PAGE 1: Overview OVERVIEW ======== Physical features are the natural parts of the land and water around us. Kenya has mountains, hills, valleys, plains, plateaus, rivers, lakes, swamps and a coast on the Indian Ocean. In this sub-strand you will find which of these are in your county, explain why they matter, and show them in sketches, photographs and models. ## Strand 1.0: Natural and Built Environments Sub-strand 1.3: Physical features in the County Suggested lessons: 5 ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Social Studies Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 1.0 Natural and Built Environments, Sub-strand 1.3 Physical features in the County ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) identify the main physical features in the county b) state the importance of the main physical features in the county c) illustrate the main physical features in the county d) appreciate the main physical features in the county ## Key inquiry questions 1. Which physical features are found in your county? PAGE 2: How we will learn ## Learning experiences • brainstorm the main physical features in the county, sketch the main physical features in the county • draw or take photographs of the main physical features in the county • outline the importance of the main physical features in the county and share the discussion points in class • display pictures or models of the main physical features in the county in class • find out from parents or guardians the main physical features in the county and share ## Core competencies • Citizenship: Learners identify the main physical features in their county. • Learning to: Learners find out from parents or guardians the physical features in the county and share ## Values • Social Justice: Learners accord equal opportunities in sharing responsibilities as they outline the importance of the main physical features in the county and share the discussion points in class. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Self-Awareness: Learners appreciate each other’s abilities as they draw some of the main physical features in the county. ## Links to other learning areas • English: Learners use speaking skills as they discuss in groups the importance of the main physical features in the county in class. PAGE 3: Lesson 1: The main physical features found in Kenya — Shapes of the land LESSON 1: THE MAIN PHYSICAL FEATURES FOUND IN KENYA =================================================== ## What you will learn • Explain what a physical feature is. • Name the main types of physical features found in Kenya. Curriculum outcomes: a) identify the main physical features in the county ## Introduction Stand in the school compound and look past the buildings. You may see a hill, a flat stretch of land, a river, or only the sky. The natural shapes of land and water are called physical features. ## Notes A physical feature is a natural part of the earth's surface. People did not build it. A classroom is built by people, so it is not a physical feature. A hill, a river and a lake are physical features. ### Shapes of the land These features describe how high or flat the land is: - A mountain is very high land with steep sides. Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya. - A hill is high land that is lower than a mountain. - A valley is low land between hills or mountains. The Rift Valley is a long valley that runs through Kenya. - A plain is a wide area of almost flat land. - A plateau is land that is high and fairly flat on top, like a table. ### Water features These features are about water on the land: - A river is water flowing in a channel towards a lake, a swamp or the ocean. - A lake is water lying in a hollow. Part of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, is in Kenya. - A swamp is soft, wet land where water stands for much of the year. - The ocean is a huge body of salty water. Kenya has a coastline along the Indian Ocean. PAGE 4: Lesson 1: The main physical features found in Kenya — Notes 4 Kenya as a country has all of these kinds of features. One county does not have every kind. A county in the highlands may have mountains and rivers. A county on the coast has the ocean. A county on a dry plain may have few rivers that flow all year. Your work is to learn the types, then find out which main ones are in your county. Use a map of Kenya in your atlas. Blue lines are usually rivers, blue patches are lakes, and shading or names show high land. This prepares you to look at the map of your own county next. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: Examples of physical features: a mountain, a hill, a valley and a lake. These are types, not a map of one county. PAYLOAD: CAPTION: Examples of physical features: a mountain, a hill, a valley and a lake. These are types, not a map of one county. [/DIAGRAM] PAGE 5: Lesson 1: The main physical features found in Kenya — Key words ## Key words • physical feature — a natural part of the land or water, not something people have built • plateau — a high area of land with a fairly flat top • valley — low land between hills or mountains ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Which of these is a physical feature: a bridge, a river, a market stall? Working: 1. A physical feature is natural. 