Geography
Intent
Our Geography curriculum is designed to inspire and develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Over time, children will develop their knowledge about their locality and about the diverse places and people around the world. As children progress through school, they will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and the environments. We also want our children to know the impact that they will have on the environment and what they can do to look after the Earth.
With our Federation of schools located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, our curriculum provides opportunities to explore the area in which we live. We are committed to providing our children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of the Dales, so that they can develop of real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special and how we can sustain it for future generations to enjoy. We also develop the children’s ability to apply geographical skills to enable them to confidently communicate their findings and geographical understanding to a range of audiences.
Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:
- An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world;
- A comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected;
- An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary;
- Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques;
- The ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings;
- Excellent fieldwork skills as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques;
- The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment;
- A genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live here.
Implementation
Geography is taught across our school in blocks, with the autumn term solely designated to a geography focus with another unit of study taught again in the summer term. Delivering the curriculum in this way, allows are children to be able to bring skills and knowledge taught in geography into other areas of the curriculum.
Our Geography curriculum is designed so that children start with ‘themselves’ and their school or local area before working out to areas or regions of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. We have developed a progression of skills with end points for each Key Stage, which enables pupils to build on and develop their knowledge and skills each year. Cross-curricular links are planned for, with other subjects such as Maths, Writing, History and Computing being incorporated within geography lessons and the curriculum.
At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out and given an outline of their learning with key vocabulary that they will be expected to use. In geography lessons, children are given clear success criteria in order to achieve the Learning Intention with different elements of independence. Effective modelling by teachers ensures that children are able to achieve their learning intention, with misconceptions addressed within it. Through using a range of assessment tools, differentiation is facilitated by teachers, to ensure that ALL pupil can access the geography curriculum.
Careful consideration is given to how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion through practical, hands on and carefully scaffolded lessons.
Location knowledge, fieldwork and map work are woven throughout the Geography topics. Effective use of educational visits, local fieldwork and visitors are planned, to enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experiences within the Geography curriculum. In-depth fieldwork opportunities are greatly amplified throughout bespoke local area units where children go out into the field to conduct observations, surveys, investigations and field sketches. The use of maps and compasses enhances this experience.
At the end of a unit of work a post assessment is given to our children
Impact
The impact of our Geography curriculum is measured in a variety of ways: questioning during lesson time, marking children’s written work, listening to child-led discussion, interviewing pupils across the school about their learning, book scrutinises and using images/videos of children’s practical learning. As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context Geographical understanding, as well as children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is further supported by the school’s links with international partner schools.
By end of the Geography curriculum, our children will:
- Have a growing knowledge of the world and their place in it.
- Have a wider vocabulary of geographical terms.
- Aspire to discover more about the world, through reading, travel or the media.
- Know that they can use their voice to express themselves and their opinions.
- Develop their geographical skills, such as, evaluation, creativity, problem solving and enquiry.
Subject Overview
geography overviewGeography Progression
GEOG Final draft with preschool finalHelpful Websites
Up to date weather forecasts
Activities, games and stories about Barnaby Bear’s travels for KS1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/barnabybear
Newsround current affairs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/default.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006mdbc/newsround
Environmental themes
The children’s section has many useful facts, activities and animations and includes sections on: air, energy, land, climate change, people and lifestyles, resources and waste, water and wildlife.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fun/?lang=_e
Mapping
An introduction for key stage 2 on how maps work and how to interpret them. It includes these 8 sections: starting mapping, symbols, compasses and directions, grid references, understanding scale, measuring distance, relief and contour lines and compass bearings.
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/index.html
Local street maps including a ‘find my nearest’ function, which can be used to locate features e.g. schools, list them and link them to a map.
Search for local street maps by postcode, OS grid reference, place name or street name. Maps are extendable in eight compass directions.
Online mapping site which includes eye level ‘Streetview’
Maps resized to show population sizes, income, etc.
Distant locations
Very child-friendly site for understanding development issues.
Excellent site for global citizenship issues. Children’s pages include details of the history, geography and environment, people and society and a fact file for 14 countries), ‘children’ (exploring the lives of children in less developed countries) and ‘food’ (issues such as farming and fair trade).
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/index.htm
Includes a range of resources for information supporting distant locality studies.
Images
The Geograph® Britain and Ireland project aims to collect geographical photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland, and you can be part of it.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=41689877
Photographic images of countries which can be selected by continent, then by country.
UK, Europe and USA images
Panoramic images