Skills and concepts development for third and fourth 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

• explore and become familiar with some of the distinctive human and natural features of the locality and county
  peoples and communities living and working in the area
  major natural features
  settlement: homes, other buildings, open spaces
  economic and leisure activities, work-places
  transport and other links between these features
• develop some awareness of the distinctive human and natural features of some places in Ireland and other parts of the world

A sense of space

• develop an understanding of the relative location and size of major natural and human features
  the major features of the locality and county
  a few major features in other parts of Ireland
• develop some awareness of the names and relative location of some European countries
• establish and use cardinal compass points in the locality
• use maps to record routes and directions in the locality.

Maps, globes and geographical skills

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

Using pictures, maps and globe

• develop some familiarity with, and engage in practical use of, maps and photographs of different scales and purposes
  plans of a room or building
  maps from models and toy houses
  maps and aerial photographs of familiar areas
  maps of locality, Ireland, Europe and the world
  maps from CD-ROM and other electronic sources
• develop an understanding of and use some common map features and conventions
  a sense of aerial perspective
  symbols (e.g. for objects and walls, for land and water)
  key, index and simple grid-style reference
  align (or set) a map of a limited area
• make simple maps of home, classroom, school and immediate environment
• identify major geographical features and find places on the globe.

Geographical investigation skills

Through completing the strand units of the geography curriculum the child should beenabled to

Questioning

• ask questions about natural and human features and processes in the environment and their interrelationships
  What makes this place different from other places?
  How does the farmer use this land?

Observing

• observe, discuss and describe natural and human features and processes in the environment and their interrelationships
  shapes and sizes of natural features
  colours and textures of buildings and streetscapes

Predicting

• offer suggestions (hypotheses) based on observations about the likely results of an investigation

Investigating and experimenting

• carry out simple investigations and collect information from a variety of sources
  observations and experiments in the environment and classroom photographs, books, maps, electronic and other media

Estimating and measuring

• use appropriate simple instruments and equipment to collect data
  improvised rain gauge, trundle wheel, compass
• use appropriate standard units of measurement

Analysing

• sort, group and/or classify data on people, features, events and natural phenomena using a range of appropriate criteria
  types of plants in an environment
  types of shops or buildings in an urban area
• look for and recognise patterns and relationships in the environment
  seasonal patterns in weather observations
  best places for growing plants in a garden
  water and land masses on maps
• interpret information and offer explanations
• draw conclusions from suitable aspects of the evidence collected

Recording and communicating

• record and present findings and conclusions using a variety of methods including oral, written, pictorial, photographic, diagrammatic and graphical forms and using information and communication technologies.

Strand: Human environments

Strand units: People living and working in the local area and People living and working in a contrasting part of Ireland

The child should be enabled to

People and communities

• learn about and come to appreciate and respect the people and communities who live and work in the locality and in a contrasting part of Ireland
  members of the school and local community
  how people help each other and depend on one another
  the various people and groups in the community
  local clubs and other organisations links with people in other parts of Ireland and the world

Natural environmental features and people

• become aware of the natural features in the locality and in a contrasting part of Ireland and their relationship to the lives of people living in these places
  prominent natursl features (e.g. river, hill, sea) flora and fauna
  interrelationships of natural features and the lives of people
  place-names and their origins in natural features

Settlement: homes and other buildings

• explore, investigate and come to appreciate the major features of the built environment in the locality and in a contrasting part of Ireland
  his/her home, its location and surroundings
  the variety of homes in the area (e.g. houses, farmhouses, cottages, flats, caravans, mobile homes, trailers)
  homelessness
  other buildings and human features, their
  location and uses (e.g. shops, offices, other work-places, farmhouses, farmyards and fields)
  instances of conservation and change materials used to construct homes and other buildings
  colours, patterns and textures in buildings, streetscapes, and path, road and street surfaces
  services to homes and other buildings (e.g. water supply, sewerage, heating system, electricity, cable television, telephone service)
  simple plans, maps and models (e.g. interior and surrounding areas of homes and other buildings)

Linkage
Natural environments -- The local natural environment
Environmental awareness and care
Integration
SPHE: Myself and the wider world
History: Local studies
Science: Living things -- Plants and animals

Linkage
Environmental awareness and care:Environmental awareness
Integration
History: Local studies
Science: Materials; Designing and making
Visual arts: work on colour, patterns and textures in the environment will complement work in visual arts.

