Geography
Please scroll to bottom of the page for more details about what your child will be studying this term, as well as some examples of work.
National Curriculum for Geography
Each year group will plan from the National Curriculum document and will cover all of statutory requirements for that key stage. The objectives will often be revisited and reviewed in a progressive way through each year group. Please see below the learning that each key stage will cover. Exemplified objectives for each year group can be found on the class pages in the form of the half-termly topic webs.
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.
At Barton St Lawrence, History, Geography and Science often provide the focus for our themed approach. The National Curriculum specifies certain topics and skills that have to be covered. These range from local studies to more wide ranging topics such as the Ancient Civilisations and geographical projects far beyond the local community. We use a practical, enquiry based approach whenever possible and place great importance on field work to stimulate children's interest in the world. The information in brackets below gives more detail as to which year group will cover each subject.
Key stage 1
Pupils will develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They will understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills,including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.
By the end of Key Stage 1, children at Barton St Lawrence will have covered the following topics:
Locational knowledge
- name and locate the world's seven continents and five oceans (year 2)
- name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas (year 1)
Place knowledge
- 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 (years 1 and 2)
Human and physical geography
- identify seasonal (year 1) 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 (year 2)
- 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 (years 1 and 2)
- key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop (years 1 and 2)
Geographical skills and fieldwork
- 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 (years 1 and 2)
- 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 (year 2)
- 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 (year 2)
- 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 (years 1 and 2)
Key stage 2
Pupils will extend 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 will develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
By the end of Key Stage 2, children at Barton St Lawrence will have covered the following:
Locational knowledge
- locate the world's countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) (year4) and North and South America (years 3, 5 and 6), concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities (all year groups)
- name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom (year 3), geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics (year 4), key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time (year 5)
- identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude (years 5 and 6), Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere (year 3), the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (years 5 and 6), Arctic and Antarctic Circle (year 4), the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night) (years 5 and 6)
Place knowledge
- understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom (year 3), a region in a European country (year 4), and a region within North or South America (years 3, 5 and 6)
Human and physical geography
- describe and understand key aspects of:
- physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle (years 5 and 6)
- 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 (all year groups)
Geographical skills and fieldwork
- use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied (all KS2)
- use the eight points of a compass (year 4), four and six-figure grid references (years 5 and 6), symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world (all year groups)
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 (all year groups)
In year 4 they have been looking at local water sources both past and present. This has been looked at on a map and through the internet to see if sources of water have changed throughout the years.
Topics by Year
| Class | Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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Year 1 |
This half term we will be looking at ‘Our School Within its Locality’. We will begin by exploring our school and grounds using locational and directional language – left, right, forward and backwards. The children will have the opportunity to look at aerial maps of the school as well as visiting the local area and observing the different features e.g. physical and human features. The children will compare the local area to pictures of the local area in the past and identify differences and similarities.
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This half term we will be looking at ‘Hot and Cold areas of the world’ and we will link to our Polar regions topic. The children will have the opportunity to identify the Equator and North and South Poles as well as list the countries that the Equator passes through. The children will then explore what the weather is like at a place near the Equator as well as what the weather is like at a place near the North and South Pole. Finally, the children will look at how the weather in the UK compares with the weather at the Equator and North and South Poles. |
This half term we will be looking at ‘Weather and weather patterns’. We will begin by naming the four seasons in sequence that occur in the UK, identify seasonal change by studying information on temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction and daylight. We will explore if the weather is identical across all parts of the UK. We will research what a weather forecast is and how it can be helpful to us and finally investigate how we can record the weather in our school grounds and if there are differences in different parts of the school grounds. |
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Year 2 |
Children will learn that the school and its surroundings form part of Barton community. Through simple fieldwork, the children will plot a basic map of the area, identifying and describing where places are. Children will learn to observe and record their findings on digital maps, including drawing and measuring routes. We will explore which features of the locality can be changed through a visit from local members of the community, and learn the steps already taken by some people such as the head teacher and governors to look after the school environment. Finally, the children will listen to the advice of community members and become ‘Barton heroes’ by helping to improve the area by making posters / signs to encourage others to look after Barton, and they will take part in an activity to improve the local area themselves. |
This half-term the children will learn about a contrasting environment and culture to our own; Alaska. The children will use the internet to find Alaska, the USA and Britain on a map, and some children will go on to locate the oceans surrounding these countries, as well as use maps to discover capital cities. Children will go on to use the internet to describe seasonal and daily weather patterns in Alaska by looking at its location in relation to the Arctic, equator and Antarctic. We will then use story books to help us learn about the human and physical features of Alaska, and after a field trip around Barton, the children will make a picture book called ‘A for Alaska, B for Barton’ which will describe the similarities and differences between the two places in pictures and words.
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The children will use Disney World, Orlando as a hook to learn about Florida, USA. They will begin by using secondary sources of information to describe a location very different to our own locality. They will use maps to locate the seven continents and the five oceans, as well as locate Disney World, Orlando, Florida and the USA on a map. Then, the children will use postcards, stories and travel brochures to describe and compare the human and physical features of a selection of areas of Florida. Following this, the children will begin to explain why so many tourists visit Florida and some children will go on to locate the Arctic, Equator and Antarctic to help them explain weather patterns in the Florida. All children will use maps and atlases to describe and explain which types of transport would be used to travel from Barton to Disney World, and finally, they will recognise, describe and compare key features of Orlando to Barton. |
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Year 3 |
LOCATIONAL KNOWLEDGE : THE UK – COUNTIES name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics |
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY human geography, including: types of settlement and land use |
This half-term we will focus on naming and locating counties and cities of the United Kingdom. We will look at geographical regions, and their identifying human and physical characteristics. We will also explore key topographical features including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers. We will look at land-use patterns and aim to understand how some of these aspects have changed over time. In this topic we will also use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe the features studied |
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Year 4 |
As the leading theme for our topic this term, children will engage in both field and classroom-based work to discover the nature of coasts. Children will be introduced to maps by using OS maps of local areas; they will explore common symbols on a map and understand how land changes through lines and colours on a map. We will then look at coastal environments and explore what features and facilities are present there. They will use OS maps and four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys to name and locate geographical regions and their human and physical characteristics. Children will explore topographical features including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers, as well as land use patterns and how these may have changed over time. They will be introduced to the concepts of changing coastal environments such as erosion, deposition and longshore drift. As well as examining how erosion takes place, children will also understand the significance of rock type in relation to amounts of erosion and explore natural headland features and be introduced to the human consequences of coastal erosion. We will then contrast this knowledge with looking at similarities and differences of another area in the UK and beyond. |
Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region within South America |
Children will look at South America as part of our topic – in particular the Galapagos Islands. We will look at climate, vegetation, biomes, the tropics, grid references and explore the route that Charles Darwin may have taken to get to this island. Children will collect images of the Galapagos Islands and compare these to their own surroundings drawing comparisons between the two. |
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Year 5&6 |
Throughout our topic, the children will use either atlases or OS maps in order to practise and apply their four and six-figure grid reference finding skills; the use of longitude and latitude; their knowledge of symbols and keys to name and locate geographical regions and their investigative skills to determine human and physical characteristics of a named region of the World. Children will explore topographical features including volcanoes and mountains. Pupils will learn about the Earth’s tectonic plates, and the disastrous effects that their movement can have upon our world through the study of earthquakes and Tsunamis. |
During this term, children will review and practise their practical map skills by using local OS maps. They will continue to locate various countries, worldwide, using atlases and digital mapping programmes. Children will 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). |
HUMAN AND PHYSICAL / PLACE economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water; understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom , and a region within North America |
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