Long-term overview - South America - Year 5

The Year 5 geography curriculum provides a comprehensive exploration of South America, aligning with the national curriculum requirements for Key Stage 2. Pupils are expected to develop their understanding of world geography by locating countries on maps with a particular emphasis on Europe, South America, and the environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities within these continents. Through comparative studies, students are encouraged to observe geographical similarities and differences by examining a region in the UK, a European country, and a region within South America.

The substantive knowledge component of the curriculum aims to familiarize pupils with South American countries, with a special focus on Brazil and its significant human and physical features. Students will learn about the continent's natural resources, including fruits, and will gain an understanding of social issues such as the phenomenon of 'street children'. In terms of disciplinary knowledge, pupils will enhance their geographical skills and fieldwork capabilities. They will use tools like Google Earth to locate places, comprehend time zones, and grasp the diverse climates of a continent and their effects on inhabitants. The curriculum also includes activities such as using graphs to record weather patterns and annotating freehand maps to offer a well-rounded geographical education that is both engaging and informative.