Geography

Intent

Our Geography curriculum aims to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world around them, on both a local and global level.

We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings.

Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time, with cross-curricular links to other subjects and topics studied across the year. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them. Our scheme encourages:

• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.

• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.

• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.

• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.

• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.

Implementation

We teach Geography using the Kapow scheme of work, covering the KS1 and KS2 national curriculum objectives in three units a year.

Our enquiry questions form the basis for our Key stage 1 and 2 units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions. These questions are open-ended with no preconceived answers and therefore they are help to engage pupils in generating their own views and understanding. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to collect, interpret and represent data using geographical methodologies and make informed decisions by applying their geographical knowledge. Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible.

The national curriculum organises the attainment targets for Geography under the following aspects and our geography curriculum has these strands running through every unit:

Impact

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary Geography scheme of work is that children will:

• Compare and contrast human and physical features to describe and understand similarities and differences between various places in the UK, Europe and the Americas.

• Name, locate and understand where and why the physical elements of our world are located and how they interact, including processes over time relating to climate, biomes, natural disasters and the water cycle.

• Understand how humans use the land for economic and trading purposes, including how the distribution of natural resources has shaped this.

• Develop an appreciation for how humans are impacted by and have evolved around the physical geography surrounding them and how humans have had an impact on the environment, both positive and negative.

• Develop a sense of location and place around the UK and some areas of the wider world using the eight-points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys on maps, globes, atlases, aerial photographs and digital mapping.

• Identify and understand how various elements of our globe create positioning, including latitude, longitude, the hemispheres, the tropics and how time zones work, including night and day.

• Present and answer their own geographical enquiries using planned and specifically chosen methodologies, collected data and digital technologies.

• Meet the ‘Understanding the World’ Early Learning Goals at the end of EYFS, and the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Geography by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

Click here to access our knowledge organisers for all units