Wheatfields Junior

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Geography

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 frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.                    (National Curriculum 2014)

Intent of the Geography Curriculum at Wheatfields Juniors

Our Geography curriculum aims to provoke in our pupils an interest and curiosity of the world and their place in it.  Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. We aim to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. The curriculum is designed to enable children to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their time at Wheatfields Juniors and also to their further education and beyond. Our many trips, visitors and experiences, cross curricular links and projects ensure that the breadth of study and skills are taught not only in a rigorous manner but in an engaging and memorable way for our children.

Implementation - What does Geography look like at Wheatfields Juniors?

  • Knowledge organisers are used in Geography to support key knowledge, concepts and vocabulary.
  • Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. 
  • Children discuss what they already know, and questions are generated throughout the teaching of a unit to encourage enquiry-based learning.
  • Knowledge organisers are developed for each unit of work to summarise key facts, essential knowledge and subject specific vocabulary. 
  • Vocabulary to identify and name places, the features within them and the human and physical processes at work there is shared at the start of units building deeper explanation and understanding as well as providing entry points to geographical conversations about the world.
  • Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. 
  • Cross curricular outcomes in Geography are specifically planned for, with links between Geography and opportunities to apply skills in writing and orienteering in PE. 
  • Field Work - It is encouraged that teachers plan opportunities to use the school grounds, local environment and going further afield to conduct geographical fieldwork. 

   

Impact - By the end of Key Stage 2 our children will have:

Extended 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. 

They will be able to:

  • 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); 
  • 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 America; 
  • describe and understand key aspects of physical and human Geography; 
  • use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied; 
  • use the eight points of a compass, four and six-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 Road Map