Geography

Introduction

In geography, children learn about places and environments in the world around them.

They should be taught about:

• Ways of finding out about places and environments

• Environmental issues

• Interpreting geographical information

• How places and environments are affected by natural processes and human activities

• The characteristics of natural features and processes

• How people have organised their physical environment

• The diversity of human activities – including economic, social, political and cultural

• Similarities and differences between places and environments

• How their own lives, and those of other people, are affected by geographical and environmental factors

• How nations affect each other

• Causes and effects

• The use of maps, atlases and globes

• The geography of the host country

THE LEARNING GOALS

The knowledge, skills and understanding which children gain through their study of geography can be regarded in terms of:

• Enquiry

• Places

• Environmental change and development

• Geographical features

• Mapping

• Communicating

Milepost 1

By the end of the school year in which they are 7, the vast majority of children will:

1.1 Know about the main physical and human features of particular localities

1.2 Know about similarities and differences between different localities

1.3 Know about how land and buildings are used in particular localities

1.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in particular localities and how they affect the environment and the lives of people living there

1.5 Know that the world extends beyond their own locality and that the places they study exist within a broader geographical context

1.6 Know that people can harm or improve the environment

1.7 Be able to use geographical terms

1.8 Be able to follow directions

1.9 Be able to describe the geographical features of the school site and other familiar places

1.10 Be able to make maps and plans of real and imaginary places, using pictures and symbols

1.11 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and simple geographical features of the host country and their home country

1.12 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain simple geographical information

1.13 Be able to express views on the attractive and unattractive features of an environment

1.14 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways

Milepost 2

By the end of the school year in which they are 9, the vast majority of children will:

2.1 Know how particular localities have been affected by human activities

2.2 Know how particular localities have been affected by natural features and processes

2.3 Know how the nature of particular localities affects the lives of people

2.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in the host country and how they affect the environment and the lives of people living there

2.5 Be able to use geographical terms

2.6 Be able to describe the main geographical features of the area immediately surrounding the school

2.7 Be able to make simple maps and plans of familiar locations

2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and geographical features of particular localities

2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information

2.10 Be able to express views on the features of an environment and the way it is being harmed or improved

2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding to ask and answer questions about geographical and environmental features

2.12 Understand how places fit into a wider geographical context

2.13 Understand that the quality of the environment can be sustained and improved

Milepost 3

By the age of 12, the vast majority of children will:

3.1 Know that the study of geography is concerned with places and environments in the world around them

3.2 Know about the main physical and human features and environmental issues in particular localities

3.3 Know about similarities and differences between particular localities

3.4 Know how the features of particular localities influence the nature of human activities within them

3.5 Know about recent and proposed changes in particular localities

3.6 Know about the major geographical features of the host country

3.7 Know about the geography of the area around the school

3.8 Know about the major geographical features of their home country

© COPYRIGHT IPC 2002

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