Exploring Our Local Area

Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 6 students
Unit: Mapping Our Local Area (Lesson 2 of 6)
Age group: Year 5 (9-10 years)
Curriculum links: National Curriculum for England – Geography

National Curriculum References

Geography Key Stage 2 Programme of Study:
- Locational knowledge: Locate the world’s countries, focusing on Europe and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
- Place knowledge: Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region or area of the United Kingdom.
- Human and physical geography: Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including types of settlement and land use.
- Geographical skills and fieldwork: Use maps, atlases, globes, and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied; use four-figure grid references, symbols and keys (including Ordnance Survey maps) to build knowledge of the UK and wider world.

Focus for this lesson:

Developing place knowledge and human geography understanding by identifying and sharing local landmarks and features.
Using discussion and preliminary mapping skills aligned to geographical fieldwork competencies.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Discuss and identify key landmarks and features of their local area.
Demonstrate an understanding of different types of human geography (e.g., residential, commercial, natural landmarks).
Begin to select key locations to include on their own local area map.
Work collaboratively to share knowledge, building a sense of place and community.

Success Criteria

Participates actively in class discussion about local landmarks.
Correctly categorises local features into human (e.g., shops, schools) or physical (e.g., river, park).
Identifies at least five key locations to be included in their maps.
Explains why particular landmarks are important to the local community.

Resources

Large physical or digital map of the local area (blank or simplified base map)
Printed images of common local features (shops, school, park, church, river, bus stop etc.)
Sticky notes or small cards for naming landmarks
Whiteboard and pens
Notebooks or geography journals
Clipboards and pencils
Optional: iPads or tablets for quick digital image research or Google Maps if available

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Teacher notes: Begin with a welcoming circle. Introduce the session focus: exploring local landmarks.
Engage: Use ‘Think-Pair-Share’ to ask: What do you like or notice about our local area?
List responses on the whiteboard under two categories: 'Human features' and 'Physical features'.
Recap what these terms mean with examples.

Curriculum connection: Supports place knowledge and understanding of human/physical features.

2. Group Discussion and Feature Identification (15 minutes)

Present students with a large blank map of the local area.
Hand out printed images or cards of typical local features.
In pairs, students identify which landmarks/human and physical features appear in their neighbourhood and discuss why each might matter (e.g., the park is a green space for play, the school is a learning place).
Pairs then place sticky notes on the large map, labelling the locations they identify.

Curriculum connection: Developing geographical knowledge and beginning map skills with symbols/keys.

3. Collaborative Mapping Activity (20 minutes)

Students work together to decide which five key landmarks they want to include in their individual maps later in the unit.
Encourage students to justify their choices, fostering speaking and listening skills as well as geographical reasoning.
Teacher facilitates: asks probing questions about how landmarks influence community life (e.g., “How does the local library help people?”).
Students record their chosen landmarks and a short reason why on a worksheet or in their journals.

4. Reflection and Plenary (10 minutes)

Round-table sharing: each student states one landmark they find important and explains briefly why.
Teacher summarises: how understanding local features helps us appreciate our community and is an essential step before drawing accurate maps.
Introduce next lesson focus: basic map symbols and legends.

5. Assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment: Observation of discussion participation and ability to categorise features.
Check students’ notes for appropriate landmark selection and reasoning.
Use questioning to assess understanding of human vs physical geography.

Differentiation and Inclusion

Use visuals and concrete objects to support learners with language difficulties.
Provide sentence starters for writing (e.g., “I think the _____ is important because…”).
Encourage more confident students to lead discussions or peer support roles.
Adapt map size or materials for motor skill challenges.

Extension Ideas

Students could take a short neighbourhood walk before next lesson to photograph or sketch landmarks (with parental/carer permission).
Create a ‘Local Area Passport’ where students collect stickers or stamps for each landmark identified accurately.

Teacher’s Notes: Wow Factor & Tips

Use the class's local context—names of actual streets or landmarks—to build relevance and excitement.
Introduce a brief storytelling element: invite students to share a personal experience involving a landmark (e.g., visiting the park or a market).
Capture a short audio or video clip of student discussions to reflect on communication skills and understanding.
Consider using Ordnance Survey symbols for creating map keys in upcoming lessons—for authentic geographic skills.

This lesson balances curriculum rigor with engaging, community-connected learning, fostering both geographical knowledge and personal attachment to place.

Teaching Instructions