Adapting the scheme
Teachers who use this scheme may find that there are parts they wish to modify and adapt for the children in their school. In deciding whether or how to use this scheme of work, individual schools may wish to consider:
- whether opportunities offered by the circumstances of the school suggest particular units or aspects which should be emphasised or expanded;
- whether the material should be adapted to meet the needs of the children in the school, particularly if they are not attaining at levels broadly appropriate for their age;
- whether the activities should be adapted to meet the needs of any gifted and talented children in the schools;
- whether the attainments of the children in the school are such that adaptation alone will not provide a relevant structure for teaching geography. This may be the case for some children with significant learning difficulties. In this case, schools may wish to use the exemplar scheme as a resource for developing a scheme that offers children opportunities to experience a range of work across the key aspects, drawn from the programme of study.
In geography, it is of course important that schools should design plans which are suited to their own geographical environment and local opportunities. The exemplar units may therefore need adapting to each school's own needs. Teachers may wish to consider the extent to which the exemplar units need amendment in the light of their response to the following questions:
- What are the main physical and human features of the local area, and which aspects of the geographical themes can therefore be adequately covered by first hand study?
- What other resources are available locally? (For example, work places, local councillors.)
- How much fieldwork can realistically be undertaken? Will this require visits of an hour, a half day or a whole day visit, or even residential fieldwork in the UK or abroad?
- Which localities in the UK and overseas will be studied in depth, and how will adequate resources, including photographs (ground and air), maps and up-to-date information be obtained?
- Which aspects of the geographical themes and skills will not be covered by these studies, and how might these be incorporated in the school's plans?
In all schools, teachers are best placed to judge whether the learning objectives meet the learning needs of individual children and to adapt these to provide appropriate opportunities for all children to succeed. Some of the teaching activities will need to be adapted to ensure that children with special educational needs of all kinds may participate fully and demonstrate their achievements.
Assessing progress
Learning outcomes in each unit show how children can demonstrate what they have learnt within each unit. The work the children do themselves will serve as a record for classes working on each unit. It is not necessary to make detailed records for each child in relation to these outcomes. The end of unit expectations provide broad descriptions of achievement within each unit and should help teachers to decide where a child's progress differs markedly from that of the rest of the class. Teachers may wish to make a note of this, and of the reasons for the difference, to pass on to the next teacher.
Links with other areas of the curriculum
English
Reading and writing are essential for the processes of finding out about and communicating an understanding of geography. Discussion, drama and role play are aspects of the programmes of study for speaking and listening and are important ways for children to develop their understanding that people have different viewpoints and perspectives on their world.
The key goal of geography lessons should be to develop children's geographical understanding. However, geography lessons can also provide valuable opportunities to reinforce what children have been doing during the literacy hour and practise using their literacy skills in a different context.
With careful planning, geography texts and the reading and writing tasks completed in geography can provide opportunities for children to develop and apply their skills and understanding of literacy. An example of the links that can be made between geography and English is given in the following table.
| Activity |
Geography focus |
English focus |
Year 2: read a storybook about the seaside
Katie Morag and the two grandmothers by Mairie Hedderwick (
Unit 3) |
- identify the physical and human characteristics of a place and discover how an island is different from the mainland
- identify likes and dislikes about a place
- introduce the idea of accessibility
|
Taking opportunities to:
- reinforce word skills
- discuss story themes
- make class dictionaries
|
The units of work provide an indication of where links between geography and literacy and speaking and listening can be made in two places:
- in the vocabulary section on the front of units;
- in the 'points to note' column.
Mathematics
Many units provide opportunities for children to develop mathematical skills. In some units children work with numerical data which relate to real situations. Often they have collected such data themselves.
Opportunities occur particularly, but not only, when children undertake fieldwork, through:
- collecting data (eg amount of rainfall, proportion of cloud cover, temperature);
- recording data (eg using tally sheets or charts to cumulate scores);
- presenting data (eg producing tables, block and line graphs, pie diagrams);
- interpreting data (eg converting to percentages, producing summary tables, comparing patterns, making linkages or drawing conclusions).
Mathematical skills are also developed in the context of mapwork, for example, work on coordinates, map references, distances and scales. An example of the links that can be made between geography and mathematics is given below.
| Activity |
Geography focus |
Mathematics focus |
Year 4: design and use a survey to find out how and where the class spends its leisure time
(
Unit 19) |
- undertake an investigation
- analyse and communicate findings
- learn how land use in settlements is used in different ways
|
Taking opportunities to develop:
- numbers and number systems
- averages and modes
- calculations
- data handling
|
ICT and IT
Opportunities for the use of ICT (information and communication technologies), which will enhance children's learning of geography, and links with IT (information technology) are indicated in the units. ICT are the facilities and features that support teaching and learning, such as CD-ROM sources of information and appropriate software. IT is the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to use ICT appropriately.
The use of ICT can help children's learning in geography:
- by enhancing their skills of geographical enquiry;
- by providing a range of information sources to enhance their geographical knowledge;
- by supporting the development of their understanding of geographical patterns and processes;
- by providing access to images of people, places and environments;
- by contributing to pupils' awareness of the impact of ICT on the changing world.
An example of the links that can be made between geography and IT is given below.
| Activity |
Geography focus |
IT focus |
Year 5/6: find out about weather and travel in various parts of the world
(
Unit 18) |
- ask geographical questions
- investigate places at a range of scale
- learn about similarities and differences between places
- learn how their locality is set within a broader geographical context
|
Taking opportunities to:
- use a fax machine and produce a speadsheet
- use e-mail and produce an address book
- use the internet and a bookmark
|
Where units involve the collection of data, analysis can be assisted by the use of a database or spreadsheet. Many units may be enhanced by source material from a CD-ROM or the internet.
Other areas
Where there are opportunities for links with other subjects, notably science, history, and design and technology, these are made explicit. Opportunities to contribute to other curriculum areas, for example, citizenship, environmental education, the world of work and aspects of children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are also highlighted.
Work at home and outside lessons
Many units provide opportunities for teachers to set worthwhile tasks that can be completed outside formal teaching time. Suitable tasks to set include:
- finding out more about the topics in the units;
- asking children to apply the new ideas they encounter to their own life experience;
- collecting data and information.
Children could also be given opportunities to practise some of the skills of investigative work, eg thinking about questions to ask about a topic, and ways of finding out the answers.
Modifying existing plans
Currently, schools are not required to teach the full programmes of study in the foundation subjects at key stages 1 and 2 but schools may continue to do so if they wish. Schools which move towards a stronger emphasis on literacy and mathematics are still required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum and to have regard to the programmes of study. They must continue to teach geography.
Where schools wish to reduce time spent on geography, they may find it helpful to look at how they can retain a balance of coverage in terms of places, themes and skills. Units such as What's in the news? (
Unit 16) can be used to help children keep some contact with geography between units with a geography focus.
If schools wish to modify their existing plans, they may begin by evaluating their current practice.
Table 2 contains some questions which schools may find helpful if they wish to do this.
Find out more about getting around the schemes of work
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