This has been a very exciting week with a whole school focus on geography.  I thoroughly enjoyed my learning walk throughout school with Libby, our link geography governor.  We heard about what all the children have been doing this week.  You can find out more on the class blogs but here is an overview:

·Reception started their week with a focus on 'A Walk in London' by Salvatore Rubbine.  This is a story book but has lots of facts in it about landmarks in London.  They then went on their own walk of their locality in Exminster and looked at all the landmarks.  The children have been doing junk modelling of different landmarks in London and in Exminster, involved in clock activities and constructing the landmarks out of lego. Pop into Reception and have a look at their display.

·Year 1 were busy looking at places they had been to in the world, either visited or lived and placed them on a giant map.  They looked at ways of travelling to places around the world.  They particularly enjoyed their treasure hunt around the school, following clues which eventually led to a golden treasure box full of gold (chocolate) coins.  They have been making town scenes out of lego and junk modelling, taking a picture from above and seeing the 'bird's eye view'.  They have then been looking at maps and atlases.

·Year 2 have enjoyed orienteering and using compass directions.  They have designed their own maps of their journey from school to home. They have been using 'digimaps' to study maps.  They did a locality walk, plotted it on a map and looked at the difference between human and physical features.

·Year 3 have been doing compass work.  They have been thinking about the human impact that a typhoon would have and writing letters in role.  They have been doing direction problem solving activities and their home learning project this half term is to focus on their local area.

·Year 4 were given a budget and had to plan a 2-centre holiday using tools such as the train line and the national express.  They considered accommodation and transport and presented their findings clearly. Children visited locations such as London, Cardiff, Exmouth and Dawlish.

·Year 5 have been doing lots of map work, looking at how the coastline has changed over time.  They have also been researching the causes and effects of climate change.  They wrote an explanation text about erosion and the human and physical impact of it.

·Year 6 are looking at the big question of 'How do natural disasters impact on us?'  The children decided on the smaller questions that they needed to answer in order to address the big question.  The maths is related to natural disasters and data collection and analysis, their literacy is explanation texts and their ICT has been creating an erupting volcano on 'SCRATCH'.  Each group has a display area within the classroom and they are also creating individual flat books.

 As well as all of this, our assemblies have been on aspects of geography.  Children enjoyed a class link at the end of the day where they were able to show any 'geography/travel' related items and talk about them with a different age group. It's been an exciting and exhausting week!  Thanks to Mrs Nowell for the organisation of this and to all the staff and children for their enthusiasm and engagement.