Teacher guide · Curious Lab · Medium · about 32 min

🏞️ River Journey

Pupils practise curiosity through "River Journey": From source to mouth.

Lesson guide

1. Hook · 5 min
Show the 🏞️ mission title and read the opening: "Where does a river start?". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Sniff the Beagle's line as your prompt: "Great question! Ready to dig one layer deeper? Pick your next mission below."
3. Do · 10 min
Pairs work through the 4 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used curiosity today.

What was the hardest choice in "River Journey", and why?
Where does a river start — explain your reasoning to a partner.
The longest river in the UK is the… — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Why have people always built towns near rivers — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Where could you use curiosity outside school this week?
If you did this again, what would you change?

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.

National Curriculum: Geography: locational knowledge, place and map skills
National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically — asking questions and observing
National Curriculum: Geography/History: enquiry and using sources
PSHE: Living in the wider world: media literacy and checking information

Pupil sheet

Name: ____________________ Date: __________

1. Where does a river start?
☐ The delta
☐ The mouth
☐ The source
2. Order a river's journey.
___ Lower course
___ Mouth
___ Source
___ Upper course
3. The longest river in the UK is the…
☐ River Severn
☐ River Thames
☐ River Tyne
4. Why have people always built towns near rivers?