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Key Stage 1 Geographical Skills - Mini topic
Building Skills in Geography

Can you become a Geography Genius? Fill in a special Geography Genius passport by taking part in a series of mapping and fieldwork challenges. Become a Map Master and try your hand at creating 3D landscapes, as well as helping alien education visitors to learn more about your local area. Good luck!

Session 1 Destination UK

Objectives

Geography

  • Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries
  • Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas.

Enrichment Activities

  • English: Write for various purposes; Write poetry.
  • Art & Design: Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products; Develop a wide range of art and design techniques.

Lesson Planning

Alien visitors to the UK are confused and need your help! They need to report back on the countries, major cities, flags and languages of the UK to see if it might be a good intergalactic tourist location. Use maps, atlases and globes to show them these key aspects of the UK.

Teaching Outcomes

  • To find and mark on a map the UK, its surrounding seas and four constituent countries.
  • To create a country file for each of the four countries of the UK, using maps and atlases.

Children will

  • Identify and locate the countries of the UK and their capital cities on maps, atlases and globes.
  • Start to develop the skills involved in using maps, atlases and globes in order to find information.

Enrichment Activities

  • Create a Union Jack flag using the composite country flags.
  • Create a tourist guide map to the local area.
  • Create a city guide for one capital city.
  • Create a photo montage of one of the UK countries.
  • Write a poem about one of the UK's capital cities.

Provided Resources

  • Definitions of UK, GB & British Isles
  • UK Country jigsaw pieces
  • UK Country outlines
  • Flags
  • Tourist guide information/outline/pro forma
  • True or false sheet

There are additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

You Will Need

  • Maps, atlases & globes
  • Pens, pencils and rulers

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Session 2 Map Hunt

Objectives

Geography

  • Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
  • Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.

Enrichment Activities

  • Music: Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
  • Science: Identify and name a variety of common animals.
  • Art & Design: Use painting to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination; Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • D&T: Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.
  • English: Write poetry.

Lesson Planning

Take part in a world-wide mapping scavenger hunt to ‘collect’ a series of countries, continents and oceans. Can you use maps, atlases and globes to solve the clues and find your allocated locations?

Teaching Outcomes

  • To find and mark on a world map the seven continents and five oceans.
  • To use maps, atlases and globes to locate countries based on geographical clues.

Children will

  • Identify and locate a series of countries, continents and oceans across the wider world using atlases.
  • Understand and apply the mapping skills involved in using maps, atlases and globes.

Enrichment Activities

  • Compose ocean inspired music.
  • Paint an animal from each continent.
  • Create a city guide for a capital city.
  • Compose a riddle based on the characteristics of a European country.

You Will Need

  • Coloured envelopes
  • Globes, maps & atlases
  • Coloured pens/pencils.

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Weblinks

Continents quiz from world-geography-games.com
Oceans quiz from world-geography-games.com

There are additional weblinks for the Enrichment Activities.

Session 3 Map Masters

Objectives

Geography

  • Use simple compass directions and locational and directional language to describe the location of features and routes on a map
  • Devise a simple map and use and construct basic symbols in a key.

Enrichment Activities

  • Maths: Measure length; Describe position, direction and movement, including whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns (clockwise and anti-clockwise); Recognise and name common 2D shapes including number of sides.
  • Art & Design: Use drawing to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
  • English: Write or orally compose a story.
  • D&T: Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
  • PE: Perform dances using simple movement patterns.

Lesson Planning

Become a Map Master by completing a series of map challenges. Can you find hidden treasure? Or join a character on a walk through their story map? You will need to know your north from your south and your left from your right!

Teaching Outcomes

  • To use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West).
  • To use locational and directional language accurately.
  • To describe the position of specific features and routes on a map.

Children will

  • Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) to find items and features on a map and to give directions.
  • Describe the position of specific features and routes on a map using locational and directional language.
  • Use simple grid references to locate features on a map.

Enrichment Activities

  • Draw a simple route map using a scale of 1cm to 1m.
  • Draw a map with story features and describe a route.
  • Design a tourist map and leaflet with a key.
  • Choreograph a dance based on fairy tale characters.
  • Use directional language in the context of 2D shapes.

You Will Need

  • Class set of compasses

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Session 4 Make a Map

Objectives

Geography

  • Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features
  • Devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key.

