KS 1-2
Collect pictures or download images showing the river from source to mouth. Use them for sequencing activities (PoS 2d).
See http:images.google.com images?q=thamesie=ISO-8859-1hl=e Follow the course of the Thames from start to finish and list places that refer to the river in their name, eg Oxford and Thamesmead (PoS 2a).
Work with pupils to prepare a triptych wall display for the upper, middle and lower sections of the river. Label human and natural features, building a word bank for games such as “odd one out”, word searches and crosswords (PoS 1de, 2a, 6c).
KS 3-4
Draw a map of the course of the Thames and label it with examples of the ways in which human activity controls andor affects the river (PoS 2e, 6j).
Use the Thames Barrier as the focus for a geographical enquiry, addressing questions such as “Where is it?”, “Why was it built?”, “How does it work?”, “What impact has it had?” and “When will it need replacing?” (PoS 1a, 6j).
Visit www.thamesbarrierpark.org.uk and www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Investigate the closure of London’s docks and the growth of the container port at Tilbury. Why has this changed? What have the advantages and disadvantages been, both upstream and downstream? What does the future hold? (PoS 1a, 6h). Visit www.lddc-history.org.uk and www.portcities.org.uklondon
KS 5
“Cleaning the Thames: job done?” Consider this by researching how and why conditions have improved in the past 50 years, and investigating the effect of the August 2004 rains. Visit http:news.bbc.co.uk and follow stories about Thames floodings.
Keith Grimwade