Help your class understand where the seven continents of the world are and how their proximity to the equator or the poles affects their climate with this Geography scheme of work for Year 1 and Year 2. Your class will visit different countries and explore their climate and land features. They will undertake a variety of fun activities to help them learn more about each one.

With lesson plans, slides, activity ideas, differentiated activities, picture cards, information sheets and much more, these 'My World and Me' lessons are the perfect way to introduce your class to hot and cold areas of the world and teach them how to navigate around a world map. You'll have a collection of knowledgeable explorers in no time!

Where do I live?

The first lesson in this six lesson geography scheme of work focuses on locating the UK, the equator and the poles on a world map and a globe. Your class will begin to think about the temperature of different places in the world, deciding where they would expect to find hot or cold countries. During the activity section of the lesson your class will name and locate the continents, oceans, poles and equator on a world map. Alternatively, they will read clues about animals including the climate they live in and match the clues to the pictures.

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How is Ecuador different to the UK?

In this lesson, your class will compare the land features and climate of Ecuador to the UK. They will begin by locating the two countries on a world map and naming the continents they are in. After they have been introduced to a variety of land features found in the two counties, they will be encouraged to use the KS1 geographical vocabulary to identify these features in photos of the area. The lesson ends with the children thinking about what it would be like living near a volcano.

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Quito the Capital

Your class will look in detail at the similarities and differences between the capital city of Ecuador and the capital city of the UK. They will explore the land and climate of the two cities and consider what life is like for people living in the cities. They will use fact sheets to find out about and compare the schools, jobs and food in Quito and London. For the plenary of this lesson, your class will think about the seasons experienced in London and in Quito.

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Weather and Animals

During this lesson, your class will find out which animals live in hot climates and which live in cold climates. They will then think about their habitats in terms of their proximity to the equator or the poles. Your class will be encouraged to think about why different animals can survive in the climate they live in. The lesson concludes with a selection of ‘spot the animal in the wrong climate’ picture activities.

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Exploring Aerial Photos

This lesson focuses on the National Curriculum objectives of using aerial photos and recognising landmarks. Your class will look at aerial photos of London, Dubrovnik, Yangshou, New York and Rio. They will try to spot physical features like rivers and human features like bridges in the photos. The main activity challenges the children to spot and name the features independently. Alternatively, your class can compare an aerial picture of their school to a school in Poland.

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Mapping Routes

Your class will develop their map skills in the final lesson of this scheme of work. They will explore different types of maps and the need for a clear key, before navigating an example map on the slides. During the activity section of the lesson, your class can either create maps of their own journeys to school or they can make maps from route cards.

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