Exploring City Features

Overview

This 60-minute lesson introduces Year 5 students, including SEN learners, to the features commonly found in cities. It focuses on helping students identify different urban elements using accessible language, sensory experiences, visual supports, and hands-on learning. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England, ensuring coverage of Geography Programme of Study for Key Stage 2, especially understanding human and physical geography.

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National Curriculum Links

Geography - Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • locate and describe key human and physical features of the local area and other places
  • use maps, atlases and globes to develop knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
  • understand human geography, including cities and land use

Specific Learning Objectives (Year 5):

• Understand and describe key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlements and land use
• Use maps and description to identify the characteristics of places

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Identify common features found in cities using accessible vocabulary (e.g., buildings, roads, parks, shops, transport).
2. Describe the roles of different city places using sensory and visual clues.
3. Use tactile maps and pictures to locate city features.
4. Work collaboratively using sensory materials to build a simple model city.

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Resources Needed

• Large tactile map of a simple city layout (textured materials e.g., felt for parks, cardboard for buildings)
• Picture cards with clear images of city features (shops, roads, houses, parks, bus stops, factories) with labels in clear, bold font
• Real objects or replicas for sensory exploration (small toy cars, fabric leaves for parks, bricks for buildings)
• Whiteboard or flipchart with visual vocabulary and symbols
• Worksheets with images for matching or colouring city features
• Audio clip of city sounds (traffic, chatter, birds in parks)
• Timer or visual countdown tool
• Name tags or group badges for teamwork

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Welcome and Set Expectations (2 mins)
  Use clear visuals for the lesson flow on the board, with symbols representing each activity.
• Activate Prior Knowledge (3 mins)
  Ask students: "What do you think you can find in a city?" Accept all answers, use picture cards to confirm and introduce vocabulary. Use clear, short sentences and visual supports.
• City Sounds Sensory Activity (5 mins)
  Listen to a short audio clip playing city sounds. Ask students to close eyes and imagine a city. Brief discussion to identify sounds - buses, people, birds. Reinforce vocabulary visually and verbally.

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2. Main Activity – Explore and Build (35 minutes)

Part A: Tactile Map Exploration and Matching (15 mins)

• In small groups (2-3 students), students explore the tactile map of a city.
• Each group receives picture cards to match to the correct place on the map (e.g., park on green felt, shops on cardboard buildings).
• Teacher prompts with simple questions: "Where is the park?" "Find the shop." Use clear language and allow students to handle cards and textures.
• Encourage talk between peers and support with prompts like "Good job finding the roads!"

Part B: Hands-on Model City Building (20 mins)

• Students are provided with sensory materials (e.g., small blocks, fabric, toy vehicles). They work in groups to build a small model of a city area.
• Teacher guides them to include key features identified on the map: roads, parks, shops, houses. Use simple sentence stems on visual cue cards, e.g., "This is a park. It has …"
• Emphasise teamwork and communication; allow flexible responses (speech, gestures, drawings).
• Visual timers help keep track and manage transitions.

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3. Plenary and Assessment (15 minutes)

Show and Tell (10 mins)

• Groups present their model city to the class using simple sentences or gestures. E.g., “Here is a shop. People buy food here.” Visual prompt cards support language.
• Encourage peer questions using sentence starters displayed on the board: “What is this?” / “Why do we need this?”

Assessment: Informal and Observational (5 mins)

• Use a checklist to assess:
  • Can the student identify city features using visuals or tactile prompts?
  • Does the student contribute to the group model building?
  • Can the student communicate any feature verbally or non-verbally?
• Provide positive, specific feedback aligned to SEN needs.

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Differentiation & SEN Strategies

• Use simplified, clear language and repeat vocabulary with visual cues.
• Offer one-to-one or small group support as needed.
• Provide sensory breaks or quiet areas for students who become overwhelmed.
• Use multi-sensory learning: tactile, auditory, and visual.
• Allow alternative communication methods (symbols, gesture, communication aids).
• Scaffold activities with step-by-step instructions and visual checklists.
• Maintain predictable lesson structure with clear cues for transitions.

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Reflection for Staff

• How did sensory and tactile materials aid understanding?
• Which visual supports were most effective?
• Note any students who need further support or extension activities.
• Consider adaptations for future lessons on urban geography or local area studies.

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This lesson plan promotes inclusive, sensory-rich learning to support all learners in understanding what constitutes a city and the human geography within it, fully aligned with the Year 5 geography curriculum in England.