Check it! - North America - Year 6

Understanding the vast and diverse continent of North America is a key part of the Year 6 geography curriculum. The continent's main geographical features include a range of landscapes from the icy tundras of Canada to the tropical rainforests of Central America. To ensure that students retain this information, the lesson plan suggests incorporating regular review sessions. Creative methods such as 'Brain dump', where students jot down everything they remember, or 'Give me FIVE', where they list five specific items related to the topic, can be effective. Other techniques include adding to mind maps to visually organize knowledge, and 'Expand and Elaborate', where students delve deeper into particular aspects of their learning.

These review strategies not only reinforce what has been learned about North America's geography but also encourage a deeper understanding of the continent's countries and their unique features. For example, students might be asked to name five states in the USA or five North American countries outside the USA. They could also explore the differences in lifestyle between Mexico and the USA, or list natural resources found in the USA. More advanced challenges might include explaining the economic disparity between Mexico and the USA or identifying countries from which people have migrated to the USA. By engaging with these varied and progressively challenging activities, students can demonstrate their grasp of North American geography and its complexities.