Rivers, mountains and deserts

Ages 6 to 8 Read together, then try alone · about 25 minutes

Read together

The Earth has many landforms. Rivers carry water to the sea. Mountains rise high above the land. Deserts get very little rain.

The Nile in Africa is one of the longest rivers. The Amazon in South America carries the most water. Mount Everest in Asia is the highest mountain, about 8,849 metres.

The Sahara in Africa is the biggest hot desert. In the Philippines, Mayon Volcano is famous for its near-perfect cone.

Do it

1. On a world map, find the Nile, the Amazon, Mount Everest, the Sahara and Mayon Volcano.
2. Make a model of a landscape in a tray: a mountain of clay, a river of blue string, a desert of sand.
3. Pour a little water at the top of the mountain and watch which way it flows.
4. Compare: what is the climate like near a river? In a desert? On a mountain top?

Talk about it

• Where does the river start and end?
• What lives in a desert?

For the grown-up

The Nile and the Amazon are often named as the longest rivers, and which is longer depends on how they are measured. Mayon is an active volcano, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) monitors it and keeps a danger zone. Talk about volcano safety calmly if your child asks.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• U.S. Geological Survey, information on rivers, mountains and deserts of the world
• Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), information on Mayon Volcano
• National Geographic Society, education resources on landforms

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.