Teaching geography throughout the school should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Teaching about places, scale and location are integral to a child becoming more aware of the world in which they live in and in doing so grow up to become an adult fully aware of their place and role in not just local society, but also nationally and globally.
As pupils progress through the key stages, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
We want all our children at Five Islands to gain confidence and practical experiences of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. It is essential that living in an island community is a positive geographical learning environment, but one which does not limit the scale of learning and experience. Regular field trips locally, regionally, nationally and further afield are an essential learning opportunity which pupils should have.
It is important that in this ever changing world, children do not become reliant on technology instead, utilise it in order to question, learn and investigate geography. Developing questioning minds can only be enhanced through the correct balance of technology and real life investigation.
Place and Space
The understanding where places are located, their physical and human characteristics/culture, as well as the interactions between various different places.
Scale
The way geography can be examined at different levels- local, national, international and world
Environment
The understanding of the physical and human environment and how each of these areas influence each other.
Interdependence/Causality
The links and connections between countries and regions of the world that have become essential. The idea that everything has been caused by something and the connections between the cause and the effect is often to do with human activity
Sustainability
The understanding of the use of resources at various scales and how we can use these in a cyclic system rather than a linear system
Development
The economic and quality of life of countries and regions of the world.
Systems/Processes
A group of interconnected parts that work together to form a process or landscape in the physical world. eg. ecosystems and hydrological cycle.
Diversity
Awareness of different people, cultures and religions, as well as how this creates geographical diversity. Diversity relates to our focus on a complex and varied world – places and environments are diverse between and within themselves.
