Geography
“The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together” Barack Obama
Welcome to Geography at Woodlands
INTENT
At Woodlands, the geography curriculum is integrated within our topic-based creative curriculum. This provides a basis for our children to develop a deep understanding of the links between their learning in all subjects. It enables them to see how geography fits within their growing understanding of the world.
In accordance with the National Curriculum in geography, our children progressively develop their knowledge of the location of globally significant places, both terrestrial and marine. Through studying physical and human features of our world they are given a geographical context for understanding the actions and processes that have produced Earth's key human and physical features. Our children learn how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time. They are also taught to use and practice, with increasing complexity and proficiency, the skills they need for an understanding and appreciation of geography as they move through the next stage of education and beyond. These geographical skills are taught progressively and are revisited regularly throughout our children's journey through the key stages. They are as follows:
- to collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data, gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes;
- to interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS); and
- to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
IMPLEMENTATION
From EYFS to Upper Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum's progression in geographical knowledge and skills has been mapped into our school’s creative and topic-based curriculum, making meaningful links with key topics which children learn about in each school year. Lessons are taught using engaging “hooks”, themes and ongoing topic projects/case studies, to place geographical knowledge and skills within a clear, relevant and exciting context for the children. Within lessons we use a wide range of sources of information including real people, the local environment, photographs, maps and atlases, written materials, ICT based materials, data, and TV / video extracts.
The topics studied in each year group (from EYFS through to Year 6) that contain Geography curriculum learning are detailed in the Geogprahy Policy, which can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.
In summary:
EYFS:
The knowledge, understanding and skills that children will develop in their geography learning at Woodlands have their foundations in the Early Years Foundation Stage. To implement our geography curriculum intent in our EYFS setting, we use cross-curricular topic work focusing in the first instance on the life of the child. The pupils gain a knowledge and understanding of their immediate environment and local area by relating it to their own life experiences. Using the topics, children work towards the early learning goals that form the basis for their future learning in Geography.
Key Stage 1:
Pupils develop their knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They learn to understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation.
Key Stage 2:
Pupils extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This includes learning the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.