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Children study geography to help them
understand the world in which they live - both their local
environment and the wider world.
Areas of Geography
General
Children investigate their local surroundings, and learn to ask
geographical questions about them, such as "where is it?", "what is
it like?" and "why is it like that?" They place their surroundings
in the context of the wider world, and learn to compare and contrast
them with similar and different places in the UK and abroad. They
learn appropriate geographical vocabulary.
Geographical Skills
Children investigate their local area and record what they find in
various ways; they use and evaluate secondary sources such as CD
ROMs, video and photographs to learn about their own and other
areas. They learn to recognise patterns (eg, of land use, habitation
or rainfall) and to investigate and explain the causes and effects
of these. They learn to make maps (eg, of the local area, or of an
imaginary place) and to read them, and to use globes. They learn to
identify geographical features such as rivers and mountains on maps,
and to follow and give directions and routes.
Places
The children learn about their immediate environment, including the
way it has changed over time; as they get older, put it in the wider
context of the area they live in, and investigate how factors such
as transport link that area to even larger regions. They learn about
other places, both in the UK and overseas. They compare and contrast
the physical and human features, and learn how people relate to
their environment (for instance, how the landscape affects what kind
of farming or industry goes on in an area; how people change the
environment to suit their needs). They learn about the weather and
how it affects the way people live. They also investigate
environmental issues such as pollution.
Thematic Study
At Key Stage 1 - in the Infants - children investigate the quality
of the environment in a small area near the school. They consider
how pleasant it is - for instance, how tidy or untidy it is, whether
traffic makes it noisy or dangerous - how it is changing (or has
changed in the past), and how it could be improved.
Helping your child at home
There are plenty of things that you can do to help your child at
home. Even children as young as four can expect homework, see
Parents On-Line for more information on helping your child at home.
http://www.parents.org.uk
Parents On-Line have developed a range of downloadable modules that
contain all the resources to help at home. These include games,
activities and printable worksheets. |
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