Key Stage 1 Local Studies: Our School and Local Area
This is a lively and fun topic to teach children fieldwork and observational skills as they study the geography of their schools, the grounds and the key human and physical features of the surrounding environment. We have included a final Block to help children compare their local area knowledge with a small area in Kenya.
Rosie the Hen takes a walk around the farmyard and then around our school! Plot a route for her to answer her questions about the history of the school and its locality. Carry out a travel and traffic survey.
Discover playgrounds around the world with Dora the explorer using field work, orienteering and maps. Learn playground games. Draw your ideal playground. Campaign for playground improvement.
Children use the poem ‘My House’ to think about their home, and then the other types of buildings in the locality; if they were to build their own home like the 3 Little Pigs had to, what materials would they use?
Children demonstrate knowledge of plants. Learn what plants need to grow, why natural spaces are important and visit a local garden. Learn about bees, grow bee friendly plants and create your own small world gardens!
Children develop knowledge of parks in their local area. With the help of Steve Backshall they explore park features to develop their geographical skills. Children make a park model and present a park exhibition!
The pirates want to play! Map the local parks and playgrounds; are there enough parks to stop the naughty pirates? What shops do we have locally? Turn the classroom into a ‘village’. Produce a trail around the locality.
Build a picture of Kenya with Country Mouse and City Mouse through role play, hot seating, wellington gardens & making clay furniture. Develop geographical and mapping language. Join`The City & Countryside Debate´.