People at work

• explore and investigate, especially through practical studies, a small number of the common economic activities of people in the locality and in a contrasting part of Ireland
  Food and farming, fishing, forestry environment and work of primary producers, products, markets
  Industry
  work of factory, work force, raw materials and products, markets, need for transport and communications
  Services
  services available in the locality (e.g. shops, health care, water, sewerage, power supply)
  work of people involved in the supply of
  services
  Tourism, leisure and recreation
  local attractions and facilities (including people, places and landscapes)
  work of people involved
  caring for and enhancing local attractions
  and facilities
  General themes
  importance of the employment created
  effect of environmental factors on these activities (e.g. on work of farmers, on location of tourist facilities)
  effects of these activities on the environment (e.g. traffic on roads, noise, need for new buildings)
  interdependence of people in locality, Ireland and other countries

Transport and communications

• become aware of forms of transport and transport routes in the locality and in a contrasting part of Ireland
• become familiar with the communication methods available
• investigate work of people involved in transport and communications.

Linkage
Environmental awareness and care: Environmental awareness
Integration
History: Local studies
Science: Materials; Designing and making

Strand units: People and other lands

The child should be enabled to

• study some aspects of the environments and lives of people in one location in Europe and one location in another part of the world
  location of these areas
  peoples and communities that live there
  language(s)
  myths and stories, art and culture
  clothes
  play and pastimes
  features of the natural environment
  interrelationships of the lives of people and
  these features
  settlements: homes and other buildings
  common building materials and features
  foods and farming
  work and work-places
  similarities to and contrasts with Ireland
• develop an awareness of the interdependence of these people and people in Ireland
• begin to develop a sense of belonging to local, county, national, European and global communities.

Integration
History: Story; Early people and ancient societies
Science: Designing and making

Strand units: County, regional and national centres

The child should be enabled to

• become familiar with the location and names of urban areas in the county, some of their important buildings, factories and other features
• develop some knowledge of the relative location of the county and neighbouring counties
• become familiar with the location and names of a few of the larger towns and cities in the region and in Ireland.

Strand: Natural environments

Strand units: The local natural environment

The child should be enabled to

• investigate and become familiar with some natural features in the local environment
  aspects such as
  names, locations relative to other features shape and appearance, flora and fauna
  of features such as
  stream, river, hill, valley, mountain, lowland, beach, bay, headland
• estimate distances and establish cardinal directions during the exploration of these features
• observe and explore ways in which these features have affected the lives of plants, animals and humans
  influence of hill, bog or stream on transport, roads and bridges, towns and cities
  the stream, mountain, beach etc. as a habitat for plants and animals
• investigate the ways in which these features have been used by humans and the changes which have occurred as a result
  beach and bay used for leisure and recreation supply, treatment and distribution of water from rivers and lakes to homes in the area.

Linkage
People living and working in the local area -- Natural environmental features and people
Integration
Science: Living things; Materials

Strand units: Land, rivers and seas of my county

The child should be enabled to

• become familiar with the names and locations of some major natural features in the county
  mountains, lowlands, bogs, rivers, lakes, bays, estuaries, headlands and islands
• develop some familiarity with the relationship of these features with each other and with elements of the built environment such as roads, bridges, towns and cities
  sources of rivers in mountains or lakes roads, railways and bridges over rivers towns built near bays or rivers, mines in mountains.