2. People build bridges and market stalls. A river is natural. Answer: A river ## Worked examples ### Example 2 What is the difference between a mountain and a hill? Working: 1. Both are high land. 2. A mountain is higher and usually steeper than a hill. Answer: A mountain is very high land with steep sides. A hill is high land that is lower than a mountain. PAGE 6: Lesson 1: The main physical features found in Kenya — Answers to practice ## Activity: Sort pictures of physical features You will need: Pictures or drawings of mountains, hills, valleys, plains, rivers, lakes and the coast, Two labels: Physical feature and Built by people 1. In groups, brainstorm the physical features you think are in your county. Write the list, and mark any item you are not sure about. 2. Sort the pictures into types: high land, flat land and water. 3. Put aside any picture of a building, road or bridge, and say why it is not a physical feature. 4. Match each type to its meaning in your notebook. ## Practice 1. What is a physical feature? 2. Name the highest mountain in Kenya. 3. Which ocean borders Kenya? 4. Why might your county not have every type of physical feature? ## Answers to practice 1. A natural part of the land or water, such as a hill, valley, river or lake. 2. Mount Kenya 3. The Indian Ocean 4. Different parts of Kenya have different land and water. A county has some of the main features, not all of them. ## Summary • Physical features are natural land and water. • Kenya has mountains, hills, valleys, plains, plateaus, rivers, lakes, swamps and an ocean coast. • Each county has its own set of these features. PAGE 7: Lesson 2: Finding the physical features in your county LESSON 2: FINDING THE PHYSICAL FEATURES IN YOUR COUNTY ====================================================== ## What you will learn • Use a map, a walk and adults at home to identify the main physical features in your county. • Record only the features you can confirm. Curriculum outcomes: a) identify the main physical features in the county ## Introduction Two learners can both live in Kenya and still see different land from their classroom windows. To name the physical features in your county, you look at evidence, not at a guess. ## Notes The main physical features of a county are the large natural features people use to describe that area. A small ditch behind the kitchen is water, but it is not a main feature of the county. A big river, a lake, a range of hills or a wide plain is a main feature. ### How to find them Use more than one source, and let them agree: - Look at a map of your county in an approved textbook, an atlas, or a digital map opened with an adult. Read the names printed on rivers, lakes, hills and high land. - Walk with your teacher to a place where you can see the land around the school. Describe the shape: hilly, flat, or a valley. Note any river, swamp or lake you can see. - Ask your parents or guardians which hills, rivers, lakes, plains or other features they know in the county. Write their words, then check the names on the map. - Ask the teacher to confirm spellings. Place names on maps have a correct spelling. PAGE 8: Lesson 2: Finding the physical features in your county — Sharing carefully ### A checklist Copy this list and tick only what you have confirmed for your county: - Mountains - Hills - Valleys - Plains - Plateaus - Rivers - Lakes - Swamps - Ocean coast Next to each tick, write the name of the feature if the map gives one, for example the name of a river. If you think a feature is there but you have not checked, write "I will check" instead of ticking it. ### Sharing carefully When you tell the class, say "Our county has..." only for features on your checklist. If another group names a feature you missed, look for it on the map together. Counties share some features. A river or a mountain can lie in more than one county. If the map shows that, say so. ## Key words • main physical feature — a large natural feature used to describe an area • source — a place you get information from, such as a map or an adult PAGE 9: Lesson 2: Finding the physical features in your county — Example 1 ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner says the county has a lake because a storybook mentioned one. The county map shows no lake. What should the class record? Working: 1. The map is the check. 2. A story is not enough if the map disagrees. Answer: Do not record a lake. Write only features the map or a confirmed local source shows. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A river on the map has its name printed across the boundary of two counties. How do you describe it? Working: 1. The river is a physical feature. 2. It is shared if it flows through both counties. Answer: Name the river and say it flows through our county and a neighbouring county. ## Activity: Checklist of features in our county You will need: Map of your county, Checklist of physical features, Exercise book 1. Brainstorm features learners have seen or heard about. Do not tick them yet. 2. Find each one on the county map. Tick it only when the map shows it, and copy its name. 3. For homework, ask a parent or guardian to name the main physical features they know. Bring the list to class. 4. Compare the home list with the map list and make one agreed list for the class. PAGE 10: Lesson 2: Finding the physical features in your county — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. What makes a physical feature a main feature of the county? 