Humanities
Find out how we teach Humanities at Alexandra Primary
History and Geography Curriculum overview 2021-2022
Overview
At Alexandra Primary School, our Humanities curriculum is extremely varied, taking us from the Stone Age, to the Mayans, to the Battle of Britain and beyond. In History, we use many artefacts ranging from photographs and pictures to coal mining helmets and statues of famous monarchs. These resources enable us to bring each topic to life; acting as a stimulus for questioning and curiosity. In Geography, we use maps, compasses and atlases to begin to understand our place in the world. Human Geography teaches us the effect that our species has had on the world we live in and how human behaviour has changed the natural landscape. Physical Geography helps us to understand natural phenomena, such as volcanoes and earthquakes. Environmental Geography enables us to explain the impact that human activity is having on planet Earth and the ways in which we can preserve our planet.
We study our local environment in both History and Geography to help us to connect with where we live and consider how it has changed over time.
We teach each lesson by focusing on specific skills which have been taken directly from the National Curriculum.
In humanities, we use workshops to help bring our topics to life. Our children are able to discover what it is like to come from a different part of the Earth’s history. They use props to understand the differences between how we live today and how people have acted throughout the past.
Projects
We regularly participate in whole school projects which promote the commemoration of key events in the past. An example of this is the We Are Londoners project that helped to kick off the new school year. We studied many different communities that have settled in London, understanding the huge contributions that have made our city the cultural hub that it is today.
Homework
Each half term, the children in classes from year 1 to year 6 receive holiday homework relating to the topic that they will be exploring in the following half term. Since launching Humanities homework last year, we have been blown away by some of the incredible projects that have been brought into school. An example of a Humanities takeaway homework sheet is shown below.
