Where are all the North American countries located? - Presentation

The Geography Key Stage 2 curriculum for Year 6 students includes a comprehensive study of North America, focusing on the continent's environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities. The curriculum aims to equip students with the ability to locate the world's countries using maps, with an emphasis on Europe, North and South America. Additionally, students explore geographical similarities and differences by studying regions within the United Kingdom, a European country, and North America. The substantive knowledge component of the curriculum ensures that students become familiar with the names and locations of North American countries, understand the key differences between life in the UK and North American countries, appreciate the importance of industry globally, and recognise how children's lives vary around the world. They also learn to use tools like Google Earth to locate countries and trace the paths of rivers.

Within the unit on North America, students delve into the continent's main geographical features, the location of all North American countries, and the USA's key features, including human and physical issues. They investigate how life in Mexico differs from that in the USA and the pivotal role of immigration in the USA's development. The disciplinary knowledge covers locational knowledge, place knowledge, and human and physical geography, as well as geographical skills and fieldwork. Students are encouraged to appreciate historical changes, including country name changes, and to reflect on why people choose to live in certain locations despite challenging weather or physical features. The curriculum also includes creating journey booklets with maps and sketches, using Google Earth for exploration, and understanding the impact of the USA's natural resources on its wealth and power. Prior knowledge is built upon with vocabulary related to American states, indigenous peoples, landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, and cultural references such as the 'Big Apple' for New York City. The goal is for students to gain a thorough understanding of North America's geographical features and its influence on the world.