Physical and Human Features

Curriculum Area

Subject: Geography
Level: Year 1 (Key Stage 1) – National Curriculum for England
Focus: Locational Knowledge & Geographical Skills

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this 40-minute lesson, students should be able to:

• Identify and describe physical geographical features (e.g., rivers, mountains, forests).
• Identify and describe human geographical features (e.g., buildings, roads, bridges).
• Understand the difference between physical and human features in their local environment.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes) – "What Do We See Around Us?"

Engaging Hook:

• Display a large image of a mixed environment (e.g., countryside with a village).
• Ask: “What can you see? What do you think is natural? What do you think people have built?”
• Introduce the words physical (natural) and human (man-made) features with actions:
  • Physical Feature → Move arms like a river (flowing).
  • Human Feature → Pretend to build a brick wall.

Mini Discussion:

• Call on a few children to share their thoughts on what they consider "natural" or "built by people."

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2. Main Activity (15 minutes) – "Feature Detective!"

Sorting Game – Physical or Human?

• Divide class into five groups (six students per group).
• Give each group a set of picture cards (e.g., mountains, bridges, rivers, schools, lakes, houses).
• Each group sorts them into two categories: Physical and Human.
• Once finished, groups rotate to another table and check if they agree with the last group’s choices!

Extension Question (Teacher to Ask Each Group):

• "Why do you think this is a human feature? How was it created?"
• “What might happen if there were no human features?”

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3. Outdoor Walk (10 minutes) – "Exploring Our Own World"

Mini Fieldwork - School Playground Adventure

• Take students outside (school field/playground).
• Ask them to point out physical and human features around them. Examples:
  • Physical: Trees, grass, sky, sun, soil.
  • Human: School building, fence, pavement, benches.
• Use a call-and-repeat chant to reinforce learning:
  • Teacher: "If it's something people made, say HUMAN!"
  • Class: "HUMAN!"
  • Teacher: "If it’s something nature made, say PHYSICAL!"
  • Class: "PHYSICAL!"

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4. Plenary (5 minutes) – "Quickfire Review"

• Back in class, use thumbs up/thumbs down game:
  • "Thumbs up if a bridge is a human feature!"
  • "Thumbs down if a tree is a human feature!"
• End with a fun challenge: “Tonight, on your way home, find one physical and one human feature! Tell me tomorrow!”

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Assessment Methods

• Observing student participation in the sorting activity.
• Questioning individuals during outdoor exploration.
• Checking student responses in plenary session.

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Resources Needed

✔ Large printed image of mixed environment.
✔ Picture sorting cards of physical & human features.
✔ Outdoor clipboards (optional for note-taking).

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson Notes)

• Which students easily grasped the difference between physical and human features?
• Did the outdoor learning help solidify understanding?
• Were there any misconceptions that need to be addressed in the next lesson?

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Bonus Idea: If time allows, ask students to draw and label a scene with both physical and human features!