St Maria Goretti

Humanities

At St Maria Goretti, we pride ourselves in our topic based curriculum that incorporates all subjects, especially history and geography. Children are given opportunities to explore historical eras to compare life then and now. We bring this to life by using artefacts and local studies to develop an understanding of our own society and how it fits in with the rest of the world. Visits are arranged to give the children first hand experiences that they will remember for years to come, and to give them an understanding of the world around them. Geographical skills are enhanced using ordnance survey, aerial, topographical and political maps, and fieldwork is incorporated where possible. We link humanities to core curriculum areas as much as possible, and in this way, children gain a deeper understanding of the world they live in.

Humanities at Home

History and Geography

Whole school Pupil History Curriculum Map

At St.Maria Goretti Catholic Academy, we believe that high quality history comes from the inspiration of the children and their curiosity to find out more about significant events and people from the past. We want them to understand how history has shaped the world that they live in today, in a local, national and international context.

In order to teach the children to think and act as critical historians, our topics through the key stages are linked to a range of key historical concepts. When learning about history, we want the children to be able to:

communicate historically using a range of historical vocabulary
understand the significance of key events from the past and the impact these have had on their own lives today
interpret a range of primary and secondary sources and use these to ask and answer historically relevant questions
understand the cause and consequence of events in history and how these link to current events
understand chronology and how events link on a timeline

Implementation

History is taught in a block to encourage complete immersion into the topic The duration of the time spent on the subject is dependent on the topic itself. As well as normal PPA time, staff have time to plan out each half term for all foundation subjects. All lessons begin with a retrieval practice to embed knowledge into long term memory.

Each new history topic follows a set sequence that ensures progression and depth of understanding of the key concepts (either travel and exploration, industry, monarchy, settlements or farming). These concepts are taught throughout KS1 and KS2 to ensure that the pupils are able to make links and comparisons between different periods of time. Each sequence of learning covers the following:

Pre-assessment task
Relevance (including location, creation of a class timeline, overview of the topic and it’s key events and use of a range of primary and secondary sources)
Empathy (including an enquiry question to work towards, for example, ‘What was life like for a Victorian child?’
Case Study with a focus on one or two key concepts.
Final assessment (child-led, a presentation of their learning through posters, video, leaflets, comics etc)

All History topics are linked where possible to trips and enrichment activities. Children are encouraged to use critical thinking through higher order questioning to challenge them and enhance the learning experience.

Impact

Our History curriculum is high quality, well-planned and taught to cover key historical skills and knowledge. Children are given opportunities to present their work in a variety of ways, not just through writing. Children are expected to articulate their learning verbally not just in a written response. There are also opportunities to work collaboratively and independently to show progress and develop oracy through the subject.

History Careers

Museum Researcher

Geneaologist

Museum Curator

Museum Education Officer

Heritage Industry

Archaeologist

Archivist/Records Manager

Librarian

History teacher

Conservationist

Anthropologist

Journalist

Whole school Pupil Geography Curriculum Map

Geography Skills

Geography Overview

Intent

At St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy, our Geography curriculum is designed around the children developing a deeper understanding of the world around them and their place within it. We are committed to broadening their experiences and developing their cultural capital, and provide children with opportunities to investigate a range of places around the world so that they can understand the diversity between themselves and others. We want the children to understand their own heritage and where they fit into the wider world.

As keen geographers, we want the children to be able to:

Identify key physical and human features of a range of places around the world, including their own local area.
Use a range of geographical vocabulary to articulate their learning
Describe similarities and differences between different parts of the world
Use fieldwork to find out more about their own local area.
Use globes, atlases and a range of maps confidently

Implementation

Geography is taught in a block to encourage complete immersion into the topic. The duration of time spent on the subject is dependent on the topic itself. As well as normal PPA time, staff have time to plan out each half term for all foundation subjects. All lessons begin with a retrieval practice to embed knowledge into long term memory.

Each new Geography topic follows a set sequence that ensures progression and coverage of the key skills. Each sequence of learning in Geography covers the following:

Pre-assessment task
Using a range of maps to locate the area. Children must be able to understand where it is in relation to our own local area.
A study into the human and physical features of the location.
Local context and how the geography has changed over time.
-Final assessment (child-led, a presentation of their learning through posters, video, leaflets, comics etc)

All Geography topics are linked where possible to trips and enrichment activities. Children are encouraged to use critical thinking through higher order questioning to challenge them and enhance the learning experience.

Impact

Our Geography curriculum is high quality, well-planned and taught to cover key skills across the subject. Children are given opportunities to present their work in a variety of ways. Children are expected to articulate their learning verbally not just in a written response. There are also opportunities to work collaboratively and independently to show progress and develop oracy through the subject.

Geography Careers

Environmental Consultant

Town Planner

Geographical Information Systems Officer

Conservation Officer

Geography teacher

Cartographer

Recycling Officer

Landscape Architect

Surveyor

Tourism Officer

Transport Planner

Parental Support in Humanities

Mapzone | Ordnance Survey - Ordnance Survey Mapzone. You'll find games, trivia quizzes and help with map skills, plus you can delve into some fascinating topics about the world around you and find out how geography is evident in our day-to-day lives.

Streetmap - Maps and directions for the whole of Great Britain - Great Britain Street & Road Map Search. Search Tips - www.streetmap.co.uk

Primary Homework Help | Online Games For Kids - BBC Bitesize - Learn with Bitesize's Primary School homework help. Sign in to save your favorite topics and games - www.bbc.co.uk

BBC - Schools Ages 4-11 - History Sites - List of history websites for 4-11 year old students, including games and activities and resources for teaches and parents. - www.bbc.co.uk

Home - CBBC Newsround - The home of news and fun facts for kids. Find out what is going on, with stories, pictures and videos. Try a quiz or one of our free games. - www.bbc.co.uk

Worldmapper | rediscover the world as you've never seen it before - Mapping our place in the world: The atlas for the 21st century. Worldmapper is a collection of world maps where countries are resized according to a broad range of global issues. Our cartograms are unique visualisations that show the world as you've never seen it before. Explore them all! - Worldmapper.org

https://worldmapper.org/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/history.shtml

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary

https://www.streetmap.co.uk/

'What does a great geographer/historian do?'