Geography in the News

Geography In The News – A Key Stage 2 Homework Project

Dear Parents / Guardians,

This term, Years 3 – 6 have been set an ongoing homework project so as to highlight their position as global citizens and to help them develop their research skills. Pupils will be encouraged to bring into school (and share with their class) information that they have found concerning Geography in the News. The aim of this work is to bring to the fore the fact that we live in and are part of a wider world.

Information that the pupils may like to focus on could include:

Natural Disasters - earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions….

Environmental Geography - deforestation, green energy - wind farms etc, global warming, endangered wildlife, oils spills, recycling….

Social Geography - new governments, famine, religious festivals, cultural festivals & events, war & peace….

Sporting Geography - athletics, football, cricket, horse riding, surfing….

As I am sure you can appreciate, the list is endless! Pupils can focus on news that interests them, whether it is from the UK or further afield. The information can be gathered from a range of sources, newspapers, notes made from television news reports, the internet, photo’s etc and presented in a manner of the pupils’ choice - posters, news report, fact file, booklets etc.

It is important that the pupils can talk about the information they have bought into school so that their work can be shared with the rest of the class. Once pupils have shared their work with their class it will be put up as a display in their class on the ‘Geography in the News’ board. Pupils will be encouraged to bring in work on a regular basis with rewards will be given for those who do so.

This work will be an on-going project throughout the term and will run along side the weekly homework set by individual class teachers. Pupils will therefore not be expected to submit Geography in the News work on a weekly basis (unless of course they want to), but they will be expected to make regular contributions to the display board in their particular class.

It is hoped that this homework project will allow parents and pupils to share and discuss what’s going on out there in the big wide world!

Useful Sources of Information

- BBC Newsround

- BBC Blue Peter

- Daily Newspapers

- Daily News Bulletins

- Nature Detectives - www.naturedetectives.org.uk

- Young Peoples Trust For The Environment - www.ypte.org.uk

- BBC website – www.bbc.co.uk / www.bbc.co.uk/nature

- The Environment Agency - www.environment-agency.gov.uk

- Oxfam - www.oxfam.org.uk

- Christian Aid - www.christianaid.org.uk