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Key Stages (Years) covered KS2, KS3 (9 years - 14 years)

Guardians of the Greenwood can be used as a cross-curricular package. The software supports the Geography National Curriculum as a main topic starting point. The software can be used as a resource for the breadth of study concerning environmental issues. Guardians of the Greenwood supports children working towards Level 4 attainment target in KS2 and towards higher levels of attainment in KS3. Guardians of the Greenwood can be used in QCA Schemes of Work Units 8, 20 & 21.

The following Geography NC objectives are supported by utilising the software:

(this is taken directly from the National Curriculum)

Knowledge, skills and understanding

Teaching should ensure that geographical enquiry and skills are used when developing knowledge and understanding of places, patterns and processes, and environmental change and sustainable development.

Geographical enquiry and skills

1) In undertaking geographical enquiry, pupils should be taught to:
  1. ask geographical questions [for example, 'What is this landscape like?', 'What do I think about it?']
  2. collect and record evidence [for example, by carrying out a survey of shop functions and showing them on a graph]
  3. analyse evidence and draw conclusions [for example, by comparing population data for two localities]
  4. identify and explain different views that people, including themselves, hold about topical geographical issues [for example, views about plans to build an hotel in an overseas locality]
  5. communicate in ways appropriate to the task and audience [for example, by writing to a newspaper about a local issue, using e-mail to exchange information about the locality with another school].
2) In developing geographical skills, pupils should be taught:
  1. to use appropriate geographical vocabulary [for example, temperature, transport, industry]
  2. to use appropriate fieldwork techniques [for example, labelled field sketches] and instruments [for example, a rain gauge, a camera]
  3. to use atlases and globes, and maps and plans at a range of scales [for example, using contents, keys, grids]
  4. to use secondary sources of information, including aerial photographs [for example, stories, information texts, the internet, satellite images, photographs, videos]
  5. to draw plans and maps at a range of scales [for example, a sketch map of a locality]
  6. to use ICT to help in geographical investigations [for example, creating a data file to analyse fieldwork data]
  7. decision-making skills [for example, deciding what measures are needed to improve safety in a local street].

Knowledge and understanding of places

3) Pupils should be taught:
  1. to identify and describe what places are like [for example, in terms of weather, jobs]
  2. the location of places and environments they study and other significant places and environments [for example, those listed on page 21 and places and environments in the news]
  3. to explain why places are like they are [for example, in terms of weather conditions, local resources, historical development]
  4. to identify how and why places change [for example, through the closure of shops or building of new houses, through conservation projects] and how they may change in the future [for example, through an increase in traffic or an influx of tourists]

Knowledge and understanding of patterns and processes

4) Pupils should be taught to:
  1. recognise and explain patterns made by individual physical and human features in the environment [for example, where frost forms in the playground, the distribution of hotels along a seafront]
  2. recognise some physical and human processes [for example, river erosion, a factory closure] and explain how these can cause changes in places and environments.

Knowledge and understanding of environmental change and sustainable development

5) Pupils should be taught to:
  1. recognise how people can improve the environment [for example, by reclaiming derelict land] or damage it [for example, by polluting a river], and how decisions about places and environments affect the future quality of people's lives
  2. recognise how and why people may seek to manage environments sustainably, and to identify opportunities for their own involvement [for example, taking part in a local conservation project].

Breadth of study

6) During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through the study of two localities and three themes:

Themes

  1. an environmental issue, caused by change in an environment [for example, increasing traffic congestion, hedgerow loss, drought], and attempts to manage the environment sustainably [for example, by improving public transport, creating a new nature reserve, reducing water use].

Schemes of work

Guardians of the Greenwood can be used to support Geography QCA schemes of work in KS2.

QCA Scheme of work: Unit 8 Improving the Environment Year 4

Guardians of the Greenwood links with the unit and will support students to achieve each level of expectation (set as in the scheme)

1. express their own views about the environment and begin to recognise that some people think differently; identify how people affect the environment; ask and respond to geographical questions while undertaking tasks set by the teacher
2. begin to account for their own views about the environment, recognising that other people may have reasons for thinking differently; identify how people affect the environment and recognise ways in which people try to manage it for the better; ask and respond to geographical questions while undertaking tasks set by the teacher, offering their own ideas appropriate to the situation; use a range of simple equipment, maps and resources to carry out tasks supported by the teacher.

