Geographical enquiry and skills

Geography

Primary

How one school benefits from its work with the National Trust

In this programme, pupils from St Catherine's Primary School in Bridport conduct a river survey at Dorset's Golden Cap Estate. The school is taking part in a guardianship scheme which involves them building an ongoing relationship with a National Trust site. It not only supports the work of the National Trust wardens but also enhances the school's programme of study. It is a year round programme that includes the whole school. Here, we see the pupils make observations as they follow the river until it reaches the sea, measuring its width, depth and speed. The programme also features the follow-up classroom project, where pupils use their findings of the survey to design a poster.

Back to Nature

Four teachers show how humans survive in the Antarctic region

A group of British teachers embark on a four-week expedition to Antarctica and demonstrate how humans are able to live on the South Pole. Designed for use in KS1/2 geography and science lessons, the programme begins with an explanation of where Antarctica is, what the climate is like and what it takes to live there. The teachers then show what clothes people should wear in Antarctica, how they should travel and what food they should eat in order to survive such cold conditions. They also explore a science project that tests what effect the cold has on their bodies. Teachers in the Freezer caters for both scientific and geography curriculums, covering KS2 geography skill and enquiry elements as well as the Weather Around the World topic and the science topics Unit 4C: keeping warm and Unit 3C(3): choosing materials for a purpose.

KS1/2 Antarctica - Teachers in the Freezer

How geography can be used to develop enquiry skills and more

This programme explores how modern methods of studying geography can encourage children to develop their enquiry skills. We follow Debbie King, a KS1 teacher from Horwood & Newton Tracey Primary School in north Devon as she teaches a unit entitled At The Seaside. The lesson can be taught across one day or over a period of weeks and features enquiry, imagination and evaluation of images of the seaside. Geography is also combined with literacy as the children fit words to the pictures and write postcards using geographic vocabulary. Together with Devon Curriculum Services Geography Advisor David Weatherley and Alison Alldridge, geography co-ordinator at the school, Debbie evaluates the unit. See the resources and support materials page for links related to this programme.

KS1/2 Geography - Geography Basics: Where Do I Start?

Using local surroundings to enhance primary geography

This programme looks at how using the local environment can enhance geographical learning at Key Stage 2. We follow teacher Sam Jones as he delivers the KS2 topic, "Investigating the Local Environment", to his class at St. Leonard's Primary School in Exeter. Sam's approach is to ask his pupils to test the hypothesis that environmental quality is better near the school than by the local river. The topic, which can be taught across a day and a half or over a couple of weeks, includes a field trip to survey local streets. Geographical understanding is developed through numeracy as pupils learn to measure distance to scale and use a scattergraph to reach their conclusions. The lesson is evaluated by Devon Curriculum Services Geography Advisor, David Weatherly and Natalie Toulson from St. Michael's Church of England Primary School in Exeter.

KS1/2 Geography - Investigating the Local Environment

A focus on the River Severn and the individuals it effects

This programme focuses on the upper, middle and lower courses of the River Severn, and those individuals who are influenced by it. In just over two days a Welsh mountain stream travels 354 kilometres, transforming itself into the majestic Severn estuary. On its journey the stream has shaped the landscape, powered industry and impacted the lives of millions of people. Travelling downstream we explore seven snapshots of the River Severn, meeting a retired farmer who used to farm mountain sheep at the source, an Ordnance Survey field surveyor updating the map to include houses newly built on the riverbank in Newtown, and the leader of the Environment Agency Team who designed the innovative portable flood defences at Bewdley.

KS1/2 Geography - Seven Severn Snapshots

A Year 4 class learns about invaders in Somerset

As part of a geography lesson on invaders, settlers and settlements, teacher Deborah Lord takes her Year 4 class on a trip to the hill behind their school, from which there is a clear view of the Somerset Levels. From here the children can see the various villages and how they are connected. Deborah sets the class a series of tasks. They must note the details of the landscape as they journey up the hill and fill out worksheets and a sketch map once they have reached the top, based on their observations. Coming along on the trip are two geography experts who comment on the organisation and content of the lesson. We see how the pupils are able to extend their knowledge of place and environment by studying their own locality. Their geographical vocabulary, as well as their fieldwork skills, are improved by looking at features of both human and physical geography. This programme discusses: <ul> <li>Making short trips runs smoothly</li> <li>Analysing knowledge, place and environment</li> <li>Learning to draw worksheets and sketch maps</li> </ul>

KS2 Geography - Invaders and Settlers 1

A Year 4 class learns about change in settlement patterns

This programme offering teachers advice on how to incorporate and build on geographical enquiry and skills in the classroom by using evidence collected on a field trip. A Year 4 class follow up a local geography field trip in the classroom. The work done reinforces their knowledge and understanding of place and locality by analysing how settlements differ and change. The class is divided into groups. One group looks at a series of maps with different scales; one looks at digital photographs of the areas depicted on the maps, and the third adds to their field sketches by working in pairs and comparing and contrasting what they recorded on the trip. Two geography experts assess the organisation and content of the lesson. This programme discusses: <ul> <li>Analysing local settlement patterns</li> <li>Learning about place and locality</li> <li>Comparing data</li> </ul>

KS2 Geography - Invaders and Settlers 2

A Year 5 class have fun exploring their local built area

In this programme, teachers and pupils from a primary school in Hackney, east London, discover how exploring their local built environment is a great resource for learning. A group of 30 Year 5 pupils are taken on a trip to the nearby Building Exploratory - an urban studies centre - to find out more about their local area. The children learn about their borough through a series of large-scale models and maps and are also given the chance to draw their own maps of the area that surrounds their school. Later, we visit the children back in the clasroom, where the maps drawn at the Building Exploratory are used as a starting point for the lesson.

Local Explorers

Using a storybook to teach geography at primary level

CPD trainer and geographer, Howard Lisle, introduces a storybook as a primary geography lesson resource, for KS1 and KS2. Howard uses the book The Day of Ahmed's Secret as an effective resource for teachers delivering primary geography lessons. He demonstrates how the book can become a springboard for a geographical investigation into one of the world's most famous cities. Under Howard's instruction, the teachers get a sense of Cairo by making a 3D model of a scene. This exercise can easily be recreated in the classroom from just card, paper, scissors, glue and the teacher's own photographs. This video is an inspirational CPD resource.

Primary Geography - Bringing Egypt to Life with Howard Lisle

Geographer and CPD trainer shares his passion for KS1/2 geography

Geographer and CPD trainer, Howard Lisle, shares his KS1 and KS2 primary geography tips. In the first of four films, Howard Lisle, a geographer and CPD trainer, shares his passion for primary geography. Howard suggests low-cost, highly effective methods and resource to bring the subject to life, for KS1 and KS2 pupils. The importance of "opening the window on the world for the child" and not teaching the "geography of nowhere", is also emphasised. An inspirational CPD resource.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Primary Geography

> Geographical enquiry and skills