Geography Curriculum
A vision for Geography at Whitchurch
The teaching and learning of Geography should aim to help pupils make sense of their surroundings and of the wider world. It should provoke questions and answers about the natural and human-influenced worlds and use a variety of skills to allow pupils to develop their own perspectives and views.
Termly and half termly topics give scope for cross curricular work to develop investigative skills and understanding of place and the environment worldwide. It I also hoped that the Geography curriculum at Whitchurch will inform and nurture understanding in pupils so they are better prepared to consider environmental and cultural issues later in their lives.
Geography forms links with other curricular areas, which inspire pupils to consider their own place in the world, their values, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment. Children may be encouraged to develop these responsibilities and thoughts through PSHE or other topics.
The purpose of teaching geography at Whitchurch is:
- To promote interest, enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility in the environment, the natural world and all of its inhabitants.
- Develop investigational geographical skills.
- Learn key vocabulary associated with thematic studies.
- Become aware of physical, human, cultural and climatic perspectives of the wider world.
- Develop skills through continuity, progression and teacher assessment.
- Pursue studies through a variety of media and experiences, including field work where appropriate.
Foundation Stage: In Willow Class, as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), children’s work will be related to ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the world’ set out in the Early Learning Goals.
Lower School: Pupils should develop an awareness of their locality and the geographical features of where they live including the location of the UK in the world. They will develop an understanding of the world and the location of continents, seas and oceans on a world map. The children will begin to understand about how weather and climate can be measured and how human actions can affect this. They will discover where some animals are naturally located in the wild. They will begin to understand where food is produced and how it gets to them. They will study features of a different continent of the world each year in terms of its location, climate and diversity of culture. Their fieldwork opportunities will be based in their locality.
Upper School: Children in the Upper School will develop the work they have accessed in the Lower School and be expected to build upon their geographical understanding and vocabulary. They will study the water cycle; the physical geography of mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes and climate change. They will look for similarities and differences between their own locality and other contracting localities (coastal & mountainous) during their annual residential field trips. They will study that statutory elements of the KS2 national curriculum and develop research skills whilst studying a different continent of the world each year.
