Geography · KS3 Y8 · Rivers & Coasts
Meanders and oxbow lakes
g22Free2:39Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standardPlays from youtube-nocookie.com. No YouTube cookies until you press play.
What you need to know
- Water flows fastest on the outside of a bend, so that bank is worn away.
- On the inside of a bend the water slows and drops sediment, building a gentle slope.
- Over time the bends grow more looped until the river cuts across the narrow neck.
- The abandoned loop left behind is called an oxbow lake.
In this clip
Heddy ScoreSeven checks every clip must pass before students see it: trusted, on the map, accurate, focused, accessible, safe, and proven by students.3/7, Below the standard
- Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
- On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
- Spec-true · failed. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
- Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
- Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
- Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
- Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
Our students
How the Heddy Score worksNot enough students yet
Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.Why we picked it
Short animated explainer of how meanders grow and form oxbow lakes; good KS3 starter.
MinuteEarth on YouTubechecked 2026-10-16