Geography
GEOGRAPHY
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalms 95:4-5
At Tarporley C of E Primary, we believe that '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.' (The National Curriculum in England Framework Document (DfE) 2014)
What is Geography?
Geography is the study of the shape and features of the Earth's surface, including countries, vegetation, climates and how humans use the world's resources.
Human geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of culture, societies and economies, and physical geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of landscapes and the environment.
Geography puts this understanding of social and physical processes within the context of place recognising the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world and exploring the links between them. Understanding the causes the differences and inequalities between places and social groups underly much of the newer developments in human geography.
Geography provides an ideal framework for relating other fields of knowledge. Geography is, in the broadest sense, an education for life and for living. Learning through geography helps us to be more socially and enviromentally sensitive, better informed, and more responsible as citizens.
Our Geography curriculum is taught through our BOOKS approach allowing all our children to flourish in readiness for their next stage of learning.
Tarporley CE Geography Curriculum Intent: What do we intend for our pupils to learn?
At Tarporley CE we utilise the Geography scheme of work published by Kapow Primary. Our scheme of work enables us to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want our pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. We strive to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.
Through the use of our scheme, we encourage:
• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.
Our scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum. The aims align with those in the National curriculum. For EYFS, the activities allow pupils to work towards the ‘Understanding the world’ Development matters statements and Early learning goals, while also covering foundational knowledge that will support them in their further geography learning in Key stage 1.
National Curriculum for Geography in Key Stages 1 and 2
Our aims are 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.
In Geography, there are four interrelated forms of substantive knowledge:
- Locational knowledge
This focusses on ‘where’s where’. Children will begin in Reception by looking at positional language before moving on in KS1 and 2 to the four- and eight-point compasses. Learning looks at different countries, regions and features and pupils will be able to pinpoint and associate locations with the peculiarities that identify them.
- Place knowledge
Allows pupils to locate or orient themselves with respect to the larger global space and to other places. They begin by exploring our school, homes and village and recognising that ‘place’ is a physical area that can be located and has personal meaning. Through exploring different localities, they will identify similarities and differences, and pupils will make comparisons between places and the same places over time.
- Environmental, human and physical processes
Enables pupils to describe their own and other’s environments. Pupils will recognise similarities and differences between the world around them and contrasting environments. In addition, they will understand important processes and changes in the world around them that affect land, eater, air, people and wildlife.
- Geographical skills including fieldwork
Pupils encounter geography first hand and will develop their map skills. They will be introduced to different types of mapping, and will have opportunities for pupils to practise decoding information presented in maps as well as encoding to create their own maps. The goal is that they become fluent map readers.
Key stage 1
Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should 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.
Key Stage 2
Pupils should 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 should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
Tarporley CE Geography Curriculum Implementation: How is geography taught and assessed in order to build pupils knowledge and enable them to apply that knowledge as skills?
We are ambitious for our children and want them to become confident and capable geographers who delight in exploring and understanding the world around them. Ensuring teachers have excellent subject knowledge is key, and that teachers present subject matter in a coherent manner that promotes discussion. Misconceptions are addressed, and teachers respond and adapt their teaching as necessary, without unnecessarily elaborate of differentiated approaches. Through each unit, teaching is designed to help learners to remember in the long term the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts encountered both within and outside of the geography lesson. Assessment is used well in order to help learners embed and use knowledge fluently or to check understanding and inform teaching. Resources and materials that teachers select clearly support the intent of a coherently planned curriculum, sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment. Opportunities for reading within this subject are planned for and utilised fully.
Where appropriate, learning and teaching styles will differ from each lesson and will address the needs and interests of the children, as well as the needs of the objectives being taught. At Tarporley CE Primary, we utilise many learning and teaching styles. Geography will be taught discretely as well as looking for opportunities across our curriculum to make links with other subjects. Lessons may also include practical elements, with fieldwork and outdoor learning playing a key part. Trips and visitors will also be used to enhance and enrich our geography curriculum.
Tarporley CE Geography Curriculum Impact: How do we know our geography curriculum is effective?
At Tarporley CE, we believe that if our pupils have become knowledgeable and effective geographers they will be able to talk with knowledge and confidence on the range of topics studied, describe and make links between places & features, suggest relevant geographical questions and issues and describe and start to explain geographical processes using the correct terminology.
Our goal is that learners develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and, as a result, achieve well. In addition, learners will be ready for the next stage of education, employment or training. To judge whether this has been successfully achieved, the following monitoring will be undertaken by the Geography Subject Leader:
- audit of the subject area
- review of the scheme of work
- monitoring teachers planning
- lesson observations
- scrutinising children's work
- discussions with pupils
Our subject leader for Geography is Miss Helen Maddocks.
