River Erosion & Transportation Lesson | Hydraulic Action, Abrasion, Attrition, Solution | KS3 Geo

A complete KS3 Geography lesson on river erosion and transportation, ideal for Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, and easily adaptable for GCSE Geography (Year 10–11).

Students learn the key river processes of erosion, transportation and deposition, including the four types of river erosion (hydraulic action, abrasion/corrasion, attrition, solution) and the four types of river transportation (traction, saltation, suspension, solution).

This ready-to-teach lesson includes engaging activities such as video learning, sketchnoting, key term matching and an odd-one-out plenary, helping students understand how rivers shape the landscape and move sediment.

Learning Outcomes
• Students will know (facts):

• Key terms: erosion, transportation, deposition.
• The four main types of river erosion.
• The four main types of river transportation.
  • Students will understand (key concepts):
• How rivers erode, transport, and deposit materials.
• The processes and differences between each type of erosion and transportation.
  • Students will do (skills/tasks):
• Match key terms to their definitions.
• Identify and explain the four types of erosion.
• Sketchnote the four types of erosion processes.

Lesson Overview
Task 1: Key Terms – Definitions Mix & Match
• Match the terms erosion, transportation, deposition to their correct definitions. Use colour coding for clarity.

Task 2: Video Listening – Erosion
• Watch: River Erosion Processes (https://timeforgeography.co.uk/videos-list/rivers/river-erosion-processes/)
• Write down the names of the four types of erosion.
• Challenge: Explain each type in your own words.
Underline or highlight 1–2 key words in each explanation. Identify the single most important word.

Task 3: Sketchnoting - Erosion
• Create a drawing/sketch to represent each type of erosion process.
• Important: Do not just copy diagrams from the video.

Task 4: Video Listening – Transportation
• Watch: River Transport Processes (https://timeforgeography.co.uk/videos-list/rivers/river-transport-processes/)
• List the four types of transportation in your book.
• Summarise each type in 5 words or fewer.

Task 5: Sketchnoting - Transportation
• Create a drawing/sketch for each type of transportation process.
• Focus on showing how the process works, not copying visuals.

Task 6: Plenary - . Odd One Out Challenge
For each set below, identify the odd one out and explain why:

1. Solution, attrition, tributary, abrasion
2. Suspension, river bank, traction, load
3. Hydraulic action, saltation, suspension, traction
4. Corrasion, hydraulic action, attrition, traction