Geography
Geography: Intent and Implementation
Intent
To support our children in becoming global citizens, understanding the remarkable human and physical features of our world through a rich, diverse and engaging curriculum.
Through our Geography topics and themes we inspire our pupils to be curious about the world, and fascinated by its physical and human phenomenons. Our topics equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, and a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Implementation
At Hazelwood Academy we follow the Ark Curriculum + programme for Geography which is a high quality knowledge-based curriculum. Throughout their journey in geographical enquiry, pupils will build their:
1. Deep knowledge of locations, places and geographical landscapes across the world
2. Understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features, patterns and changes over time and space
3. Application of skills in observing, collecting, analysing, evaluating and communicating geographical information.
A range of history and geography units are taught for each year group across the academic year. These are taught in two-hour sessions.
In EYFS, pupils explore different countries in the world and discuss differences between their lives and those of other global citizens.
In Key Stage 1, pupils begin their journey in geography with a study of the familiar – the local area. They then move outwards to study the United Kingdom and outwards again to gain an overview of the world and the continents and oceans within it. Pupils then study a contrasting location within Kenya, Africa.
Through Key Stage 2, pupils develop their understanding of locations, places, processes and people.
In Lower Key Stage 2, they use their knowledge of the UK to understand settlements and land use before exploring Europe, North and South America. The exploration of these continents includes identifying the location of and characteristics of a range of the most significant human and physical features as well as the opportunity to explore three places in more depth and compare them to their own locality. Pupils also learn about climate zones, biomes, rivers and rainforests.
In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils explore Asia before focussing once again on the wider world. They explore the human and physical characteristics of Asia and learn about mountains and natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes.
A case study of a natural disaster allows pupils to see the impact on both a place and the people within it. When looking at the world, pupils consider the global challenges faced in the movement of people, growing populations, the distribution of natural resources, fair trade and the impact of climate change. They will also discover what they can learn from different maps of the world and draw their own maps based on fieldwork within their own locality.
For SEND learners this means:
pre-teaching subject vocabulary to decrease the vocabulary gap.
adapting resources and teaching to provide enhanced opportunities to record and experience
