Geography

Geography at Mauldeth Road

• When teaching Geography we want:

To nurture a secure understanding about how countries can vary; empathy and respect for people from other countries and cultures.

To develop the geographical and practical skills needed to use developing technology, alongside atlases, maps, compasses etc.

To help children develop an understanding of climate and seasonal change across the world.

To foster an understanding of physical and human features of their local surroundings and compare these to those in the wider world.

Year 1

In Year 1, children will explore the following units of work: Looking after our Local Area, An Island Home, and Viva Espana.

The children will study what we have around us and be introduced to maps and local nature.

They will look at what features are expected to be found on an island and will end the year looking at some Spanish cities and how they differ from our own.

Year 2

In Year 2, children will explore the following units of work: My World, Where in the World?, and Exploring Australia.

Building on their knowledge of their local environment, the children will begin to map out keys parts of the area. They will then begin to study where hot and cold parts of the world are and link this knowledge to the locations of different countries.

They will end Year 2 studying the wonders of Australia and the habitats that are found here.

Year 3

In Year 3, children will explore the following units of work: Maps and Symbols, Extreme Earth and South America (The Amazon).

The children will build on their knowledge of directions to be introduced to the 8 points of a compass. They will recap on the location of the world's oceans and continents;  learn about natural hazards and their impact on the world; and will learn about the wonders of, and the importance of, The Amazon Rainforest. 

Year 4

In Year 4, children will explore the following units of work: Rivers, The Arctic and Antarctica, and Islands. 

The children will begin their Geography year by studying the journey and uses of the River Nile. This links nicely with their History unit of Ancient Egypt.

The children will further develop their understanding of continents, oceans, compass skills and knolwedge of habitats when looking at The Arctic and Antarctica. They too will build on their knowledge of islands from Year 1 and travel further afield, to Greece. They will compare human and physical features between a Greek island and Britain. 

Year 5

In Year 5, children will explore the following units of work: Map Skills, Mountains and Natural Resources.

From their prior learning, children will begin to apply their knowledge of the 8 points of a compass and further understand the locations of cities and countries.

They will then build on Year 3 knowledge of tectonic plates to explore how mountains form and where they are located. They will then move on to learn how the water cycle helps to create bodies of water, including rivers - which they have learnt about in Year 4.

Year 6

In Year 6, children will explore the following units of work: Locational Knowledge, Volcanoes and Earthquakes and Water/Natural Resources. The children will continue to apply their knowledge of maps when discovering where county boundaries and cities are located from the Saxon period.

They will also apply their knowledge of maps when studying WW2. Building on their knowledge from Year 3, the children will go into more detail in their studies of volcanoes and earthquakes.

They will end the year studying the importance of water and water resources around the world.

Useful websites

BBC Key Stage 1