PROGRESSION OF GEOGRAPHICAL ENQUIRY

GEOGRAPHICAL ENQUIRY / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3 / Year 4 / Year 5 / Year 6
Asking questions
Responding to questions
Observation
Expressing points of view / Teacher led questions
Respond to simple closed questions.
E.g. Do you like this place?
Make observations of where things are in the immediate vicinity of the school.
Give simple reasons for own likes and dislikes. / Children are encouraged to ask simple geographical questions. E.g. What's it like?
Answers mainly descriptive. E.g. The beach is flat and yellow.
Make simple comparisons between features of different places.
E.g. The shops in the local town and in the Isle of Struay
Give detailed reasons for likes and dislikes. / Begin to ask / initiate geographical questions.
Begin to respond to open questions. E.g. Where do you think the bird table should be located?
Compare observations of the local area with those of the wider world. E.g. The weather in the UK and India
Begin to identify and explain different views of people including themselves. / Ask questions and offer their own ideas.
Respond to open questions. E.g. Where do you think the road could go?
Make observations about how people are improving or damaging the environment.
Identify and explain different views of people including themselves. / Begin to suggest questions for investigating
Move from description to explanation. E.g. Why have the number of shops declined?
Make observations about patterns and processes. E.g. Erosion in a river.
Identify and explain different views of a wide range of people including themselves. / Initiate own questions for investigation.
Understand and respond to complex decisions. E.g. Why are they building a motorway here?
Make observations on how places, patterns and processes are changing. E.g. The impact of a new supermarket.
Give increased detail of views, giving detailed reasons influencing views and how they are justified

Source: Ali Pook and Sam Woodhouse 2006