Geography
Our Geography leader is Mrs Ilona Gates
Intent
At Glusburn we shape our Geography curriculum to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Geography; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills; and for the children to develop a love for
Implementation
Geography shares its place within humanities alongside History. Following the Long Term Plan, Geography is taught in all year groups in the Spring term. Blocking allows children sufficient time to become fluent in their knowledge, and recalls will ensure this is embedded in their long term memory: sequenced Geography lessons, deepens children’s knowledge and allows them to fully investigate places and their features before moving them on to new content.
Our teaching equips pupils with knowledge about places and people; resources in the environment; physical and human processes; formation and use of landscapes. We also want children to develop geographical skills: collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans; and communicating information in a variety of ways.
We are fortunate that the location of our school provides us with the opportunities to explore both human and physical Geography, developing locational and place knowledge. Links are made with the historical development of our village and the local mill. Local walks to a nearby farm in Yr2 lay the foundations for understanding the physical features of the local landscape, uses of land and advantages and dis-advantages of rural living whilst introducing simple fieldwork skills such as left or right turns and compass directions. Residential visits to the nearby outdoor education centres provide the following opportunities for children in Yr5/6:
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Through fieldwork pupils learn about the water cycle and how rivers erode, transport and deposit to produce landscape features. The river running through the site provides a wonderful resource for this module.
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Pupils investigate the area to discover what extent man has been an influence in the area.
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Pupils acquire and develop skills required in following simple courses and recognising symbols on a map.
Contour lines and interpreting physical features provide the perfect means to differentiate this module.
How is Geography enabled in the Early Years?
In Early Years Geography is taught through the Specific area of Understanding the World: The World and is enabled through for example: using the local area for exploring both the built and the natural environment; providing opportunities to observe things closely through a variety of means, including magnifiers and photographs; providing play maps and small world equipment for children to create their own environments; teaching skills and knowledge in the context of practical activities, e.g. learning about the characteristics of liquids and solids by involving children in melting chocolate or cooking eggs; giving opportunities to record findings by, e.g. drawing, writing, making a model or photographing; providing stories that help children to make sense of different environments; providing stimuli and resources for children to create simple maps and plans, paintings, drawings and models of observations of known and imaginary landscapes; giving opportunities to design practical, attractive environments, for example, taking care of the flowerbeds or organising equipment outdoors.
How does the Geography curriculum reflect our school’s values and ethos?
At Glusburn, we aim for a high quality Geography curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. As a rights respecting and Eco-school, we would like to see our children become ambassadors for our planet and all that it contains and access the Geography curriculum with a view to promote an awareness and a respect for the world we live in.
Our Fairtrade Fortnight annual event enables the school to highlight the issues around Fairtrade and provides the children with opportunities to look at other communities around the world and track the journeys taken with some of the Fairtraded products.
Field Trips
Year 3 had a wonderful day on their Geography Field Trip in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They followed Hebden Beck down the valley to the River Wharfe, investigating water current speed and looking for evidence of erosion and deposition. Yesterday’s weather was perfect and the children were a credit to the school with great learning behaviour.
Additional Links
spring 1 locational and place knowledge human and physical geography.pdf
summer 1 map reading and fieldwork skills.pdf
