Teaching geography at Key Stages 1&2 Planning creatively for effective learning

Geography: –Provokes and answers questions about the natural and human world –Uses different scales of enquiry –Views the world from different perspectives –Develops knowledge of place and environments –Develops investigative and problem-solving skills –A focus for understanding and resolving issues –Encounter different cultures and societies –Understand interdependence and reliance –Inspires pupils to think about their own place in the world, rights and responsibilities –Think globally, about nature and people

Above all, Geography should –Inspire children to look at the world more closely –Stimulate their curiosity about other people –Make them angry, sad, happy about what people do to their world –Involve them in playing a part in improving the world they live in –Promote a sense of stewardship – that what we do must be for the future of the world –Instil in them a sense of awe and wonder at the beauty of the world and all its possibilities

What are we meant to cover? Knowledge, skills & understanding –Enquiry & Skills –Places –Patterns and processes –Environmental change & sustainable development Breadth of Study –Localities –Themes –Range – places, themes and skills

A distant place - overseas How do we cover it? A Distant place - UK County/Region Local Place – What is it like…? Weather Water Landscape Settlement Resources Food Environment

How do we cover it? 2 Interactions: Processes, Issues, Places

How do we cover it? 3 Triangulating with the concept cube Places Skills Themes Teacher Pupil Near, familiar Far, unfamiliar Simple processes Complex issues

A Conceptual Approach Apply the following overview: KS 1: Central concept: Peoples’ Needs –Food, Water, Home, Safety, Security, etc. KS2: Central concept: Settlement –Settlement, places and resources, how we do it KS2: Civilization –Diverse places, interactions, issues, environments, etc. Other examples – from the books

Task Look at the sheet provided of your particular units, highlighted with likes, dislikes In groups, rearrange them around a conceptual approach Discuss, draw up charts, play with ideas, forget cost for the moment!

Planning in Geography: The Big questions What do we want our children to learn? Why is it important? –Conceptual framework –Expectations of NC: Knowledge, understanding, skills –Catering for learning needs –Links: basic skills, ICT, Humanities –Links: citizenship, PSHE, etc.

Planning in Geography: The Big questions How do we want them to learn? –Promoting autonomy, curiosity and enquiry Enquiry, topic work, subject skills and approaches Grouping pupils A range of locations A range of tasks – teacher-led and pupil-initiated A range of mental and physical skills: role-play, decision-making, debating, measuring, analysing, etc. Being experiential and grasping opportunity Creative learning – thinking, modelling, applying

Planning in Geography: The Big questions What is the teacher’s role? –Interpreting all the above – creative planning –Focus, skills, processes, activities, links and opportunities – coherent learning over time –Learning needs vs expectations –Assessment –Promoting autonomy: asking questions, making judgements, seeing processes, taking decisions –Instil excitement, motivation and sense of purpose for the subject

Planning in Geography: The Big questions How do we organise it all? How do we monitor its effectiveness? How do we know what pupils are achieving? –Standard answers – quantitative –Qualitative answers: Levels of enjoyment Sense of creativity Pupil and teacher motivation and involvement A job worth doing!

Assessment Non-statutory reporting subject Assessment for learning –Knowing how well pupils are doing –Understanding progression in geography –Applying these to our planning – where we take them next –Involving pupils in their learning – sense of achievement and autonomy –Common, shared understanding of levels, matched to Lit, Num, targets, etc.

Resources: –NC levels –Bucks Assessment Criteria levels –GA progression roseGA progression rose Activity: –Using the samples of children’s work, decide what levels they are; what skills and issues need to be developed, etc. –What are the implications for our school practice of assessment in Geography and other Foundation Subjects?

Implications for assessment in geography Discussion