Skills and concepts development for infant classes

The geographical skills and concepts below will be developed as work is completed on the strands and strand units of the curriculum.

A sense of place and space

Through completing the strand units of the geography curriculum the child should be enabled to

A sense of place

• become aware of, explore and discuss some of the distinctive human and natural features of the locality
  myself and my family, my friends
  members of the school community
  people who live and work in the local community
  his/her space, room, home, area around home
  homes of relatives and friends
  classroom, school and play spaces
• develop some awareness of people and places in other areas

A sense of space

• refer to or use simple locational terms
  beside, near, far away, next door, on my road, on my landing or floor, upstairs, downstairs
• discuss and record in simple ways journeys to and from places in the immediate environment
  home, play spaces, school and classroom, shops, other locations
• refer to or use simple directions within home, classroom and school settings
  give directions to another room in the school.

Maps, globes and graphical skills

Through completing the strand units of the geography curriculum the child should be enabled to

Picturing places

• refer to or use simple drawings of areas
  home and immediate surroundings
  classroom, school and playground
  other places and imagined areas
• make model buildings with bricks, Lego and other play materials
• become aware of globes as models of the Earth.

Geographical investigation skills

Questioning

• ask questions about natural and human features in the immediate environment
  Who lives in this place?
  What will happen if I bring snow inside?

Observing

• observe, compare and discuss natural and human features in the local environment
  work and work-places of people who help us
  what happens when it rains

Predicting

• guess and suggest what will happen next in a situation
  suggest whether the pebbles will float or sink in water

Investigating and experimenting

• carry out simple investigations set by the teacher, make observations and collect data

Estimating and measuring

• estimate and compare distances in an informal way
  the journey from home to school is longer than the journey from home to the park

Analysing

• sort and group objects according to observable features
  rocks, pebbles, mud in soil sample

Recording and communicating

• describe and discuss his/her observations orally using an expanding vocabulary
• represent findings pictorially and in other media
  pictures, weather charts, using information and communication technologies.

Strand: Human environments

Strand unit: Living in the local community

The child should be enabled to

My family and community

• explore and discuss his/her membership of the family, school and local community
• identify and discuss the roles of people who serve the local community
  postal worker, garda, shop worker, doctor, nurse, refuse worker, road worker, lorry driver, bus driver, teacher

Homes

• recognise that people live in homes
• describe areas within the home
• associate activities with areas within the home and outside the home
• acquire some awareness of different types of homes in the locality
  flat, cottage, house, caravan, trailer
• make simple drawings of home, immediate surroundings and journeys to and from home
• begin to appreciate the need for shelter for a family

School

• become aware of, discuss and appreciate the people in the school community
  classmates, other pupils, teachers, caretaker, secretary
• describe areas within the school
• associate activities with areas within the school and outside the school
• make simple drawings of school, immediate surroundings and journeys to and from school

People at work

• discuss the work of people in the home, at school, in the local community, in towns or countryside nearby and in wider environments
• become aware of some buildings and places where people work, especially those in the locality
  home, school and immediate environs
  shops, farms, offices, parks

People at play

• become aware of and discuss play spaces
  at home
  at school
  in the locality
  in other places
• suggest ways in which these places may be kept clean and safe
• make simple drawings of these places, immediate surroundings and journeys to and from these places.
  

Integration
SPHE: Myself and others; Myself and the wider world
Science: Materials; Designing and making
History:Story

Strand unit: People and places in other areas

The child should be enabled to

• develop some awareness of people living in other areas
  people encountered in stories, pictures, on television
• acquire some awareness of different types of homes in places outside the locality
• become aware of some links between the school or local community and people in other places
  relatives and friends living in other places
  food grown by farmers in other parts of Ireland
  places and people I visit on holiday.
  

Integration
SPHE: Myself and others; Myself and the wider world
History: Story

Strand: Natural environments

Strand unit: The local natural environment

The child should be enabled to

• become aware of, explore and discuss some aspects of natural environments in the immediate locality of the school
  hill, seashore, hedgerow, forest, bog, waste ground
• observe, discuss and investigate water in the local environment
  rainfall, puddles and streams
  water, sand and stones in streams, ponds,
  lakes or at the seashore
• observe, collect and investigate a variety of natural materials in the local environment
  mud, sand, pebbles, stones and rocks
  group these materials according to a number of criteria (e.g. colour, texture, hardness)
• record and communicate experiences and observations using oral language and pictures.

Integration
Science: Living things; Materials

Strand unit: Weather

The child should be enabled to

• observe and discuss a variety of weather conditions using simple vocabulary
  rainy days, sunny days, foggy days
• record weather observations using a weather chart or diary
• become aware of some of the effects of different weather conditions on human, animal and plant life in the local environment
• discuss the suitability of different kinds of clothes for different weather conditions
• recognise that some weather patterns are associated with seasonal change and distinguish between summer and winter.

Integration
Science: Living things -- Processes of life; Energy and forces -- Heat

Strand unit: Planet Earth in space

The child should be enabled to

• identify and discuss the sun, the moon and stars
• recognise the difference between day and night.

Strand: Environmental awareness and care

Strand unit: Caring for my locality

The child should be enabled to

• observe, discuss and appreciate the attributes of the local environment
  beauty and diversity of plants and animals in a variety of habitats
  attractive elements of natural and human environments
• appreciate that people share the environment with plant and animal life
• develop a sense of responsibility for taking care of and enhancing the environment
• identify, discuss and implement simple strategies for improving and caring for the environment
  things I can do
  caring for clothes, toys and other possessions
  keeping home and surroundings clean and tidy
  caring for living and non-living things in the locality
  things we can do together
  keeping classroom, school and play spaces clean, tidy and safe
  disposing of litter appropriately
  collecting paper, cans and other materials for recycling
  caring for living and non-living things in the locality.

Linkage
Many of the objectives of this strand will be achieved as children complete work in other strands of the geography curriculum.
Integration
Environmental awareness and care is a cross-curricular strand common to the geography and science curricula.
SPHE: Myself and the wider world
PE: Outdoor and adventure activities