Rivers and the water cycle

Parts of a river from source to mouth, key UK rivers and how the water cycle works

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Where does a river usually start? A) At its source, often in hills or mountains B) At its mouth, where it meets the sea C) In the middle, called the meander D) Underground, in a cave
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2
Match each river word to its meaning. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: Source, Mouth, Tributary, Meander Right: Where the river starts, Where the river meets the sea, A smaller river that joins a bigger one, A bend in a river
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3
True or false? The River Thames flows through London. A) True B) False
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4
Where does a river start? A) Source B) Mouth C) Delta D) Estuary
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5
Fill in the blank. The longest river in the UK is the River ___.
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6
What is the water cycle? A) The way water moves between the sea, sky and land B) How rivers flow downhill C) The way fish swim upstream D) The yearly flooding of a river
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7
Put these stages of the water cycle in order. Put these in order: Evaporation from the sea, Condensation into clouds, Precipitation (rain or snow), Water flows back to the sea in rivers
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8
Put these parts of a river in order from source to sea. Put these in order: Mouth, Source, Tributary, Meander
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9
Match each UK river to where it flows. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: Thames, Severn, Mersey, Trent Right: London and south-east England, Wales and west of England, Liverpool, north-west England, Midlands of England
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10
Fill in the blank. When a river enters the sea, the wide tidal part is called the ___.
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Answer key

Rivers and the water cycle · for parents and teachers

1
At its source, often in hills or mountains
A river starts at its source, usually high up in hills or mountains, where rain or melting snow begins to flow downhill.
2
Source → Where the river starts; Mouth → Where the river meets the sea; Tributary → A smaller river that joins a bigger one; Meander → A bend in a river
The source is the start, the mouth is the end, a tributary is a smaller river joining the main one and a meander is a bend.
3
True
True. The River Thames flows through London and is the second-longest river in the UK.
4
Source
A river begins at its source, often in hills or mountains.
5
Severn
The River Severn is the UK's longest river, at about 354 km. The Thames is the second-longest, at about 346 km.
6
The way water moves between the sea, sky and land
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water between the sea, sky and land through evaporation, condensation and precipitation (rain or snow).
7
Evaporation from the sea, Condensation into clouds, Precipitation (rain or snow), Water flows back to the sea in rivers
The Sun heats the sea, so water evaporates. The water vapour rises and condenses into clouds. The clouds release rain or snow, which flows back to the sea in rivers.
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Source, Tributary, Meander, Mouth
From start to finish: Source (where it starts) → tributaries (join the river) → meanders (bends) → mouth (where it meets the sea).
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Thames → London and south-east England; Severn → Wales and west of England; Mersey → Liverpool, north-west England; Trent → Midlands of England
The Thames flows through London, the Severn through Wales and western England, the Mersey through Liverpool and the Trent through the Midlands.
10
estuary
An estuary is the wide, tidal mouth of a river where fresh river water meets salty sea water.