The Grand Canyon

This Grand Canyon KS2 planning pack for Year 5 or Year 6 contains seven ready-to-teach Geography lessons that will teach your class everything they need to know about the world's most famous canyon. Your children will discover how the canyon was formed, the climate conditions and different environments in and around it, how the land is used for tourism and by American Indian tribes and much, much more!

With lots of colourful slides, worksheets and other printable activities, this complete scheme of work includes everything you need for children to learn about the physical and human geographical features of the Grand Canyon...and all without you having to spend hours on researching and planning!

A Knowledge Organiser is available to support the learning in this scheme. It is included in the Complete Series download or can be purchased individually.

A Great Natural Wonder

Where in the world is the Grand Canyon? What would it be like to go there? In this first lesson, children will find out all about the location of the Grand Canyon and some of its key features. The included slides contain a number of detailed photographs and maps for children to study, and there are worksheets and other printable resources for a choice of two different activities.

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How was it formed?

The detailed slides included with this lesson explain in simple terms how the Colorado Plateau was formed as well as how water and ice erosion have helped form the many valleys and creeks inside the canyon itself.

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The River Corridor

What's it like at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, in the gorge of the Colorado River? Find out all about the contrasting conditions between the inside of the canyon and its rims as well as learning about some of the plants and animals living in the riparian biome along the river corridor.

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Desert Scrub

Beyond the banks of the Colorado River, the conditions at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are dry, dusty and hot. Find out all about these conditions as well as the types of plants and animals that have adapted to survive in conditions such as the desert scrub biome at the bottom of the canyon.

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Tourism

Get your children thinking about how the varying conditions in and around the canyon allow for a range of different tourist activity. What are the benefits of tourism at the canyon? What are the problems with it? Explore these questions and more before going on to produce posters or booklets about Grand Canyon tourism.

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American Indians

Did you know that American Indians have been living in and around the Grand Canyon for more than 800 years? Find out all about how American Indian tribes used this land traditionally, as well as how they benefit from tourism today.

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What have we learned?

In this final lesson, children will get the chance to show just how much they have learned about the physical and human geography of the Grand Canyon through one of the two included evaluation activities.

View Lesson 7

This Year 5/6 Geography Knowledge Organiser has been created to complement our Geography Locational and Place Knowledge strand. It is designed to support your children’s understanding of key vocabulary linked to this scheme of work. Key questions and relevant geographical skills have been identified to encourage children to apply their knowledge around this topic.

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