpret a simple model or map showing land and water features of an area
1 · Read
Landforms are shapes of land. Mountains rise high above nearby land. Hills are smaller rises. A valley lies between hills or mountains. A plain is broad, fairly flat land. A cliff is a very steep rock face. Mountains can have rounded tops.
Rivers flow along channels. A lake has land around it, though water can flow in and out. Ponds are usually smaller than lakes. Earth's ocean is a vast, connected body of salt water. A large lake can also have an unseen far shore.
A map shows where features are. A model can show their shapes. Read the key to check colours and symbols. In our colour example, blue means water and brown means land. Other maps may use different keys.
Make a high clay bump for a mountain, smaller bumps for hills, and a low gap between hills for a valley. Leave flat land for a plain. Add a blue strip for a river. Label each feature.
A plan map shows an area from above. Each cell below names a feature.
| Row | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Hill | River |
| Bottom | Plain | Lake |
The river is right of the hill and above the lake. To locate a feature, find its row and side, then check nearby cells.
Land comes in shapes like mountains, hills, valleys, and plains, and water comes in shapes like rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans.
This lesson, its questions, and its flashcards were written for this dataset.
The readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Use a map key
A map uses symbols to show features. Read its key to find out what each symbol means. A blue line might mark a river. A letter might mark a mountain or lake. Check the key instead of guessing. Then find the matching symbol on the map. The key explains the symbol; its position on the map shows where the feature is.
Make land and water in a model
Use clay to make raised areas for hills or mountains. Leave low land between raised areas for a valley. Make a broad, fairly flat area for a plain. Paper strips can stand for rivers, and paper patches can stand for lakes or ponds. Add labels. Explain how the position and shape of each model part stand for a real feature.
Choose useful feature clues
Describe more than size. A valley lies between higher areas. A river flows along a channel. A lake has land around it, although water may flow in and out. Some lakes are so large that their far shores cannot be seen. That clue alone does not make them oceans. Earth's ocean is a vast connected body of salt water.
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Optional connections
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.