Geography
Aims
Through teaching geography we aim 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 time
- 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.
Approaches to teaching and learning
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Early Years Foundation Stage geography is planned for under the heading of Understanding the World. Practitioners plan activities and first- hand experiences that will help children to achieve the Early Learning Goals for People and Communities, The World and Technology. (see Early Years Foundation Stage Policy)
Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are working towards the following goals:
- to know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things.
- to talk about features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another
Key Stages 1 & 2
Where possible we aim to teach geography objectives through cross curricular topic work. When this is not appropriate discreet lessons are timetabled to ensure all areas of the curriculum are covered. There is a table attached to the end of this policy which shows the units that are taught in each year group.
Lessons are planned based on the 4 of study that are set out in the Geography National Curriculum.
- Locational knowledge
- Place knowledge
- Human and physical geography
- Geographical skills and fieldwork
Teachers will try to ensure that geography lessons are based on the use of skills such as:
- observing
- questioning
- recording
- communicating ideas about places
- making and using maps ( including map keys, scales and orientation)
- role play
- use of geographical vocabulary
- carrying out research using information books and the internet
- applying knowledge to answer a ‘Big Question’
- methods and strategies that strike a balance between providing information and offering opportunities for investigation and enquiry.
- the effective use of resources
- effective links with other subjects
- effective use of laptops, i-pads and other electronic devices