1. Thinking about assessment in geography

2. Build assessment criteria in as you plan
Start with Planning
Build assessment criteria in as you plan
Unit focus: To describe and understand where people live in the world and some of the impacts of this.
Knowledge foci: key aspects of human and physical geography, settlement and land use
Skills foci: enquiry, fieldwork, mapping and ICT
I can compare different types of settlements
I can describe different sorts of settlement
I can say what features make this an attractive place to live
I can describe (and explain) some patterns of land use.
TEACHER: I felt most of the pupils would be able to describe settlements and land use but I also wanted some more advanced learners to be able to explain land use. I planned this range of outcomes into learning opportunities.

3. Provide Opportunities for Self- Review
During a lesson or very soon afterwards
TEACHER: Year 4 pupils were asked to do a short self evaluation at the end of a unit of work. This allowed them to think of the next steps they needed to improve

4. Provide Opportunities for Peer Review
Be clear about what is expected
Context: identifying change over time in a locality and how it might change in the future.
Target: use relevant geographical vocabulary
Adapted from QCA (2007) Teacher assessment Activities KS2 London:QCA
TEACHER: Y4 - Self assessment – which are the best words to describe characteristics of this place?
Peer assessment – Has your partner made good selections? How could this be improved?

5. Teach pupils to be self – critical
Marking for improvement
TEACHER: Lower ability child (Y3) reflects on her writing to see what works and what could be improved.
Context: identifying patterns of land use and settlement around the local town.
Target: answer questions using geographical language.
Adapted from QCA (2007) Teacher assessment Activities KS2 London:QCA

6. Provide adequate time to change minds
Reflect on learning
Provide adequate time to change minds
Teacher Commentary
Year 3 pupils were sorting photographs of the local area into categories. Some pupils found this task very challenging. The terms ‘residential’, ‘agricultural’ and ‘Industrial’ were very difficult for them to use and remember.
Gradually, most of this group began to be more confident with some of the language used as the lesson progressed. Questioning techniques and interactive dialogue enabled pupils to practice and refine their responses and subsequent understanding. Pupils had time to look at how others had sorted their photographs and change their own minds if they wished.
The strengths of this kind of assessment activity were that it was enjoyable and challenging for the pupils, demanded collaborative and thinking skills and pupils had the opportunity to make progress with their learning. It was relatively easy for the teacher to assess pupils’ knowledge and skills by the outcomes they produced and the language used.
Adapted from QCA (2007) Teacher assessment Activities KS2 London:QCA