Of topic specific knowledge and understanding To encourage progressive development in 'thinking geographically'

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1 [August 2012] Content exemplars 1. Broad description of the content: Single paragraph, written with technical precision Content rigour (avoiding generic statements) Identifying the core of essential knowledge (not everything that has to be 'covered') Clear about the 'point' of teaching the topic 2. Specific assessment indicators: Of topic specific knowledge and understanding To encourage progressive development in 'thinking geographically' These exemplars are a work in progress we are experimenting with how best to express them. We have included one potential KS4 topic. This is to show how the national curriculum from 5-14 years may progresses into GCSE. (See also the Key Stage Content proposals) The Geographical Association Page 1 of 7

2 KS1 Weather (content exemplar) This topic exposes children to an aspect of the physical environment which can be touched, seen, felt and measured. Pupils should build a vocabulary to describe weather observations. The topic shows how the weather has impact and that human beings respond. Pupils should understand that the weather happens in the atmosphere and that it changes from day to day and from place to place. They should begin to understand causes for this and for seasonal variations, and, using maps and simple symbols, record, talk and write about the changing weather and its impact. Identify and use terms to name and describe elements of the weather Describe a weather pattern in terms of place, local conditions and/or time of year Keep a weather diary to show observations of change Record and use a weather map using symbols The Geographical Association Page 2 of 7

3 KS1 Australasia (content exemplar) Pupils will learn about the countries and islands that make up Australasia. Using atlases or a globe they will locate them and understand the vast geographical distance from the UK and the importance of rapid transport and communications in 'shrinking' distance. Pupils will identify and locate significant human and physical features and begin to gain knowledge about how the weather varies across Australasia and its impact on the environment, including animals and plants. Pupils will learn about connections between countries in Australasia and the UK, through sport, trade and tourism. Pupils will begin to understand that distant places are represented by photographs, on maps, in art, literature, in films, songs, stories and dance. These will include indigenous people's perspectives and can provide diverse images. The main countries and islands that make up Australasia; the capital cities and main towns How specific plants and animals are 'adapted' to the physical (climatic) environment How distance affects people's lives in Australasia Be able to find on a map key environmental features such as rivers, mountains, cities, oceans, countries Gather and represent information about life in a locality in Australasia Trace on a globe or world map a journey from the UK to Australia, by land or sea or air The Geographical Association Page 3 of 7

4 KS2a Oceans, seas and coasts (content exemplar) Pupils learn about the distribution of oceans and seas across the globe. They learn that oceanic water moves via currents distributing heat, and tides in response to the gravitational effect of the Moon. They learn that oceans are deep and mysterious but also finite and fragile. This topic focuses mainly on the physical processes resulting from wave energy that create coastal features. Pupils will explore changing coastal features through two examples. One will exemplify a coastal landscape dominated by the processes of erosion and the other will be a coastal landscape dominated by the processes of deposition. At least one of the examples should from the British Isles. Pupils will understand and appreciate that coasts are dynamic environments, often changing rapidly. Their variety and dynamism is dependent on a range of locational factors that include rock type, ocean currents, tides, and prevailing winds plus people's use and management of these locations. Identifying naming the world's oceans and the seas in and around Europe That coastal environments are dynamic and can change rapidly Processes of coastal erosion and deposition Use pictures, diagrams, and animations with maps to compare and contrast the different coastal landscapes studied Create models (either actual or virtual) to explain how locational factors might cause a coastal feature to change in the future The Geographical Association Page 4 of 7

5 KS2b World Trade (content exemplar) This topic is mainly about trade patterns of food, raw materials and manufactured products at a global scale. They will be encouraged to use their own 'everyday' knowledge and experiences as a starting point to explore how places are connected to others through the products they use or consume. Pupils select products and create annotated maps to describe and explain trade journeys. They will learn about routes and different modes of transport. In doing this they will further develop their understanding of distance and scale in addition to identifying global distributions of important commodity flows. The map can be created using different media, but should use the geographical conventions and contribute to general world knowledge. The sources of some key commodities and manufactured products Why centres of production and consumption are often located in particular places Trade flows on a global scale Create an annotated map, using map symbols Collect, find and represent data relevant to selected traded products The Geographical Association Page 5 of 7

6 KS3 Catastrophic natural events (content exemplar) Through exposure to a variety of examples, pupils develop understanding of a range of catastrophic natural events: including earthquakes and volcanoes; extreme weather events such as hurricanes, and both river and coastal inundation. Studies should focus on the physical mechanisms of the events themselves but also on broader explanations which include human actions (such as deforestation) and the continued human occupation of hazardous locations. The topic teaches about human response to perceived risk, and the idea of 'preparedness' for natural hazards. (e.g. earthquakes and volcanoes) Pupils will show evidence of: The global distribution of volcanoes and plate boundaries Explain the relationship between volcanic activity and plate boundaries Describe the impact of volcanic eruptions on human activities, and explain how people can prepare for and respond to the hazard Use atlas and graphic skills to locate, describe and explain tectonic distributions The Geographical Association Page 6 of 7

7 KS4 Sustainable Development (content exemplar) Through local, regional and global exemplars pupils will deepen their understanding and awareness of how human systems (the economic and the social) are interrelated and that these are also fundamentally related to environmental quality. Students will develop a critical understanding of the 'linear' economic model that was the basis of the industrial revolution and the limitations of recycling in dealing with 'waste'. Pupils will be exposed to other economic models such as the 'circular economy' which is based on wider systems thinking and effective materials and energy flows. Pupils will evaluate the impact adopting specific 'sustainable development' policies relating to water, energy and food production and consumption at a local and regional level. (via GCSE examinations) Pupils will show evidence of: The planet has resources that are 'finite' and others that are 'renewable' Sustainable living may be supported by thinking through 'systems' e.g. that a circular system is significantly different from a linear system. Long lasting living systems use energy and material flows successfully and that systems can be restorative (e.g. when waste = food) Rethinking and designing the future is creativity and critical thinking applied to dynamic processes The Geographical Association Page 7 of 7