The Lower Course of a River
In The Course of a River: Dangerous Waters, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that 13 million liters of water plunge over one of the widest waterfalls in the world every second. The river below teems with hungry piranhas, large-mouthed caimans, and dorados on the hunt. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: What makes a waterfall most impressive — width, height, volume of water, or something else?
A: Student responses will vary.
Q: Why do you think the world’s great broad waterfalls are all found in the lower courses of their rivers?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention that it takes distance for a river to gather enough volume and power to carve out a waterfall.
Q: Describe the interactions of plant life and wildlife in the Pantanal.
A: Aquatic plants flourish in the slow-flowing waters, providing a breeding ground for fish; fruit falls from trees into the water and becomes food for fish.
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In The Botos of the Amazon, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces us to an unusual type of dolphin. The boto lives in a river, hunts fish in shallow water, and lifts rocks to impress females! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Energy Travels Across the Seas, geologist Iain Stewart explains why Earth is called the "blue planet," with over three-quarters of its surface covered by water. Explore how the ocean shapes coastlines and carries powerful energy across the planet, creating crashing waves that start as tiny ripples from a breeze. See the raw power of the sea in Hawaii and learn how tides form from the pull of the Moon and Sun. Next watch how this energy creates massive tidal waves, like the powerful tidal bore in the Amazon River, moving upstream and carrying more water than the flow of Niagara Falls! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
In The Botos of the Amazon, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces us to an unusual type of dolphin. The boto lives in a river, hunts fish in shallow water, and lifts rocks to impress females! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.