Geography
Subject Coordinator: Mrs Gemma Halliwell“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together.”
Barack Obama
Vision and Intent
Geography at Cheadle Primary School is committed to providing pupils a foundation to better understand the wider world around them. We aim to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to better understand our rapidly changing world and face the ever growing challenges that we face in our societies both locally and globally.
Geography Coordinator
My name is Gemma Halliwell and I am the Geography co-ordinator. I am really excited to be supporting staff and children in their Geography topics.
At CPS, we endeavour to help children have a better understanding of understand their locality, the wider world and phenomena, such as the weather and seasons. We strive to make cohesive links across the curriculum and bring our learning to life proactively through the environmental work of our eco-warriors.
We are very lucky at CPS to have fantastic outdoor areas and have a dedicated forest school which runs across several year groups. This provides children with a fantastic chance to nurture their understanding of the outdoors and develop new skills. Over the coming year, we will be continuing to investigate other localities for children to embed their fieldwork skills and in the process use other Geography skills such as map work and use of locational and directional language.
Curriculum and implementation
We teach geography using a cross-curricular approach and take the opportunity to consolidate learning and skills within a variety of subject areas. We offer a progressive and dynamic curriculum that responds to the ever-changing world and can be accessed by all children through a differentiated learning approach.
Teaching in geography aims to inspire and stimulate children’s learning and geographical enquiry. Therefore, a range of teaching styles will be used throughout each topic e.g. drama- hot-seating, role-play. Children will also have the opportunity to work independently and co-operatively with others in pairs and groups. Children will be given opportunity to practise geographical skills using a range of methods and resources, such as different maps, atlases, digital technologies, sketch maps, plans and graphs, therefore making the subject real and meaningful. Geography will also be taught through other areas of the curriculum, where appropriate, to ensure geography becomes an integral part of our themed approach to teaching and learning.
Whenever possible we take advantage of being situated in a historical part of the Midlands and encourage children to participate in regular visits to the local area as well as using excellent transport links to the potteries where children have access to a number of educational sites, including parks and museums. At CPS, our philosophy is that Cheadle and the Moorlands, and all it has to offer geographically and historically, is our playground.
Core Knowledge and skills
Please click on the links below to see our subject progression documents for Geography.
Geography Core Knowledge Progression document
Geography skills progression grid
Assessment
Teachers will use a wide range of assessment opportunities in geography:Observation, discussion, questioning and work in topic books. Teachers will use the most appropriate forms of assessment depending on the topic and activities as discussed in year group planning sessions.
Short-term assessments: These are used to adjust future teaching. This will be recorded on teacher’s weekly plans.
Medium-term assessments: These will take place at the end of every topic. The teacher will assess the children’s learning based on their own medium term plans.
The outcomes of which will be added to Sonar.
Overall achievement in geography will be discussed at parent’s evening and in annual reports.
Cultural capital and enrichment
In geography, Cultural Capital can be gained in many ways;
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The study of differing cultures and backgrounds both internationally and locally.
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Opportunity to read maps and learn orienteering skills
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Knowledge of local and international landmarks -where they are and why they have been erected.
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Creating a link to nature whether that is the trees in our local area or biomes in South America.
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Encouraging a curiosity about the world.
What our pupils say
Year 5 loved their Mountains topic and worked in teams to research and present information.“It was very fun. I liked putting together the slideshow on Google Classroom. I actually really enjoyed this learning.”
“It was exciting, and we could present our knowledge the way we wanted to.”
Useful websites
Mapping
An introduction for key stage 2 on how maps work and how to interpret them. It includes these 8 sections: starting mapping, symbols, compasses and directions, grid references, understanding scale, measuring distance, relief and contour lines and compass bearings.
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/index.html
Local street maps including a ‘find my nearest’ function, which can be used to locate features e.g. schools, list them and link them to a map.
Search for local street maps by postcode, OS grid reference, place name or street name. Maps are extendable in eight compass directions.
Online mapping site which includes eye level 'Streetview'
Maps resized to show population sizes, income, etc.
Distant locations
Very child-friendly site for understanding development issues.
BBC Teach
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcvEcrsF_9zKxYSbFe_DMWK_VO2phjBjL
Topmarks KS1
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=12&AgeGroup=2
KS1 Geography BBC Bitesize
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcdqxnb
BBC-Geography
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/geography.shtml
National Geographic
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/teacher-category/geography/
KS2 Geography BBC Bitesize
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zbkw2hv
The Biomes of the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X9fTPSbQ0U
Up to date weather forecasts
Activities, games and stories about Barnaby Bear's travels for KS1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/barnabybear
Newsround world current events
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/default.stm
Newsround UK current events
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk
KS2 geography support materials
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/E/essentials/geography/qmenu.shtml
Environmental themes
The children’s section has many useful facts, activities and animations and includes sections on: air, energy, land, climate change, people and lifestyles, resources and waste, water and wildlife.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fun/?lang=_e