Geography
At St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, our aim is to develop children’s experiences and understanding of Geography, igniting their curiosity about the wider world. We use Dimensions to plan our Geography Curriculum across the Key stages, so that our pupils develop, over time, the essential characteristics of geographers.
The geographical learning within our themes is designed to enable pupils to build on and contextualise prior learning using a contemporary, meaningful framework.
Geography is planned for in such a way that each pupil will:-
1. broaden and deepen their knowledge of places
2. increase their technical geographical vocabulary
3. develop their understanding of a range of scales (local > national > global)
4. move from more concrete concepts e.g. beach to more abstract ones e.g. renewable energy
5. see connections between people, places, processes and environments
6. develop skills in a progressive, incremental way
7. use these skills appropriately and, eventually, with independence
Our curriculum aims
We strive for our pupils to develop:
- an understanding of place and its personal meaning, including their own place in the world and that of other people
- an understanding of natural, man-made and social environments
- a range of vocabulary to describe the features of the environment and the processes that shape it
- an understanding of the spatial layout and organisation of the world around them and recognise patterns and relationships in the environment
- an understanding and appreciation of places and their importance to us, of our impact on them and how we can manage and develop them sustainably
- a knowledge of the role and value of maps in observing, understanding, interpreting and valuing the world, from local to global perspective
- a recognition of how and why changes to places and the environment happen and affect us, both as a result of natural processes and through human activity
- a role as stewards of Planet Earth, at local, national and global scale
- a recognition and value of interdependence through themes such as climate change, food, water and energy
- an appreciation of the diversity evident in the world, through learning about similarities, differences and how we live interdependently
- a geographical understanding to help them make sense of the world and prepare them to play an active role as informed, responsible citizens
- a curiosity about the world which is brought `alive’ for them through investigating and asking questions about the world
- and explore emotional responses that can accompany learning about some of the Earth’s features, such as a sense of awe and wonder
- an understanding of `space’ and ‘scale’, including the layout of places within their own locality, their own country and the wider world and how this can be represented on maps
- a critical thinking about change, both locally and globally, and the implications for the future
