Year 5 River Brent Geography Field Trip

Last week our Year 5 classes had a wonderful time visiting our local river, the River Brent. The field trip enabled Year 5 to explore first hand many of the things they have been learning about in class in their geography unit on rivers.

As the River Brent winds its way through Pitshanger Park the way the river shapes the landscape is very apparent, on the river’s meanders pupils were able to identify the places where deposits and erosion were clearly visible. Pupils sketched the river and its features and discussed together the process of how the river was changing the landscape and and might continue to change it in the future.

Pupils then looked at how humans have impacted the river, collecting data on the debris and pollution they could see in the river. Many pupils felt quite outraged at the amount of litter and waste that could be found in the river; there was everything from plastic bags to rubber tyres, from glass bottles to odd socks. There was even a car registration plate and an old comptuer mouse half buried in the river bed! There were many great discussions about how all the waste ended up in the river, the impact it would have upon the river and its wildlife and what could be done to prevent the build up of more waste and pollution in the future.

It was a fantastic afternoon of outdoor learning for all involved, a huge thank you to all the parents who volunteered and gave their time to make the field trips possible. We couldn’t have done it without you!