Using geography's key concepts to plan learning

1. Planning with `big ideas’ (or key concepts)

2. National Curriculum links to geography’s big ideas Land – use KS2 – 6d Pattern Pos 4 Ks2 1d values Embedded in NC Places Pos 3 Connectedness Culture & Diversity Physical & Human processes NC Pos 4 NC Pos 5 Environmental change & sustainability Scale KS2 Pos 7a Local, Regional Global Place NC Pos 3 Space ENQUIRY & SKILLS

4. A possible planning sequence 1. Start with … the content of the source to develop an outline plan for a short or medium term unit. 2. Use the source in conjunction with an outline planning frame to identify key learning concepts that will be the focus of learning for your class. An exemplar frame has been provided for `What if? 3. Decide which are the two/ three most important geographical concepts (you have) listed on the frame. These will form the basis for the children’s learning so highlight them. Do the same for other subjects. The time that you are able to devote to this unit/project will influence your choice. 4. Identify additional resources that will help you to provide more in-depth learning in relation to identified concepts. 5. Plan activities to support learning.

5. Use a mix of given and children’s own questions as a starting point - some prompts may be: As a class, choose the most relevant questions to investigate. What have we found out? Do we all share the same point of view? How does this affect our lives? What does it mean to us? What has this experience taught us? How do we know? Has it changed our thinking and if so, how? What new questions do we have? How will we analyse and present information? Starting Point and Focus What do we do with this knowledge? Who can we share it with? And how? For example: An Enquiry Framework

6. Planning Starter 1 Key Questions Planning focus area Geographical skills Fieldwork? Links with other curricular areas Resources Aspects of ESD Economic, Environmental, Social / 8 doorways / ESD concepts? What do I want pupils to get out of this?

8. Food – should we buy from local sources?

9. Ensuring the place of geography in a cross curricular topic, e.g. food PLACE SPACE SCALE CONNECTEDNESS

10. Planning learning … STARTING POINTS GEOGRAPHY BIG IDEAS ENQUIRY & SKILLS Place Scale Making comparisons Interconnectedness Space My enthusiasms – something I can deliver with passion Provide a shared experience to build on – basis for common understanding How we make the geography accessible to children Asking questions Using pictures/ photographs/maps Drama, role-play, enactment The `learning skill’ is focused on helping children to make connections

11. … more ideas to get you thinking

12. Wellies on Wednesdays Lilli asked us all to feel the bark on the tree Elisa is drying her butterfly wings Ben found a fir cone Jane Mulligan, Austrey Primary School, Warwickshire

13. Middle Years Easter holiday geography homework challenge Can you collect together: “ Top Ten reasons why Cambridge is a great place to live.” You can….. Middle years Easter geography challenge was to choose their top ten favourite places in Cambridge and present them in any way they chose. Posters, scrapbooks, leaflets and folders of photographs, drawings, labels and information texts were collated by around 70% of the children. Over Easter I set up a whole school geography homework challenge (excluding Year 6 who had SATS homework). Geography Challenge Kings Hedges Primary School, Cambridge

14. Journey Sticks and Affective Mapping Jane Whittle http://www.teachers.tv/video/23949

15. Teach specific skills and involve pupils (Y4) What route shall we take? Paula Owens, Eastchurch Primary School, Kent

16. Map Art Anthony Barlow, St Peter’s Smitshill Dean

17. Establishing cross-phase links … Wendy Hardman, Leighton Primary School

19. Contributing your ideas and resources to the Young Geographers project page Guidance