Strand units: Rocks and soils

The child should be enabled to

• observe, collect and examine different soil samples in the immediate and other environments
• sort and group constituent materials in samples
  rocks, pebbles, sand, plant material
• compare and contrast materials, focusing on certain criteria
  colour, texture, use, strength, hardness, size and weight
• begin to explore influence of soils and rocks on animal and plant life
  physical conditions, soil, water and food supply influencing range of plants and animals.

Integration
Science: Materials

Strand units: Weather, climate and atmosphere

The child should be enabled to

Weather observations

• use simple equipment to observe and record weather phenomena
  simple cloud types, temperature, rainfall, wind direction
  examine satellite photographs on newspaper, television or internet
• record and display simple weather observations in systematic way using graphs, charts and common meteorological symbols
• use analysis of weather recordings to begin to associate simple descriptions of clouds, amount of cloud cover, wind direction and other conditions with particular types of weather; make and test weather predictions
• compare temperatures indoors and outdoors, in shade and sunlight, on different sides of the same building, and explore reasons for differences

Weather and climate

• study weather variations during the year and their influence on plants, animals and humans
• begin to appreciate the importance of solar energy for the Earth
• develop some awareness of weather and climate patterns and their relationship with plant, animal and human life in some environments in other parts of the world
• collect and record weather lore from the locality.
  

Integration
Science: Energy and forces -- Heat

Strand units: Planet Earth in space

The child should be enabled to

• observe, describe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and the changing lengths of day and night during the seasons
• investigate shadows, directions and sunlight
• understand the importance of sunlight for plants and animals
• begin to understand the influence of the sun on weather and atmospheric conditions
• become aware of the dangers of sunlight for skin and eyesight.

Strand: Environmental awareness and care

Strand units: Environmental awareness

The child should be enabled to

• identify, discuss and record aspects of local natural and human environments which are considered attractive or unattractive
  colours, textures and shapes in rural or urban areas
  range of materials
  beauty of plant and animal life
  buildings, walls and other features
  places which people enjoy or do not like
  reasons for these preferences
• identify the interrelationships of living and non-living elements of local and other environments
  plants, animals, water, air and soil in habitats
• develop some awareness of the types of environment which exist in Ireland and other parts of the world
  mountains, boglands, seas, desert, forest, grassland, ice landscape, tundra
• become aware of the Earth's renewable and non-renewable resources
• recognise how the actions of people may have an impact on environments
  planting or felling trees, removing hedgerows, draining marshes, overgrazing of mountains, new buildings, roads, fields, dumps, bridges
• recognise and investigate human activities which may have positive or adverse effects on local and wider environments
  activities which produce biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste (e.g. food waste in contrast to some plastic packaging)
  activities which affect the quality of air or water
  activities which affect flora and fauna
  role of recycling
• come to appreciate the need to conserve the Earth's resources.
  

Linkage
Many of the objectives of these units 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.
Visual arts: an awareness of colour and textures in the environment will complement work in visual arts.
PE: Outdoor and adventure activities

Strand units: Caring for the environment

The child should be enabled to

• examine a number of ways in which local and other environments could be improved or enhanced
• identify and discuss a local, national or global environmental issue
  an issue such as
  litter in an area
  an incident of pollution
  need for safe cycleways near school
  changes in flora or fauna
  need to protect a habitat and its flora and
  fauna
  need to conserve a natural or human
  environment
  need for new roads or buildings
  investigate the causes of the issue
  appreciate the role and views of people
  involved
  suggest and discuss possible actions or
  solutions and the effect of these on people
  and environment
  participate in the resolution of the issue if
  possible
  help in an anti-litter campaign
  collect items for recycling
  help to design the route of a cycleway
  write letters about the issue or problem
  design posters
• realise that there is a personal and community responsibility for taking care of and conserving environments.
  

Linkage
Many of the objectives of this unit may 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 -- Developing citizenship
Visual arts: an awareness of colour and textures in the environment will complement work in visual arts.