| Links to the story | Key Stage 2 and 3 programmes of study | Possible learning outcomes | Big ideas |
| The spring… | describe and understand key aspects of:physical geography, including: rivers… and the water cycle Geography KS3 | Know the importance of springs and rivers to human populations | flow and recycle autumn stories climate change folklore sustainable the environment Harmony Principles: Cycles Interdependence Health |
A spring bubbling in corner of a patch of land is so remote from a river flowing to the sea.
It is hard to imagine that the water flowing from the spring in Acton Turville is the same water that flows to the sea at Avonmouth. But it is!
Are rivers alive? This is a difficult question to answer and different people have different opinions. The book ‘Is a river alive?’ by Robert Macfarlane is definitely worth exploring if you are interested in this question.
People who believe their rivers are alive see them as more than a collection of plants, animals, and flowing water. To them, a river has its own character and spirit. It behaves in ways that seem to show intention or mood — rising, falling, shifting course, or bringing life to the land. They feel the river is a partner rather than a resource, something that deserves respect.
This view often comes from long experience of living beside the same stretch of water. People watch how it changes through the seasons and across the years. They notice patterns that others might overlook, such as when it “wakes up” after rain or “rests” in dry months. Over time, the river becomes part of their identity and culture. It shapes their stories, memories, and traditions.
Rivers have spirits and (maybe) personalities, too.
Seeing a river as a living being also encourages care. If the river is alive, it can be harmed, so people feel a duty to protect it. They may clear litter, watch for pollution, or leave certain areas untouched. This approach often leads to a strong sense of stewardship. It reminds communities that their own well-being is tied to the health of the water that runs through their lives.
If we agree with this, then it is essential we all do all we can to keep rivers alive. Across the world, rivers are being poisoned by chemicals used in farming or used to extract metals from rocks or human sewage. The protections rivers need are from killer chemicals like these.
In an age of climate change, with more ever forceful rain storms, there is a need to conserve the structure of rivers, their banks and beds, too. This is so that rivers can hold the increased rainfall that falls. Homes will flood and people’s lives will be ruined, without these protections.
More and more people are starting to think we need to think of springs, streams and rivers in new ways, treating them with more respect. We do not need to think of them as living beings or gods: simply regarding them as ‘sacred’ spaces that need to be cherished, is enough.
Thinking of rivers only as a resource to be exploited will not help us much more in the future, so perhaps there are benefits to thinking that rivers are alive in that special sense.