2. Name two ways to confirm a physical feature in your county. 3. What do you write if you are not yet sure a feature is in your county? ## Answers to practice 1. It is a large natural feature that people use when they describe the county. 2. Any two: a county map, a walk with the teacher, a parent or guardian, or the teacher confirming the name. 3. I will check. ## Summary • Main physical features are the large natural features of the county. • Confirm them on a map and with adults before you say the county has them. • Some features are shared with neighbouring counties. LESSON 3: WHY PHYSICAL FEATURES ARE IMPORTANT ============================================= ## What you will learn • State how the main types of physical features help people. • Explain the importance of the features that are in your county. Curriculum outcomes: b) state the importance of the main physical features in the county ## Introduction A river is not only a blue line on a map. People collect water from it, animals drink from it, and farmers hope for the rain that keeps it flowing. Every main physical feature in a county does work for the people who live there. PAGE 11: Lesson 3: Why physical features are important — Care is part of importance ## Notes Physical features give people resources and they also shape daily life. Speak about the features on your county checklist, and use these general uses that are true in Kenya. ### Water Rivers and lakes provide water for homes, animals and crops. People fish in lakes, in large rivers and in the Indian Ocean. Swamps store water and are homes for birds and other animals. When rivers are low, families have to use water carefully. ### Land for living and farming Plains and the floors of valleys give space for homes, farms, grazing and roads. Soils in many valleys are good for crops because water and soil collect there. Plateaus give fairly flat land high above the surrounding country, and many farms and towns in Kenya stand on them. ### High land Mountains and hills are sources of many rivers, because rain that falls on them flows downhill. Slopes can be cool and wet enough for crops that like those conditions. High places also attract visitors who come to see the land, and visitors can bring work to guides and markets. ### The coast Where a county meets the Indian Ocean, people fish, travel by boat, and meet visitors. Salt water is not for drinking. Drinking water still has to come from rivers, wells or piped supplies. ### Care is part of importance A feature can be harmed. Rubbish thrown in a river makes the water unsafe. Cutting all the trees on a hill lets soil wash away. Filling in a swamp removes the home of birds and can cause floods nearby. When you state the importance of a feature, also say one way people should treat it well. In groups, take each feature on your county list and complete this sentence: "The ___ is important in our county because ___." Share the sentences with the class and let other groups add a use you forgot. PAGE 12: Lesson 3: Why physical features are important — Example 1 ## Key words • resource — something people use to meet their needs, such as water or soil • grazing — feeding animals on grass ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Give two ways a river can be important to people in a county. Working: 1. Think of water for daily use and of food. Answer: It provides water for homes, animals and crops, and people may fish in it. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A county on your checklist has hills but no ocean. Which importance should you talk about? Working: 1. Talk about the features the county actually has. 2. Hills can be sources of rivers and places people visit. Answer: Talk about the hills, for example as sources of rivers and as land people farm or visit. Do not describe ocean fishing for that county. PAGE 13: Lesson 3: Why physical features are important — Answers to practice ## Activity: Importance of our features You will need: The class checklist of physical features, Manila paper, Marker pens 1. Divide the confirmed features among the groups. 2. For each feature, outline two ways it helps people and one way to care for it. 3. Write the points in short sentences on manila paper. 4. Share the points in class and invite other groups to add an idea. 5. Make sure every learner has a turn to speak. ## Practice 1. State one importance of a lake. 2. Why are mountains and hills important to rivers? 3. Give one way people can harm a river. ## Answers to practice 1. It provides water, or people fish in it, or it is a home for animals. 2. Rain that falls on them flows downhill and feeds rivers. 3. By throwing rubbish into it, which makes the water unsafe. ## Summary • Rivers, lakes and swamps supply water and support animals. • Plains, valleys, plateaus and high land give space for homes, farms and rivers. • We state the importance of the features our own county has, and we care for them. LESSON 4: SKETCHING, PHOTOGRAPHING AND MODELLING PHYSICAL FEATURES ============================================================ ## What you will learn • Illustrate a physical feature with a labelled sketch. • Plan a photograph or a simple model of a feature in your county. Curriculum outcomes: c) illustrate the main physical features in the county ## Introduction A list of names tells us a county has a river and hills. A sketch shows where the river flows and which side of the county is high. Drawing is a way of teaching the map to someone else. ## Notes To illustrate means to show something in a picture, a photograph or a model so that another person can see what you mean. PAGE 14: Lesson 4: Sketching, photographing and modelling physical features — A field sketch ### A field sketch A field sketch is a simple drawing of what you see. You do not copy every stone. 