Enrichment Activities

  • Art and Design: Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space; Use painting to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
  • English: Compose expanded noun phrases.
  • Science: Perform simple tests; Use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions; Gather and record data to help in answering questions; Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials; Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, for particular uses.
  • Maths: Interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and simple tables; Ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity; Ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data.

Lesson Planning

Are you ready for your aerial mapping challenge? You will need to create a 3D map using everyday objects based on an aerial photograph. Capture your 3D map digitally and create your own symbols to accompany it.

Teaching Outcomes

  • To recognise landmarks and other features from aerial photographs.
  • To devise a simple map.
  • To construct basic symbols for a map.

Children will

  • Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to identify landmarks and human and physical features.
  • Devise, make and photograph their own 3D map.
  • Create symbols to make a key for their map.

Enrichment Activities

  • Make a collage based on an aerial photograph.
  • Translate map symbols into paintings.
  • Compose rhymes to describe aerial photographs.
  • Test properties of map materials.
  • Make chart to analyse map symbols.

Provided Resources

You don't need any provided resources for this session; however there are provided resources for the Enrichment Activities.

You Will Need

  • Internet access
  • Digital cameras
  • Range of everyday items such as
  • PE cones, beanbags, construction blocks, balls, ropes
  • Tracing paper
  • Selected Ordinance Survey map symbols

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Weblinks

Get Mapping from 1.getmapping.com
Resources from Ordnance Survey including PDFs of Map Legends

There are additional weblinks for the Enrichment Activities.

Session 5 My School: A Guided Grounds Walk

Objectives

Geography

  • Use plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features
  • Devise a simple map
  • Use and construct basic symbols in a key
  • Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds.

Enrichment Activities

  • Art & Design: Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • History: Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
  • English: Write for a range of purposes.
  • Science: Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.
  • PSHE: Find out about people who work in their community.
  • D&T: Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes; Understand where food comes from.

Lesson Planning

Alien Alice is visiting your school from an intergalactic primary school on Mars. She wants to find out all about your school grounds to help develop their grounds back home. You will need to create a guided walk based on your own fieldwork that takes in the key features of your school.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To complete fieldwork in the school grounds to identify key features.
  • To map key features of the school grounds using photographs and a simple key.
  • To use directional language to describe a given route.

Children will:

  • Take photographs and label key human and physical features of their school and its grounds.
  • Create a guided walk around the school which highlights the geography of their school.
  • Annotate a simple map of the school.

Enrichment Activities

  • Draw a building or section of a building.
  • Order school information on a timeline and write an email.
  • Identify and draw plants in the school grounds.
  • Find out about the roles of local people who help us.
  • Design a healthy sandwich and/or smoothie.

You Will Need

  • Plan maps of school
  • Digital cameras

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Weblinks

There are no weblinks for this session; however there are weblinks for the Enrichment Activities.

Session 6 My School: Beyond the gates

Objectives

Geography

  • Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features
  • Use basic symbols in a key
  • Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

Enrichment Activities

  • History: Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality; Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods; Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
  • English: Write for a range of purposes.
  • Art and Design: Use painting to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination; Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • Maths: Interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and simple tables; Ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity; Ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data.

Lesson Planning

Alien Alice is back but this time she wants to know about the area surrounding your school. Head off on a local area walk with your trusty camera to collect information for Alice on your local facilities and features. Report back to her using aerial images, an annotated local map and some fabulous photographs of significant features.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To take part in a local walk to gather information about local land and building use.
  • To use a key, aerial photos and a local map to identify local human and physical features.

Children will:

  • Take photographs and identify key human and physical features of the local environment surrounding the school.
  • Annotate a local area map of the school, highlighting key features.
  • Describe simple features from aerial images.

Enrichment Activities

  • Order information on a timeline and write an email referring to it.
  • Draw a building or a section of a building.
  • Construct a key.
  • Create a block chart based on local data.
  • Create a cityscape of the area.

Provided Resources

You don't need any provided resources for this session; however there are provided resources for the Enrichment Activities.

You Will Need

  • Local area aerial photos
  • Local area map
  • Digital cameras

You will need additional resources for the Enrichment Activities.

Weblinks

Resources from Ordnance Survey including PDFs of Map Legends

There are additional weblinks for the Enrichment Activities.