Geography
“It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all."
Ernest Shackleton
What is the intent of Geography at Meadows?
At Meadows, we inspire pupils’ curiosity using our exciting units from the Dimensions Curriculum; from towering mountains to bustling cities, geography opens doors to endless possibilities and discoveries. We aim to encourage pupils to explore the mysteries of diverse cultures, unique landscapes, and the impact of human activities on our planet. We aim to ensure that pupils develop a rich, meaningful foundation that broadens their knowledge of the world around them by engaging pupils’ creative and critical thinking about change, both locally and globally, and the implications for the future. The geography that pupils learn encourages them to use their geographical understanding to help make sense of the world, helping them to prepare to play an active role as an informed and responsible citizen of planet Earth.
How is Geography implemented at Meadows?
From EYFS to Year 6, the key aims, outcomes and knowledge of the National Curriculum are taught through the exciting thematic units of the Dimensions curriculum. Pupils develop a better understanding of the places they live in or visit and also how they are connected to the wider community and beyond.
We teach Geography through a combination of subject knowledge, geographical skills, enquiry and fieldwork, encouraging pupils to observe, compare and understand more about the world in which they live. Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom through carefully sequenced lessons and exciting trips and visitors.
geography subject overview.pdf
How does Geography progress at Meadows?
Geographical knowledge and skills are built upon and revisited during your child’s time at Meadows. In Nursery and Reception, pupils explore the similarities and differences between their own homes and others alongside learning about celebrations in other cultures, they also learn about Asia as a continent. In Key Stage 1, pupils progress to learning about where food comes from, identifying features of their school, comparing physical and human made features in the UK, finding out about life in the Artic Circle and Peru. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to build upon their knowledge of the UK, begin to learn more about physical geographical concepts such as map work including a local area study, as well as learning about the importance of rainforests and exploring Africa and America.
How can I support my child in Geography?
- By playing short fun games. E.g, Name a country’ – this can be played at the dinner table, or in the car. Each player takes it in turns to name a country, starting with A, then B, then C, then D, etc. If you get stuck, look through an atlas and discover a new part of the world!
- Organise a field trip! Locate a local geographical feature – a river, stream, hill, coastline, island, mountain or valley – and locate it on a map, then visit it. Flick through an atlas and look for strange and wonderful place names. Can you pronounce them correctly and find out two facts about them?
- Use the free map on Google Earth to see the world in satellite photo form. Gaze over the landscapes, zoom in and imagine what life is like in the Sahara, the Serengeti or Siberia.
- Mark all the countries people in your family have been to on a map. How many continents have they visited?
- Play BBC Bitesize's KS1 geography game Pirate Bunnies: World Adventures and earn treasure by discovering the world's seven continents and five oceans, sailing north, east, south and west, spotting the features of different seasons, exploring the United Kingdom and discovering flags from around the world.
- Construct a weather station in your garden. (DIY Weather Station Garden Craft Instructions (teacher made) (twinkl.co.uk)) You can also get more sophisticated with thermometers, barometers and anemometers, and why not present your findings as a weather report?
- Click here to view some books your child may like.