St. Agnes' Catholic Primary School

Geography

History and Geography Curriculum Map and Rationale

Intent

At St Agnes Geography allows all children to develop an understanding of their place within Crawcrook, Gateshead, the North East and the wider world. Children gain an appreciation of places and environments, of their impact on us and others and how we as global citizens can impact on the world around us. They explore the interaction between physical and human environments, learning how to draw and interpret maps, developing the skills of research, investigation and analysis. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, children gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. Teaching equips children with the knowledge and understanding of how our Earth has changed and how it may change again in the future.  

In line with the National Curriculum 2014, we aim to ensure that children acquire “a curiosity and fascination about the world and it’s people that will remain with them for their lives.” Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills underpin all geographical learning to ensure progression. Teachers use the Oddizzi scheme effectively to enable children to view the world through the eyes of people who are passionate about the places they are sharing.  

We aim for children to develop not just their subject knowledge but their skills as Geographers, learning transferable skills of mapping, citizenship, investigative work and problem solving that will support a deeper understanding across the curriculum. Where possible opportunities for fieldwork are employed to further deepen children’s understanding of Geographical processes.

Implementation

Our Geography curriculum following the Oddizzi scheme is carefully planned and structured to enable pupils to accumulate knowledge as they progress. For example, in Year 1’s local area study, children learn basic geographical concepts, knowledge, vocabulary and skills through the concrete experience of a familiar place. This then allows them to make meaningful comparisons with the Zambian locality of Mugumareno Village in Year 2. During Key Stage 2, this knowledge of places feeds into regional studies from the Americas, Europe and the UK. Knowledge becomes both broader and deeper as pupils progress and become familiar with an ever-wider range of places. This growing knowledge is also fed by the development of locational knowledge, geographical skills and a growing understanding of human and physical processes. 

In so doing, our intentions are that children know more and remember more.

By the end of their schooling at St Agnes’, children possess a broad geographical knowledge, are able to think like Geographers and possess the fieldwork and mapping skills to enable them to deepen their understanding in the future

Key Stage 1

 Year 1

By the end of Year 1, children should know:

• basic vocabulary and concepts about weather and the climate;
• the main nations and features of the UK, including their locations and related key vocabulary;
• the location and features of the local area.

By the end of Year 1, children should be able to:

• create a simple weather chart;
• annotate a simple map of the UK with some of its key features;
• look at simple maps and aerial views of the local area, discussing and asking questions about its main features and the way symbols have been used;
• work together to create a simple map of the local area;
• observe, record, discuss and ask questions about the main features of the local area, based on direct experience;
• make connections between their investigation of the local area and what they have learned about weather, climate and the UK;
• use appropriate vocabulary when describing local features and those of the UK, including for seasons and local weather.

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a local area focus on the school

Year 2

By the end of Year 2, children should know:

• the names and locations of the world’s continents and oceans, and some information about each of them;
• where the world’s main hot and cold regions are, and some information about what they are like;
• the location and features of a contrasting locality in Zambia, comparing and contrasting it with their local area and situating it within the African continent;
• how their location within hot and cold regions might affect everyday life differently in the UK and Zambia.

By the end of Year 2, children should be able to:

• use globes and atlases – and annotate maps – to identify continents and oceans, including the location of the UK, Europe, Zambia and Africa;
• use globes and atlases – and annotate maps – to identify the world’s hot and cold regions, locating the UK and Zambia within them;
• look at simple maps and aerial views of a contrasting locality in Zambia, discussing and asking questions about its main features and comparing these with the UK;
• use appropriate vocabulary for continents and oceans, for hot and cold regions and when describing and comparing a contrasting locality in Zambia with their local area;
• make use of the four main compass points when describing the location of these key locations and regions.

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a local area focus on Crawcrook

Key Stage 2

Year 3

By the end of Year 3, children should know:

• where the world’s main climate zones are (building on their prior understanding of hot and cold regions);
• the location and main human and physical features of North and South America;
• the location and human/physical features of Rio de Janeiro and South-East Brazil, as a region in The Americas, comparing and contrasting this region with places previously studied;
• how their location within different climate zones might affect everyday life differently in South-East Brazil and places previously studied;
• the location of South-East Brazil and Rio de Janeiro within the South American continent;
• about processes of settlement, trade, tourism and culture in South-East Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

By the end of Year 3, children should be able to:

• use globes and atlases to identify climate zones and consider their impact on different parts of the Americas, including South-East Brazil;
• use globes, atlases and maps to identify the main human and physical features of North and South America;
• interpret maps and aerial views of the Americas, South-East Brazil and Rio de Janeiro at a variety of scales, discussing and asking questions about their main features, and comparing these with places previously studied;
• use appropriate vocabulary when describing the Americas, South-East Brazil and Rio de Janeiro and comparing them with other places; when describing climate zones and human processes; and when describing place locations and map features (e.g. the Equator, the tropics, the world’s hemispheres).

