History/Geography

At Iqra Primary School we employ a topic-based approach to teaching History and Geography. We believe that teaching these subjects in a creative and concrete way is fundamental to the development of Historical and Geographical understanding. We organise our curriculum so that children learn about a different topic each half term which is focused on either History or Geography.

History

History is about real people who lived, and real events which happened in the past. History is concerned with sequence, time and chronology and is the study of evidence about the past; it gives us a sense of identity, set within our social, political, cultural and economic relationships. It fires the children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and plays an essential part in preparing us for living and working in the contemporary world. Pupils consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. As they do this, children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. They see the diversity of human experience, and understand more about themselves as individuals and members of society. What they learn can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values. In history, children find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusions. To do this they need to be able to research, sift through evidence, and argue for their point of view – skills that are prized in adult life

At Iqra Primary we aim to ensure our pupils:

• Develop chronological understanding of periods of time.
• Increase knowledge and understanding of key events.
• Know about famous people who have influenced the course of History.
• Recognise that the past is represented and interpreted in different ways.
• Are able to use a range of sources to select and record relevant information.
• Develop a range of skills necessary to communicate their knowledge and understanding.

Geography

Developing geographical skills is essential as children live in a world that is wide open to them. With opportunities to travel and work in different cities and countries across the world, pupils need to use efficiently maps, charts and other geographical data. The opportunities for the children to carry out geographical enquiry are also of value.

The teaching of Geography would be difficult without acknowledging the future of our planet. The Geography Curriculum places great importance on the interaction between the physical and the human environment. Many areas of study give opportunities to make children aware of these effects upon their surroundings, their own responsibilities and how they can contribute to improving the environment, however small that contribution might be.

The aims of our Geography curriculum are:

• To stimulate children’s interest in their surroundings and develop a knowledge and       understanding of the physical and human processes which shape places.
• To increase children’s knowledge of other cultures and, in so doing, teach a respect and understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in a multi-cultural country.
• To provide learning opportunities that enthuse, engage, and motivate children to learn and foster a sense of curiosity and wonder at the beauty of the world around them.
• To encourage in children a commitment to sustainable development and an appreciation of what ‘global citizenship’ means.
• To make sense of their own surroundings through learning about their own locality and the interaction between people and the environment.
• To develop the geographical skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps of different scales, and the vocabulary necessary to carry out effective geographical enquiry.
• To be able to apply map reading skills to globes and atlas maps and identify geographical features.
• To formulate appropriate questions, develop research skills and evaluate material to inform opinions.
• To enable children to work geographically in a range of appropriate contexts, using a variety of materials and equipment including other people’s experiences and knowledge.

The school has invested in progressing knowledge and skills in both subjects across all year groups. To view these documents please click the buttons below.