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Geography

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A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Aims

The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
  • Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over tim.

Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:

  • Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
  • Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length

Our Vision

Our vision in Geography is to provide a curriculum that will establish their interests and desire to investigate a variety of human and physical characteristics of different places. We will do this through purposeful research and careful questioning. We aim to ensure that Geography covers our local area and the wider world and that our children have the opportunity to learn through hands on fieldwork. We use pupil voice to positively contribute to our curriculum so that each child’s individual needs and interests are met. We want our children to ask questions and be inspired, motivated and engage in the joy of discovery.

What do we do to make Geography special?

Through fun and engaging lesson the children are learning the desired outcomes. Alongside this outside agency are booked to deliver assemblies alongside class teachers. We also engage the children in well planned, effective and exciting field work lessons which are practical and hands on learning skills.

Why is Geography so important?

Geography is about getting to know our world and its people better and understanding what makes societies tick. Geography helps to trigger our curiosity and as we become more curious, our awareness grows. It opens our eyes to different cultures and perspectives, and helps us grow as well-rounded, emphatic individuals.

How can I help my child at home?

When at home you can help your child to learn too. When out on walks talk about some features that you can see in the local environment, or living things such as plants. Talk about how these change and decay overtime. Make maps of what you have seen and where you have been using geographical symbols. Look at different countries and the landmarks within these. Make globes out of balloons or maps of the UK for example out of playdough. You could also talk about weather on walks out and what clothes wear or climate changes for older children.

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National Curriculum Outline

The fundamental skills, knowledge and concepts of the subject are set out in the EYFS Curriculum and National Curriculum 2014, where they are categorised into programmes of study. 

EYFS

In Early Years, the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Curriculum and Development Matters document are used to plan and assess from. In the Foundation Stage, pupils experience a wide range of activities linked to Geography naturally though group discussions, circle time and stories at the end of each day as well as weekly topic lessons. Activities are planned for children to play, explore, actively learn and develop their thinking skills with regards to Geography through focused, continuous and enhanced provision.  The Early Learning Goal at the end of EYFS is for children is under the title ‘Understanding the World’ and the following strand is relevant for Geography:

The World: Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments may vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why somethings occur, and talk about change.

KS1/2

In Key Stage 1 and 2, in line with the National Curriculum, lessons are planned and taught to ensure coverage of the programme of study. These core themes are as follows:

Key stage 1

Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge

  • name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5 oceans
  • name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

Place knowledge

  • understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

Human and physical geography

  • identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
  • use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
    • key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
    • key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

Geographical skills and fieldwork

  • use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
  • use simple compass directions (north, south, east and west) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far, left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
  • use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
  • use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment

Key stage 2

Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge

  • locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
  • name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
  • identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

Place knowledge

  • understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region in North or South America

Human and physical geography

  • describe and understand key aspects of:
    • physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
    • human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

Geographical skills and fieldwork

  • use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
  • use the 8 points of a compass, 4- and 6-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
  • use fieldwork to observe, measure record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies

 

 

Geography Curriculum Overview 2024-25

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