Geography

Humanities at Bottesford Infants School is taught using first hand experiences; visits, visitors to school, artefacts, stories and outdoor learning on the school site. Children will learn within a meaningful context that develops their  knowledge and understanding of their world. History and Geography forms the basis of many of our termly projects and immersive classroom environments. Links to local heritage will be embedded in the history and geography taught across the school. This will focus around opportunities for the pupils to go out into the local community to learn about its past, present and future and to play an active role in everyday life as well as developing a sense of belonging and a passion to protect and take care of their environment.

Geography is taught in Early Years as part of Knowledge and Understanding of the World and is largely focused on the school environment and the children’s own community. In Key Stage 1 it is embedded in the cross curricular offer and key skills and knowledge are taught with a clear sequence using a range of meaningful contexts. Children use their geographical skills to learn about their environment and places all over the world. By the end of Key Stage 1 they will have a basic understanding of the globe- and the main continents and oceans, they will have a range of skills for fieldwork, developed through activities in our school grounds and on trips out and they will understand that the actions of humans affects the planet that we live on. The children will compare their lives with those of children who live in very different climates and environments and can empathise with the challenges that some of these people face.

In geography pupils will be taught about:

• Locational knowledge – name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5 oceans Name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 countries and capital cities of the UK and its surrounding seas
• Place knowledge – understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the UK and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country
• Human and physical geography – identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical features including beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key human features including city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop
• Geographical skills and fieldwork – use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the UK and its countries as well as other countries, continents and oceans studied Use simple compass directions and locational and directional language to describe the location of features and routes on a map
• Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features, devise simple maps.