Geography

Geography at Cusgarne

Geography is an important foundation subject as it sparks interest and fascination for children about the world around them. The children at Cusgarne learn about their world through comparing locations, investigating, writing and talking about places; which includes being responsible citizens when thinking about the local, national and global challenges to our world.

At Cusgarne School, our vision is to provide children with opportunities to know that the world is full of wonders worth discovering. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of geography, our vision is that the children will gain an appreciation of life in other cultures and to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind.

At Cusgarne School we teach geography according to the following National Curriculum expectations for geography at EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

EYFS Expectations:

These Early Learning Goals are the ones that link most closely to the Geography National Curriculum.

Understanding the World (People and Communities)

Children know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.

Understanding the World (The World)

Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another.

End of KS1 Expectations

Locational Knowledge

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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.

Place Knowledge

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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.

Human and Physical Geography

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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;
•       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;

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

Geographical Skills and Fieldwork

Pupils should be taught to:

•       use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage;
•       use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map;
•       use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key;
•       use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

End of KS2 Expectations

Locational Knowledge

Pupils should be taught 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).

Place Knowledge

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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.

Human and Physical Geography

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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.

Geographical Skills and Fieldwork

Pupils should be taught to:

•       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.

Please refer to our curriculum progression map below, which comprehensively shows the progression of geographical knowledge, skills and concepts for the children from year 1 to year 6.

Intent

Our Geography curriculum is based on Twinkl’s PlanIt scheme and delivers a structure and sequence of lessons which ensure we have covered the skills required to meet the aims of the national curriculum. In addition, in order to ensure it meets the meets of our children we also make learning meaningful to them. One way we do this is to focus on our local geography and the issues that are special to Cornwall. Therefore, our curriculum allows for a broader, deeper understanding of the four areas of geography identified in the curriculum. It develops contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places and understanding of the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, along with how we bring about variation and change over time. We intend to develop children’s curiosity and a fascination of the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Each topic offers a range of opportunities for investigating places around the world as well as physical and human processes. Each lesson is intended to improve children’s geographical vocabulary, map skills and geographical facts and provide opportunities for consolidation, challenge and variety to ensure interest and progress in the subject.

Implementation

In KS1, children begin to use maps and recognise physical and human features to do with the local area, building to using maps to explore the continents and oceans of the world in year 2. Further, in year 2, children will begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions. In KS2, map skills are developed further using digital maps, more keys and symbols and children begin to use more fieldwork skills. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. All children expand on their skills in local knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork. Across both key stages, children have a range of opportunities to experience geography through practical engaging tasks beyond the classroom. Our lessons come with end of unit assessments to give the teacher and adults leading geography confidence in the progression of skills and knowledge and that outcomes have been met. Key words are also highlighted in each lesson and are used by children to deepen their geographical knowledge.

Impact

We believe that the impact of the geography lessons as the basis of our curriculum is that geography learning is loved by teachers and pupils across school, teachers have higher expectations and more quality evidence is presented in books. Our teaching ensures that all children use geographical vocabulary confidently and accurately, and understand the different strands of geography, with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. At Cusgarne our children will make relevant links from geography to other curriculum subjects, such as history and science. They will improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them, and their impact on the world. The children will realise that they have choices to make in the world, developing a positive commitment to the environment and the future of the planet. The children will become competent in collecting, analysing and communicating a range of data gathered. They will be able to interpret a range of sources of geographical information and they will communicate geographical information in a variety of ways. All children in the school will be able to speak confidently and enthusiastically about their geography learning, skills and knowledge.