Ms J Toyne Humanities Leader:

Why We Teach Geography

At Birchwood Junior School, we believe that “a high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination with the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.” (National Curriculum, 2013).

Geography provides our children with the opportunity to explore and understand the world around them – socially, environmentally, economically and politically. It helps them to see the connections between people and places and to reflect on their own role on a local, national and global scale.

For example, when learning about wood as a natural resource, pupils also consider how it supports economies, the impact of deforestation, how companies can turn to renewable resources, and what steps they themselves can take to make a difference.

How We Teach Geography

To ensure our children achieve well in Geography, we:

• Invest in high-quality texts – carefully chosen information books help pupils build strong subject knowledge.

• Use a range of teaching strategies – including direct instruction, guided practice and independent activities.

• Teach geographical skills – pupils learn to use subject-specific resources such as globes, maps, aerial photographs and statistics.

• Develop contextual knowledge – children gain an understanding of globally significant places and the key physical and human features that shape them.

• Encourage analysis – at the end of each unit, pupils write an analytical essay to answer a geographical question, demonstrating their understanding of the topic.

We are really proud to have been awarded the bronze Quality Mark by the Geographical Association in recognition of the improvements to the geography curriculum