From the food we eat to the clothes we wear; the technology that we use, to what we pay for all of these things, human and physical geography maintain a tangible grip on all aspects of our lives. 

 

At Hamstel Junior School, our vision is to develop our children into passionate, inquisitive, and reflective stewards of our planet and society. Our geography curriculum is therefore designed to begin equipping our children with the vast knowledge and skills that will see them gradually sculpted into future climate researchers, conservationists, humanitarian workers, lawmakers and world-changers. Year-on-year, the children are encouraged to draw, and build on their prior learning across the curriculum. We seek to deepen their understanding of the formation of the Earth's physical landscapes and how these influence - and are influenced by - the people living within them.  

 

Geography is, by its very nature, an investigative subject. It seeks to offer solutions to the problems of today and consider those which may arise in the future. By teaching our children about diverse places, people, natural and human landscapes, we challenge them to look outwardly at the world around them in readiness for their adventures within it. 

 

Year 3

 

In Year 3 children will learn:

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• to make fieldwork sketches/diagrams

• to use fieldwork instruments

• to use four figure grid references

• to use the 8 points of a compass

• to make plans and map using symbols and keys

• to identify physical and human features of the locality

• to identify where countries are within the UK and the key topographical features

• to name and locate the cities of the UK

• to describe and understand key aspects of physical geography

• to use and interpret various resources to locate countries and key features

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Year 4

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In Year 4 children will learn:

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• to explore features on OS maps using 6 figure grid references

• to draw accurate maps with more complex keys

• to know location of capital cities of countries of British Isle and UK, seas around the UK, European Union countries and high population and large areas and the largest cities in each continent

• to describe humans features of UK regions, cities and/or countries

• to describe how people have been affected by changes in the environment to explain about key natural resources

• to explore weather patterns around parts of the world

• to identify where countries within Europe

• to recognise that people have differing qualities of life, living in different locations and environments

• to understand why there are similarities and differences between places

• about how rivers erode, transport and deposit materials

• about the physical features of coasts and begin to understand erosion and deposition

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Year 5

 

In Year 5 children will learn:

 

• to identify the physical characteristics and key topographical features of a chosen country

• to compare the physical and human features of a region of the UK and a chosen country

• to understand about world weather patterns and climate zones

• to understand how humans affect the environment over time to identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer of Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

• to understand why people seek, manage and sustain their environment

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Year 6

 

In Year 6 children will learn:

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• to use a variety of resources to locate countries and describe features

• to describe and understand key aspects of physical geography

• to describe and understand key aspects of human geography and the distribution of natural resources

• to plan the steps and strategies for an enquiry

• to understand geographical similarities and differences of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North and South America

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