1. Sit facing the feature, with the sun out of your eyes. 2. Draw the skyline lightly: the tops of the hills or the flat line of a plain. 3. Add the river, lake, road or trees that help a viewer recognise the place. 4. Label the features with their names. 5. Write a title, the direction you were facing, and your name. Use a pencil first. Colour water blue, high land green or brown, and leave buildings out unless you need one as a landmark. The landmark is only there to show where you stood. ### A map sketch On a sketch map of the county, mark the main features in the right part of the county: a river as a blue line, a hill as a triangle, a lake as a blue shape. Add a key, a title and a North sign. This is different from a field sketch. A field sketch shows what your eyes see from the ground. A map sketch shows the county from above. PAGE 15: Lesson 4: Sketching, photographing and modelling physical features — Photographs and models ### Photographs and models A photograph records a real feature. If the school has a camera or a phone, an adult can help you take one picture of a feature near the school. Write the name of the feature and the direction you faced on a caption card. A model shows shape with clay, plasticine, soil or papier-mache. A ridge of clay can be a hill, a groove can be a valley, and a strip of blue paper can be a river. Label the parts. Models of the whole county should only include features from your confirmed list. Display the sketches, photographs and models on a table or wall where the class can see them. Stand by your work and tell visitors the name of the feature and one reason it is important. ## Key words • illustrate — to show an idea in a drawing, photograph or model • field sketch — a simple drawing of a feature as you see it from the ground • key — a box that explains the symbols on a map ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner draws a river, a hill and the school flag. Which parts belong in a field sketch of physical features, and why is the flag allowed? Working: 1. The river and hill are physical features. 2. The flag is a landmark showing where the artist stood. Answer: The river and the hill are the physical features. The flag can stay as a small landmark if it is labelled as the place you stood. PAGE 16: Lesson 4: Sketching, photographing and modelling physical features — Answers to practice ## Activity: Sketch and display a feature You will need: Pencils and crayons, Paper, Clay or plasticine if available, The class checklist 1. Each group chooses one confirmed physical feature in the county. 2. Sketch it either as a field sketch or as a symbol on a county outline. 3. Label it, add a title, and show the direction you faced or a North sign. 4. If you can, add a photograph or a small clay model. 5. Display the work in class and explain it to another group. ## Practice 1. What is a field sketch? 2. Name three things a sketch map of county features should have. 3. What should a model of your county include? ## Answers to practice 1. A simple drawing of a feature as you see it from the ground. 2. Any three: the features, labels or a key, a title, a North sign. 3. Only physical features you have confirmed are in the county. ## Summary • A field sketch shows a feature from the ground; a map sketch shows it from above. • Photographs and clay models are other ways to illustrate features. • Label the work and display it for the class. PAGE 17: Lesson 5: Appreciating the physical features in our county LESSON 5: APPRECIATING THE PHYSICAL FEATURES IN OUR COUNTY ========================================================== ## What you will learn • Explain why the physical features of your county are worth caring for. • Choose one action you can take to look after a feature near you. Curriculum outcomes: d) appreciate the main physical features in the county; b) state the importance of the main physical features in the county ## Introduction The land and water of your county were there before your school was built, and they will still be there when you are an adult. Appreciating them means you notice them, speak well of them, and treat them with care. ## Notes To appreciate a physical feature is to value it. You show that value in the way you talk about your county and in the way you behave near a river, a hill or a lake. PAGE 18: Lesson 5: Appreciating the physical features in our county — What we value ### What we value The features on your checklist make your county the place it is. They give water, soil, grazing, fish and beautiful views. They are also homes for plants and animals. A county with plains feels different from a county with hills, and both kinds of land are part of Kenya. You do not need the highest mountain in the country in order to value the hill or river you do have. Visitors, farmers, fishers and families all depend on these features staying healthy. When you describe your county to a friend from another