Learning objectives from the scheme that are supported by using Guardians of the Greenwood:

Section 2: What do we throw away in the classroom? How could it be reduced?

Children should learn:
  • to ask and respond to geographical questions
  • to collect and record evidence to answer questions
  • how people affect the environment

Section 3: How much do we throw away in the school grounds? How could it be reduced?

Children should learn:
  • how people affect the environment
  • how and why people seek to manage and sustain their environment

Section 4: What is this place like and why? How can it be improved?

Children should learn:
  • to investigate places
  • to collect and record evidence to answer questions
  • how people affect the environment
  • how and why people seek to manage and sustain their environment
  • to use ICT to present findings

QCA Scheme of work: Unit 21 How can we improve the area we can see from our window? Years 3/4

Guardians of the Greenwood links with the unit and will support students to achieve each level of expectation (set as in the scheme)

1. describe the main features of places; ask and respond to questions about places, based on their own observations and information provided by the teacher; use simple maps and secondary sources
2. describe the main physical and human features of places using appropriate geographical terms; make simple observations about where and what things are; express their own views about the physical and human features of the environment; show a developing ability to ask and respond to geographical questions; use maps and secondary sources
3. describe a range of physical and human features of places using appropriate geographical terms; begin to explain 'why things are like that', referring to physical and human features of the landscape; begin to account for their own views about the environment; show a developing ability to suggest appropriate geographical questions; use a range of sources and skills when undertaking an investigation

Learning objectives from the scheme that are supported by using Guardians of the Greenwood:

Section 1: What is the view from the window in the book like? How does the view change?

(please note QCA uses a specific resource for this objective but others could be used in addition to this.)

Children should learn:
  • to observe and ask about geographical features
  • to use geographical vocabulary
  • to use secondary sources

Section 2: What are the main features?

Children should learn:
  • to identify physical and human features
  • to use geographical vocabulary
  • to use secondary sources
  • to identify land use
  • how people affect the environment

Section 3: What is the view from our window like?

Children should learn:
  • to ask and respond to geographical questions
  • to use geographical vocabulary
  • to identify physical and human features

Section 7: What is the quality of the environment like here? How does this place make us feel at night or in the day?

Children should learn:
  • how people affect the environment


Section 8: What will the view be like in the future?

Children should learn:
  • to speculate about how places may change

QCA Scheme of work: Unit 20 Local Traffic - an Environmental issue Year 5

Guardians of the Greenwood links with the unit and will support students to achieve each level of expectation (set as in the scheme)

1. undertake simple tasks relating to maps, diagrams and secondary sources; state a range of views held by people about the issue
2. begin to account for their own views about the environment, recognising that other people may have reasons for thinking differently; identifying how people affect the environment and recognise ways people try to manage it for the better
3. recognise and describe how people can improve or damage the environment; come to a reasoned, personal view about what should happen; begin to understand the democratic process used to make local decisions

Learning objectives from the scheme that are supported by using Guardians of the Greenwood:

Section 1: What are the issues involved in constructing the by-pass?

Children should learn:
  • about the issues involved in a change in the local environment

Section 2: Where is the by-pass located?

Children should learn:
  • to identify key physical and human features
  • how features influence the location of human activities

Section 3: Why is the construction of the by-pass an issue?

Children should learn:
  • about recent or proposed changes in the locality
  • about a particular issue arising from the way land is used

Section 4: How did the issue arise?

Children should learn:
  • to use secondary evidence to compare before and after

Section 5: What are the groups involved in the issue and what are their views?

Children should learn:
  • how people affect their environment
  • that different people hold different views about an issue

Section 6: How might the issue be resolved?

  • Children should learn:
  • how and why people seek to manage and sustain their environment

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