Spotting Local Features

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Overview

• Age group: Nursery (3-4), Reception (4-5), Year 1 & Year 2 (5-7)
• Class size: 15 students, mixed abilities including SEN
• Duration: 105 minutes (1:00 pm – 2:45 pm)
• Location: Local walk—to church via two lanes and across a meadow
• Adults: Teacher, TA, parent helper
• Curriculum links:
  • EYFS: Understanding the world (People, culture and communities; The natural world)
  • KS1 Geography: Locational knowledge, place knowledge and human and physical geography (National Curriculum for England)

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Learning Objectives

Year Group	Learning Objective (I can…)
EYFS	Talk about what is around me in my local area, recognising some features.
KS1	Spot and identify human and physical features in my local environment.

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Success Criteria

EYFS

• I can name some things I see on the walk.
• I can say if these things were made by people or nature.
• I can share what I noticed with my partner.

KS1

• I can identify at least three human features.
• I can identify at least three physical features.
• I can use a tick sheet to record my observations.
• I can answer questions about what I see around me.

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National Curriculum Links

• EYFS:

  • ELG: People, Culture and Communities – “Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, nonfiction texts and maps.”
  • ELG: The Natural World – “Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.”

• KS1 Geography (Years 1 & 2):

  • Locational knowledge: Name and locate key human and physical features of the local area.
  • Human and physical geography: Identify human and physical features; understand how humans affect places.
  • Develop observational skills (fieldwork) using simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of the school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

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Resources

• Clipboards
• Tick sheets differentiated by age (see differentiation below)
• Pencils
• Visual prompts (images from uploaded files) printed for walk introduction
• First aid kit
• Wet weather clothing/footwear if needed

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Differentiation of Tick Sheets & Worksheets

Group	Worksheet Design & Differentiation
Nursery (3-4)	“What I see” picture-based sheet: Simple images of common features (tree, gate, building, flowers, animals). Children tick or place stickers when they see those items. Mostly pictures, minimal writing. Focus on talking about what they see.
Reception (4-5)	Basic tick sheet: Pictures of features divided into 2 columns (Physical / Human). Children tick or colour circles. Some label writing for able children (word bank with simple words: tree, church, gate, path).
Year 1 & 2	Detailed tick sheets: List of features with small pictures, divided into Human / Physical. Children tick or write words where appropriate. Extra space to write a simple sentence about one feature they noticed.

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Details / Notes
1:00-1:10	Welcome & Settling	Register, brief intro to the lesson
1:10-1:25	‘Think, Pair, Share’ - What is around us?	Show printed images from “Is it physical or human?” sheet. Discuss and categorise features together on a big sheet or whiteboard.
1:25-1:30	Toileting, coat up, clipboards out	Prepare for walk
1:30-2:00	Local Walk to the Church	Stop regularly (3-4 times) to use question prompts and tick sheets. Teacher/TA/parent support different groups.
2:00-2:15	Return to classroom, snack and water break	Quiet time to refresh before reflection
2:15-2:40	Reflection & Discussion	Complete worksheet/reflection task
2:40-2:45	Extension / Early Finishers Activity	Extra writing/drawing or geography game

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Detailed Walk Plan and Question Prompts

Walk Route: School → Up two lanes → Across meadow → Church → Return

(Approx. 30 mins)

At each stop, use guiding questions:

• What can you see around us here?
• Which things here do you think were made by people (human features)?
• Which things are natural (physical features)?
• Can you spot a building? What shape is it? What material is it made from?
• Do you hear any birds, animals, or water?
• Is there a road or path? What is it made of?
• What kinds of plants do you see?
• Is the land flat, hilly or does it have other features?
• What can you see that might be special or different here, compared to the school?

Encourage children to point or mark on their sheets and use sight/sounds.

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Opening ‘Think, Pair, Share’ Activity (15 minutes)

• Show children a variety of images from the “Is it physical or human?” visual aid.
• Explain the difference between human and physical features in simple language (e.g., “Some things in your world were made by people like buildings and roads. Some things come from nature like trees and hills.”)
• Think: Children think quietly about their local environment — something they know nearby
• Pair: Discuss with partner examples of things they have seen around school or outside
• Share: Some pairs share with the whole class. Teacher lists examples under two columns (Human / Physical)

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Reflection & Extension Tasks (at school)

Reflection for EYFS

• Draw one thing you saw on the walk. Say if it was made by people or by nature. Tell your friend about it.
• Teacher/TA scribe if needed.

Reflection for KS1

• Complete the written part of the worksheet: Write or draw about one human and one physical feature they spotted.
• Answer a few oral questions:
  • Which feature did you like best? Why?
  • What would happen if the physical features changed (for example, if the meadow was paved over)?
  • Why do you think people built the church where it is?

Extension for Early Finishers (KS1)

• “My local map” drawing task: Using a blank sheet, draw a simple map with symbols showing the route to the church, marking key human and physical features seen on the walk.
• Encourage older children to label their maps using simple words or sentences.
• Alternatively, create a “I spy…” local features game where children create own clues for classmates.

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Behaviour and Safety Considerations

• Maintain 1 adult per 7-8 children ratio on the walk (Teacher with 8, TA and parent helper with 7 split).
• Ensure all children have appropriate footwear and clothing.
• Use buddy system for safety and responsibility.
• Teach children to stay on the path and be gentle with nature.
• Have first aid kit and emergency contacts ready.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment during walk via observation of student participation, interaction, and use of tick sheets.
• Check worksheets for evidence of understanding of human and physical features i.e., correct ticking, writing, or drawing.
• Use pupils’ verbal reflections to assess their grasp of local environment vocabulary and concepts.
• Feedback to children using praise aligned with success criteria (e.g., “Well done for spotting that the stone wall is a human feature!”).

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Additional Notes

• This lesson follows Rosenshine’s principles including:
  • Reviewing prior learning in the ‘Think, Pair, Share’ phase.
  • Scaffolding learning with visual aids and differentiated worksheets.
  • Checking for understanding with questions during the walk.
  • Providing opportunity for reflection to consolidate knowledge.
• The mixture of outdoor experiential learning combined with classroom reflection nurtures the ‘whole child’ approach valued by your school.

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Thank you for the opportunity to plan this engaging geography lesson. It will richly support your mixed-age, mixed-ability class in connecting curriculum knowledge to their immediate environment through active learning and observation!