county, include one physical feature and say why you are glad it is there. ### Ways to show care Choose actions that match the feature near your school or home: - Do not throw rubbish into rivers, lakes or swamps. - Do not break tree branches on hillsides for play. - Stay on paths so that you do not trample young plants. - Tell an adult if you see people dumping waste or cutting trees carelessly. - Use water from a tap or a river without wasting it. - Join a class clean-up if the banks of a nearby stream are littered. PAGE 19: Lesson 5: Appreciating the physical features in our county — A promise card ### A promise card Write one sentence that begins "In our county I appreciate the ___ because ___." On the back, write one action you will take this month. Read the card to a parent or guardian and ask them which feature they appreciated when they were your age. Bring one new fact they tell you, check it if it is a place name, and add it to the class display. Appreciating features is a habit. Each time you pass a river or look at a hill, you can name it and remember one way it helps the county. ## Key words • appreciate — to value something and treat it with care • waste — to use more of something than you need, or to throw it away carelessly ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Your county checklist has a river and plains, and no coastline. Write an appreciation sentence that fits this county. Working: 1. Use a feature the county has. 2. Give a real reason. Answer: Any fitting sentence, for example: In our county I appreciate the river because it gives us water. PAGE 20: Lesson 5: Appreciating the physical features in our county — Stories of our features from home ## Activity: Stories of our features from home You will need: Promise cards, The class display of sketches and models 1. Walk around the display and choose the feature you value most. 2. Write an appreciation sentence and one caring action on a card. 3. At home, ask a parent or guardian what they know about that feature and how people used it when they were young. 4. Share one checked fact in class and add it beside the sketch or model. ## Practice 1. What does it mean to appreciate a physical feature? 2. Give two actions that protect a river. 3. Why can you appreciate your county even if it does not have the highest mountain in Kenya? ## Answers to practice 1. To value it, speak well of it, and treat it with care. 2. Any two: do not throw rubbish in it, do not waste water, tell an adult about dumping, join a clean-up of the banks. 3. The features your county does have give water, land, food or beauty, and they make your county the place it is. ## Summary • We appreciate the features our own county has. • Care means not dumping waste, not destroying plants, and using water wisely. • A promise card turns appreciation into one clear action. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. Which of these is a physical feature? A. A bridge B. A river C. A hospital D. A road 2. What is a plateau? A. Low land between hills B. High land with a fairly flat top C. A salty ocean D. A built market 3. Which is the highest mountain in Kenya? A. A hill behind a school B. Mount Kenya C. A plateau D. The Rift Valley 4. You think your county has a lake, but you have not checked. What should you write? 5. A named river on the map crosses into the next county. What is true? A. The river stops at the boundary B. The river can be a feature of more than one county C. Rivers are not physical features D. The map must be wrong 6. Give one reason a river is important to people. 7. Why are mountains important to many rivers? A. Ships sail on mountain tops B. Rain on high land flows downhill to feed rivers C. Mountains store salt water D. Mountains are built by farmers 8. What does it mean to illustrate a physical feature? A. To hide it B. To show it in a drawing, photograph or model C. To build a house on it D. To guess its name 9. Which label belongs on a field sketch? A. The name of the feature and the direction you faced B. The price of the land C. A list of all 47 counties D. A bus fare 10. Which action shows that you appreciate a river in your county? A. Throwing rubbish into it B. Wasting buckets of water for play C. Keeping rubbish out of it and using water carefully D. Breaking trees along the bank for fun PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. B. A river A river is natural. Bridges, hospitals and roads are built by people. 2. B. High land with a fairly flat top A plateau is high, fairly flat land. 3. B. Mount Kenya Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya. A county may or may not include it. 4. I will check. Only confirmed features should be listed as features of the county. 5. B. The river can be a feature of more than one county A river can flow through more than one county. 6. It provides water for homes, animals or crops, or people may fish in it. Rivers are water resources. 7. B. Rain on high land flows downhill to feed rivers Water flows from high ground towards rivers. 8. B. To show it in a drawing, photograph or model Illustrations help other people see the feature clearly. 9. A. The name of the feature and the direction you faced A field sketch needs a title or name and the direction the artist was facing. 10. C. Keeping rubbish out of it and using water carefully Appreciation includes caring for the feature.