Geography
With specific regards to Geography, the United Learning curriculum provides all children, with relevant and coherent substantive knowledge, a balanced view of the countries of the world, to address or event preempt misconceptions and negative stereotypes, core disciplinary knowledge, the ability to approach challenging, geographically-valid questions and opportunities to undertake fieldwork, outside the classroom and virtually.
Intent | Why do we teach what we teach?
The United Curriculum for Geography has three strands:
Substantive Knowledge (Conceptual and Procedural)
In the United Curriculum for Geography, we have categorised substantive knowledge into two types:
By conceptual knowledge we mean the core geographical facts of a particular unit, for example that Biomes are large ecosystems that contain specific species of organisms.
Procedural knowledge refers to the skills of being a geographer, such as how to use different types of map, or interpret and construct graphs.
Disciplinary Knowledge
Disciplinary knowledge refers to how geographers carry out their discipline and the thought processes required to do so. In the United Curriculum, disciplinary knowledge has been organised to cover:
Vertical Concepts
Implementation | How and when do we teach what we teach?
When teaching geography at Shakespeare Primary School, we currently have weekly teaching time to ensure robust coverage and deep understanding. The United Learning Curriculum is planned sequenced so that meaningful links are made between subjects, and the order of units allows these connections to be made.
Throughout the teaching time, we use live marking, questioning, capturing pupil voice and recall tools (for example, Graphic Organisers) to formatively assess our pupil’s skills, knowledge, and progress. At the end of a block period, we use quizzes to summative assess, identify gaps and recognise patterns across classes, year groups and key stages. Across the year, we ensure retention through recall activities and low stake quizzes.