Geography

Intent

At Carden Nursery and Primary School we believe in providing high quality, active, purposeful and experiential learning opportunities. Our aim in geography is to understand the world around us by getting under the skin of people and places. We want children to build a bigger picture and discover where they fit. We strive to engage and equip pupils with the skills, knowledge and understanding they require to be successful geographers. Learners will develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places. They will learn to gather data and be able to identify physical and human characteristics through purposeful learning.

Our Core Values and Learning Journey Skills underpin our language rich curriculum which is mapped to include coverage of the national curriculum as well as numerous enrichment activities and outdoor learning opportunities. Our geography curriculum challenges all pupils; engages their imagination to enable them to communicate what they have learnt in different ways. It also encourages their curiosity and motivates them to take the next steps in their learning.

We believe in giving children active, first hand experiences which provide them with an authentic route into the topic taught as well as facilitating a context for their learning.

Our ultimate goal is for all learners to be global citizens who are conscientious and are able to make informed choices and judgements relating to the world around them. We hope to inspire learners to make positive contributions within their community, respect diversity and value equality of opportunity both now and in the future.

Implementation

At Carden, we have worked to theme, group, and link geographic terms, locations and processes firmly with the topics and the scientific enquiries which the children are engaged in in each Year group’s programme of study. This is supported by detailed knowledge organisers and a progression of skills document for each year group.

Geography becomes the driver of at least one term in every year group, ensuring a high focus on its subject matter and development of its particular skills. It also ensures that the principles and the understanding gained from the study of geography are combined with those of maths, science, history and RE and that important cross curricular links are made.

Geography is comprised of several strands which each approach a different aspect of learning and encourage different skills and thinking processes:

  • Around the World Locational Knowledge: Learning about where different places are to be found and their directional relationship to each other is a fascinating and essential practical skill.
  • Understanding of the World: Knowing where places are and why they exist is an important part of understanding our world. It is vital our pupils have opportunities to investigate their local physical area, environment, and human community, as well as those of other places and societies in the UK and the wider world.
  • Human geography: Wherever humans have settled, they have created communities and societies which interact with and are influenced by each other and by the place in which they develop. We study both aspects of our own community and society, and investigate those of other places around the world.
  • Physical processes and scientific enquiry: We explore the physical processes of our planet through geography and earth sciences such as geology. Cross-curricular links to science and maths are encouraged.
  • Field Skills: The development of investigative and practical skills that help us to understand the world around us supports the learning and teaching of geography fieldwork using maps, globes, computer technology, grid references and compasses. Opportunities to visit places in the local area allow skills such as sketching and the collection of frequency data to be practised.

Impact

Pupils develop their awareness of the world around them and the role they play within it. This includes their personal experience of different locations both locally, nationally and globally. This will enable them to develop a stronger understanding of the interrelationships between places, people, and processes. By developing these skills, our pupils will be able to better conceptualise geographical processes and the issues that they create in a wider context, and to see how our actions and those of people around the world have an impact upon people, places, and our planet beyond what we can see at a casual glance in our local area. As this awareness, understanding and skills grow, we expect pupils to develop an appreciation for our local environments; our global ecosystem and to have the skills necessary to identify and discuss issues. We want them to use their geographical understanding actively, to carry forward into the next stage of their learning and beyond.

Overview

Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6
Locational Knowledge:


Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.


Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas.
Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seasName and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.


Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas
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 citieslocate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on the UK concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major citieslocate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on (North) and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major citieslocate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major citieslocate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North America and major cities (linked to WWII)
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.
N/AUnderstand 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 (Kerala, India).Locational Knowledge: 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 timename 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 timename and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time (linked to local history) name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regionsname and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time(linked to WWII)
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.
Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom.Identify the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles.Locational Knowledge: 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)identify the position of the Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Arctic and Antarctic Circleidentify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle,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/ (linked to science)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) (link to Evolution)
physical geography:


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.
Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:


key physical features, including: forest, hill, sea, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather.
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.
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 within North or South Americaunderstand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of regions within the United Kingdom (Hollingbury and Camden) understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of UK (Stanmer Park) and South America (Brazil rainforest) understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the UK (South Downs) and a European country (The Alps) understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of UK (Brighton) and Baghdad
human geography:


Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:


key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop.

Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:


key human features, including: city, town, village, farm, house and shop.
Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:

key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop.
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
physical geography, including: rivers, mountains,volcanoes and earthquakes (linked to science)

human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links within the UK regions and abroad (exports/imports)
physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers mountains, and the water cycle, volcanoes (linked to Romans)
human geography, types of settlement and land use, economic activity trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including deforestation and minerals
physical geography, including: climate zones, and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains,volcanoes and the water cycle (linked to science)
human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity focusing on tourism.
physical geography, coasts, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes
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 (linked to Islamic Civilisations)