How We Teach Geography at Red Hall

WE ARE GEOGRAPHERS

We aim to inspire children to develop a curiosity and fascination about the world. We will provide exciting teaching and fieldwork which will develop their knowledge and remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Staff will make sure children have a good understanding of contextual knowledge (social, religious, economic, and political conditions) and that they are able to define physical and human characteristics and how they provide understanding of actions and processes in this amazing subject. We aim to provide exciting lessons indoors and out, which will help to develop their skills in collecting, analysing and communicating their understanding about the data they are shown or have gathered. As teachers, we ensure there is lots of repetition within this learning so children remember it forever. Children will learn to use lots of different sources such as globes, diagrams and maps.

We have planned a tailored curriculum for Geography, bespoke to the needs of our children and their backgrounds. We are aware that lots of our children see vandalism on our estate and some of their older siblings may not treat the environment with respect (by lighting fires, killing insects, ruining habitats etc) therefore we work together, with the children to ensure our curriculum not only informs them of the natural world, but also allows them to pass on these messages to other people within the community, resulting in a sense of pride where they live.

How is Geography taught in our school?

• Our curriculum ensures all of the National Curriculum is covered and key terminology is learned.
• Our teaching will equip children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments.
• As children progress through the year groups, 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.
• Geography lessons focus on developing geographical skills and children working as geographers.
• We intend for our children to have real life experiences and learn about geography in a fascinating way.
• We aim to follow the interests of all children and encourage them to discover a love for this amazing subject.
• Our lessons are active and include a range of resources, invitations and provocations are used to deepen the children’s understanding.

Our children are provided with ‘memorable experiences’ which the school will mainly fund to give children as many opportunities as possible. These link to the way we structure our topic approach to teaching:

1. In our topic sessions we have a powerful ‘engage stage’ which captures children’s imagination and learning is centred around the wonders of each child.
2. Next we have the ‘develop stage’, during this time, children will improve their knowledge and understanding of the topic. They develop and practice their new skills.
3. We also have ‘innovate stage’ which helps to steer the children in new directions, re-engage them in a topic or just to spark a new interest.
4. Finally, at the end of each topic, there is an ‘express stage’. This is possibly the most exciting part as all the children have a chance to express what they have learned to parents, carers and the wider community.

How can parents and carers support their children at home?

Every term or half term there will be a whole school ‘umbrella topic’ which will drive forward the teaching of our foundation subjects and inspire our core subjects too. These topics will be displayed on our school website and in our school entrance on your child’s class clipboard. We encourage children to do their own research about the topic and it would be great if you encouraged and scaffold this learning. Each class will create a question which they will focus on about the topic, all research can be displayed proudly in the child’s hook book in school. Here is link to the curriculum coverage for geography in our school, if you would like to see what is expected to be taught for history in your child’s year group. Please add link curriculum intent and overview.

Hook Books and Floorbooks

As part of our school ethos, we aim to keep our topics as child-led as possible. Staff are expected to cover all elements of the National Curriculum, within Geography lessons we also ensure we capture the children’s voice, reflections and follow any fascinations they may have. We use Hook Books to record the children’s learning journey through the topic as we explore our Topic question together. In the Hook Books, you will find evidence of homework, artwork, diagrams, writing, photographs and much more. We pass the ownership to the children so they can add anything they feel in important as they investigate their topic. In Early Years we use Floorbooks instead of Topic books, they are very similar tools but they are used a little differently. Not only will you find evidence of our school umbrella topic covered in these journals but you will also find evidence of completely child-led questions from across the Early Years Framework.

The Geography Curriculum

Geography lessons are underpinned by our understanding of the core values of the Geography National Curriculum document. In order to not only provide children with knowledge but also develop historical skills, allowing them to know more and remember more, and encourage children to work as Geography. Geography topics are planned to ensure that lessons are built upon the key ideas of the curriculum as well as the children ideas, we are always working towards children developing this knowledge and skills.

Concept Maps

Every block of lessons starts with a Concept Map which has key words about a geography strand. The children make links between different words, which is just a way for the class teacher to assess their current knowledge and to plan future lessons.

Lessons then continue building on the children’s existing knowledge and with the aim of correcting any misunderstandings or introducing new ideas.

These Concept Maps are updated after a lesson or at the start of a new lesson so the children can see the new links they can now make and can show off their new knowledge.

Reflection

Teachers will also use reflection activities at the start of every lesson to recap learning from earlier in the year or from previous year groups. This is to make sure your child does not forget what they have already learnt and to help make links between their current topic and other topics.

Vocabulary

Each year group has key vocabulary linked to each of their topics which is also used in the concept maps that teachers create. You will find these on the geography vision document: Geography Vision Curriculum Document

Key Stage 1

Children will develop their knowledge about the United Kingdom and their local environment. They’ll begin learning about maps, atlases and globes as well as learning to use simple compass directions. The children will also study seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK and look at hot and cold areas of the world. Children will carry out field trips and investigations into temperature and weather.

Key Stage 2

Children will begin to extend their knowledge beyond their local environment and will study Europe as well as North and South America and the wider world. They will look at similarities and differences of human geography such as types of settlement and land use. They will also study physical elements such as climate zones, rivers mountains and volcanoes. Children will continue to use maps, atlases and globes as well as introducing the use of 8 points of the compass in their work. They will will continue to develop their skills in fieldwork.

A passion for Geography and a will to carry on discovering the wider world. By the end of Red Hall, we would like children to see themselves as Geographers and have developed a love for the subject which continues into secondary school. It is our aim that every child makes at least good progress within Geography and is proud of their efforts and all of the achievements they have made. We hope children are enthusiastic about learning and remember all of the learning they have completed.