Geography
The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
At St Leonards, we use the International Primary Curriculum to support the teaching and learning of Geography. This embeds the National Curriculum into themed topics, where children learn the various Geographical skills required at Primary School level, and develop:
- A wider variety of skills linked to geographical knowledge and understanding, and geographical enquiry/investigative skills.
- A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
- High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
Geography Learning Zone
Up to date weather forecasts
Activities, games and stories about Barnaby Bear's travels for KS1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/barnabybear
Newsround world current events
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/default.stm
Newsround UK current events
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk
KS2 geography support materials
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/E/essentials/geography/qmenu.shtml
Environmental themes
The children’s section has many useful facts, activities and animations and includes sections on: air, energy, land, climate change, people and lifestyles, resources and waste, water and wildlife.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fun/?lang=_e
Mapping
An introduction for key stage 2 on how maps work and how to interpret them. It includes these 8 sections: starting mapping, symbols, compasses and directions, grid references, understanding scale, measuring distance, relief and contour lines and compass bearings.
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/index.html
Local street maps including a ‘find my nearest’ function, which can be used to locate features e.g. schools, list them and link them to a map.
Search for local street maps by postcode, OS grid reference, place name or street name. Maps are extendable in eight compass directions.
Online mapping site which includes eye level 'Streetview'
Maps resized to show population sizes, income, etc.
Distant locations
Very child-friendly site for understanding development issues.
Excellent site for global citizenship issues. Children’s pages include details of the history, geography and environment, people and society and a fact file for 14 countries), ‘children’ (exploring the lives of children in less developed countries) and ‘food’ (issues such as farming and fair trade).
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/index.htm
Includes a range of resources for information supporting distant locality studies.
Images
The Geography Britain and Ireland project aims to collect geographical photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland, and you can be part of it.
https://m.geograph.org.uk/of/streatham
Photographic images of countries which can be selected by continent, then by country.
UK, Europe and USA images
Panoramic images
https://www.theguardian.com/world/series/eyewitness
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/
