Geography
St Aldhelm’s Geography Curriculum Intent
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Provide children with creative and memorable classroom opportunities to create links between periods of time and contextual links to places within the world.
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Equip children with tools, confidence and knowledge to develop an inquisitive approach towards both places and people.
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Provide opportunities to inspire and enhance the humanities learning journey through educational visits, interactive resources and drawing on the experiences of others.
Geography learning is not just completed through specific lessons but also through ‘enquiry’ projects, where children are given the opportunity to make links across the curriculum.
Resources for geography are sourced and resourced in a shared area of the school. Geography resources mainly promote place and locational knowledge (large maps, OS maps, local area aerial views). Teachers are aware of websites and companies that can develop learning opportunities for children and be used to create school trips.
Geography at St Aldhelm’s starts from the child’s initial environment and the effect that one child can have on their environment. Through regular visits around the community, children’s understanding of the world is broadened through their first-hand experiences. Locally, we have access to a local church, local grounds and sites within walking distance that are used regularly to enhance children’s locational and place knowledge.
Earlier on in school in EYFS and KS1, children are exposed to events that have happened in our country and are encouraged to learn about where they are from. As children comprehend their immediate surroundings, geographical learning progresses to tackle more abstract ideas through looking at places around the world, climate, considering living in different areas, how we can look after our environment and also looking in more detail about what our environment is like.
Characteristics to develop as an effective geographer:
• An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
• An excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
• An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
• Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
• The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
• Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
• Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
• A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
• The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.