Geography

At Coleshill Heath, we teach our Geography through themed topics.

In Early Years, we learn about our local area around school. In Key Stage 1, we look at Chelmsley Wood and our local town, Solihull. We then learn about Birmingham and London. We will begin using maps to record routes and then locate human and physical features. In Key Stage 2, we then begin to look at the wider world including Greece, Mexico and Antarctica and develop our skills using maps, atlases and other sources of information.

Where I Live

We begin our KS1 Geography learning by exploring and observing our local area. We use maps to find out what is in the area surrounding our school and where we live in Chelmsley Wood. In our map and fieldwork sessions, we study our school's outdoor area and look at playgrounds around the world to make comparisons. We design and make our dream playground using our knowledge of strong structures in D&T and human and physical geography. We will compare what it is like to live in a busy town to a quiet, rural village close to us.

Bright Lights, Big City

We will begin by locating and naming the 4 countries of the United Kingdom. Using this knowledge we will then locate Birmingham on a map of the UK and explore famous landmarks around our home city. We will build on our knowledge of what it is like to live in a city by comparing life in cities, towns and villages. Expanding our Geographical knowledge we will find and locate London using maps and compare it with another city in the UK.

Off to the Beach

We will begin by revisiting our knowledge of the United Kingdom. We will then introduce vocabulary related to seas and coasts. They will revisit some of their knowledge about coastlines from Year 1's Extinction project, where they learn about Mary Anning finding fossils at Lyme Regis.

The children will study the features of England's Weston-Super-Mare. We will then introduce the children to continents around the world and focus on Australia, where the children will compare Bondi Beach to Weston-Super-Mare. The children visit Weston-Super-Mare to see their learning in real life.

Stone Age to Iron Age

Ancient Greece

Active Planet

In this project, the children learn about the structure of the Earth and the tectonic plates. They learn about rivers and natural disasters, with focused studies from around the world.

From the Depths to the Summit (Spring)

We will be deepening our knowledge of the physical features of geography, by learning about the location and formation of different mountains and oceans around the world. We will carefully use atlases and maps to extend our skills, as well as take part in discussions and create a presentation about what we have researched.

Invaders and Traders (Autumn)

We will be deepening our knowledge of using atlases and maps to find the location of origin of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. We will also be researching their routes of travel and trade links in order to discuss the similarities and differences between the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.

Holo Mexico (Summer)

We will extend our skills of using maps and atlases to find the location of Mexico. We will deepen our knowledge of human settlements and compare how this is different to the Anglo-Saxon and Viking era. We will also look at the differences in climate, compared to the United Kingdom.

Frozen Kingdom (Autumn)

We will use map work to identify the position and significance of longitude and latitude in relation to the Arctic and Antarctic. We will explore how tourism and global warming has affected the Artic and Antarctica. We will be skyping with Craig Mattision, an Arctic explorer where will we learn about the reality of exploring in Artic conditions.