Geography subject Coordinator – Mr Thompson
Intent
We use Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme of work. This aims 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 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 hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them. Our scheme encourages:
• 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 terms and vocabulary.
Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum. The aims also align with those in the National curriculum.
Implementation
The National curriculum organises the Geography attainment targets under four subheadings or strands:
• Locational knowledge
• Place knowledge
• Human and physical geography
• Geographical skills and fieldwork
Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these four strands across each year group. Our Progression of skills and knowledge shows the skills taught within each year group and how these develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.
Our National curriculum mapping document shows which of our units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the four strands.
The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Locational knowledge, in particular, will be reviewed in each unit to coincide with our belief that this will consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in Geography. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their Geography skills to other areas of learning.
Our enquiry questions form the basis for our units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions.
We have designed these questions to be open-ended with no preconceived answers and therefore they are genuinely purposeful and engage pupils in generating a real change. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to collect, interpret and present data using geographical methodologies and make informed decisions by applying their geographical knowledge.
Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible. Kapow Primary units follow an enquiry cycle that maps out the fieldwork process of question, observe, measure, record, and present, to reflect the elements mentioned in the National curriculum. This ensures children will learn how to decide on an area of enquiry, plan to measure data using a range of methods, capture the data and present it to a range of appropriate stakeholders in various formats.
Fieldwork includes smaller opportunities on the school grounds to larger-scale visits to investigate physical and human features. Developing fieldwork skills within the school environment and revisiting them in multiple units enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of various methods. It also gives children the confidence to evaluate methodologies without always having to leave the school grounds and do so within the confines of a familiar place. This makes fieldwork regular and accessible while giving children a thorough understanding of their locality, providing a solid foundation when comparing it with other places.
Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access learning, and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to deliver a highly effective and robust Geography curriculum. Each unit of lessons includes multiple teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support CPD. Kapow Primary has been created with the understanding that many teachers do not feel confident delivering the full Geography curriculum, and every effort has been made to ensure that they feel supported to deliver lessons of a high standard that ensure pupil progression.
Impact
An enquiry-based approach to learning will allow teachers to assess children against the National curriculum expectations for Geography. The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher, which can be used at the start or end of the unit to assess children’s understanding. Opportunities for children to present their findings using their geographical skills will also form part of the assessment process in each unit. After implementing Kapow Primary Geography, pupils should leave school equipped with a range of skills and knowledge to enable them to study Geography with confidence at Key stage 3. We hope to shape children into curious and inspired geographers with respect and appreciation for the world around them alongside an understanding of the interconnection between the human and the physical. The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary Geography scheme of work is that children will: Compare and contrast human and physical features to describe and understand similarities and differences between various places in the UK, Europe and the Americas. Name, locate and understand where and why the physical elements of our world are located and how they interact, including processes over time relating to climate, biomes, natural disasters and the water cycle. Understand how humans use the land for economic and trading purposes, including how the distribution of natural resources has shaped this. Develop an appreciation for how humans are impacted by and have evolved around the physical geography surrounding them and how humans have had an impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Develop a sense of location and place around the UK and some areas of the wider world using the eight-points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys on maps, globes, atlases, aerial photographs and digital mapping.
Identify and understand how various elements of our globe create positioning, including latitude, longitude, the hemispheres, the tropics and how time zones work, including night and day. Present and answer their own geographical enquiries using planned and specifically chosen methodologies, collected data and digital technologies. Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Geography.
Non-negotiables for Geography
• In KS1 Geography should be taught once a week for a half term, every term.
• In EYFS, Geography should be taught through a key question at least at least once a term and as opportunities arise
• In KS1, Geography should be taught through our scheme KAPOW.
• Each lesson should begin with our geography mantra – ‘in geography we learn about the world around us.’
• The key vocabulary and key question should be shared at the beginning of each topic, and referred to throughout the topic.
• The learning ladybird and successful spiders should be shared every lesson.
• Every lesson should have a retrieval starter.
• Teachers assess their children every term.
End of Key Stage Intentions for Geography
By the end of EYFS pupils will demonstrate the following;
• A curiosity for the world around them
• A richness of first hand observations
• Explore, observe, make decisions and talk about people, other living things and objects in their natural environments
• Know about their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people in their environment, and talk about those features that they like and dislike
By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils will demonstrate the following:
• A good understanding of the world, UK and their locality
• The use of subject specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography
• An understanding of the vastness of the world and develop a sense of wonder by looking at a country on the other side of the world and how the people are different to the people in Manchester
• A secure knowledge of the continents of the world and the areas with hot and cold climates and the importance of maps to locate these areas
• Begin to understand the diversity of people around the world and how beliefs and ways of living have affected human geography in different countries and climates
Downloads
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Further information
Geography Overview 2023 – 2024
Geography Curriculum Leaflet
Geography Curriculum Booklet
Progression of Skills in Geography
Geography Activities