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a local area focus on the local town of Blaydon

Year 4

By the end of Year 4, children should know:

• the key elements and features of a river;
• the key elements of the water cycle;
• the names of – and key information on – the world’s main rivers;
• basic ideas about flood management;
• the key elements of a rainforest biome, how these contrast with other biomes and the main location of the world’s rainforests (including the Congo);
• the location and principal features of the Amazon, situating it within the globe and the South American continent and comparing and contrasting it with South-East Brazil;
• how physical processes involving rivers, the water cycle and rainforests distinctively apply to the Amazon;
• how some human beings have adapted to life in the rainforest and the Amazon.

By the end of Year 4, children should be able to:

• interpret and explain key information on rivers;
• evaluate a range of possible flood prevention measures;
• use globes, atlases and maps to locate the world’s principal rivers, rainforests (and other biomes), including the Amazon;
• interpret a range of maps and aerial views of the Amazon and apply this information to their understanding of it;
• use appropriate vocabulary when describing the Amazon; rainforest and other biomes; rivers and river features; and place locations.

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a local area focus on the borough of Gateshead

Year 5

By the end of Year 5, children should know:

• the names and locations of the world’s principal mountains, volcanoes and areas at risk from earthquakes;
• the main features and types of mountains;
• how some people have adapted to life in mountainous areas;
• the main features and causes of volcanoes and earthquakes;
• the location and principal features of the region around Athens, when seen at a range of scales, from the global to the immediately local;
• ways in which human processes (such as tourism and migration) operate within the Mediterranean, Greece and Athens;
• ways in which the location and physical geography of the region impact on (and are impacted by) human activity – this includes the key role of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as core knowledge about mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc;
• how people can respond to a natural disaster, such as an earthquake;
• ways in which the location and distinctive features of Greece and the Athens region (including everyday life) compare and contrast with those of other places studied;
• about place-specific patterns of continuity and change (including different perspectives on issues in the news, as well as ways in which modern-day Greece compares and contrasts with its past).

By the end of Year 5, children should be able to:

• interpret a range of maps and aerial views of Athens, Greece and the Mediterranean region and apply this information to their understanding of it (e.g. when arguing the case for tourism in the Mediterranean);
• look critically at a topical issue in this region, raising questions about it, considering the reliability of sources and exploring and evaluating a range of viewpoints;
• use globes and atlases to identify the location of Greece and the Mediterranean;
• use and apply appropriate vocabulary when describing the location and distinctive features of mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, the Mediterranean, Greece and Athens.

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a local area focus on the city of Newcastle

Year 6

By the end of Year 6, children should know:

• the location and principal features of the UK and their local region when seen at a range of scales, from the global to the immediately local;
• ways in which human processes (such as economic and political processes, the distribution of energy, land use, settlement and change) operate within the UK and their local region;
• ways in which the location and physical geography of the UK and their local region impact on (and are impacted by) human activity in the region;
• ways in which the location and distinctive features of the UK and their local region compare and contrast with those of other places studied.

By the end of Year 6, children should be able to:

• interpret a range of maps of the UK and the local region and apply this information to their understanding of it;
• use maps and supporting information to route-plan a tourist trip around the capital cities of the UK;
• use fieldwork to collect and critically evaluate data from a range of viewpoints about the local region, how it meets people’s needs, and how it might change;
• use and annotate Ordnance Survey maps, including the use of grid references, in order to present arguments about change in the local region;
• use appropriate vocabulary when describing key information about the UK and the local region to external audiences.

In addition, children have the opportunity to develop their locational and place knowledge, geographical vocabulary and skills of enquiry, fieldwork and mapwork through a broader local area focus on the Tyneside area.

Impact

Pupil progress is assessed at the end of the teaching and learning of curriculum units using a range of formative assessment activities including assessing pupil outcomes against key skills and knowledge criteria.  Pupils are also given opportunities to demonstrate their learning through an end of unit task  These are designed to provide children with an opportunity to reflect, refine, extend and make links with their learning.  Subject leaders and coordinators hold regular pupil conferencing activities to determine how children are making sense of geographical themes across year groups and key stages over time; how they know more and remember more.

Policies and Information