Town Junior Whole School Topic Overview
Year 3
Year 4
Autumn
Focus: Geography
Topic: Extreme Survival
History: Research key explorers from history – Scott of the Antarctic
etc.
Geography: Use maps and atlases to locate continents and
countries around the world. Identify key geographical features e.g.
deserts, rainforests, polar regions etc. Study of people and place –
compare Bedouin and Aboriginal life with our own lives. How do they
adapt their way of life in order to survive? Compare Inuit and Dolgan
way of life to our own. Find out about environmental issues
threatening plants and wildlife in different regions.
Focus: Geography
Topic: The World’s Kitchen
Spring
Focus :History
Topic: Tomb Raiders
Summer
Focus: History
Topic: Meet the Flintstones!
History: Place the Ancient Egyptians on a timeline of world history. Find out
about the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians by looking at evidence found from the
pyramids, mummies, hieroglyphics etc What do Ancient Egyptian artefacts tell us
about the past?
History: Sequence events from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age on a timeline.
Understand the importance of Stone Age inventions. Understand how the
introduction of farming changed Stone Age life. Study life on Skara Brae.
Investigate life as a caveman.
History: Research changing food habits over the last 100 years in
Britain. Experience foods from different time periods.
History: Research Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54BC, Augustus, the
successful invasion by Claudius and the Roman Empire. Trace Britain’s role
within the Roman Empire. Use evidence to understand the decline and fall of the
Western Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.
Geography: Use maps to locate continents, countries and oceans.
Research food and farming around the world.
Geography: Use maps and atlases to locate Egypt on a map. Follow the route of
the Nile. Research agriculture and farming in Ancient Egypt.
Focus: History
Topic: Roman Rule
Geography: Use maps and atlases to locate where Romans travelled from and
where they settled.
Year 5
Focus: History
Topic: Mexico and The Mayans
History: Research the ancient civilization of the Mayans, including
lifestyle and key beliefs. Offer historical opinions as to why the
Mayans ‘disappeared’.
Year 6
Geography: Use map skills to locate cities and countries of the world
and identify lines of latitude and longitude. Compare geographical
features of Mexico and the UK including climate, size, land use etc.
Focus: Geography
Topic: Disaster
Focus: History
Topic: Invaders
History: To look at historical reasons for invasion. Find out historical facts about
the end of the Roman Empire and key historical events in the Anglo-Saxon
period. Research life in Saxon times.
Geography: Use atlases, pictures and the internet to establish routes taken by
the invaders and discuss the issues they faced showing an understanding of
causes and consequences of the end of the Roman occupation in Britain.
Focus: History
Topic: Yes Minister!
History: Research famous earthquakes/ volcanic eruptions from the
past.
History: Trace the origins of the parliamentary system. Find out about the
Gunpowder plot. Find out about the battle for the vote – suffragettes etc.
Geography: Identify fault lines and tectonic plates on a world map.
Identify the cause of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Research
the impact on people and places.
Geography: Use map skills to locate different forms of government across the
world. Look at the location of constituencies in the UK. Look at the political party
map from the general election – Why are some parties more popular in different
areas of the country?
Focus: Geography
Topic: Britain from the air
History: Find out how the Industrial Revolution changed the landscape of
Britain. Research and understand the contributions that people in the past
have made to the local area. Research key events in local history that have
shaped the local area e.g. bombing in war.
Geography: Use a range of maps and atlases to plot the geography of the
country and local area – recognizing OS symbols. Locate physical and human
features (including landmarks) on a map. Visit London, or a large town/city in
the locality to see key landmarks. Locate National Parks and find out how they
are managed, protected and maintained.
Focus: Geography
Topic: Wild Water
History: Investigate why settlers throughout history have chosen to live near
rivers. Investigate historical significance of certain rivers e.g. Nile.
Geography: Locate rivers around the world and in the UK – naming
cities/counties, countries, continents where they are found. Look at the
physical features of rivers linked to the water cycle. Conduct fieldwork in the
local environment. Study of people and place – why do people live near rivers.
Focus: Geography
Topic: Greece Lightning
History: Plot timeline of Ancient
Greek civilization. Use artefacts e.g.
Greek pottery to find out about life in
the era. Research everyday life in
Ancient Greece using a variety of
sources. Find out about the Ancient
Greek Olympics.
Geography: Locate Greece on a
map of Europe. Identify key
geographical features of Greece –
locate mountains, Islands,
neighbouring countries and seas.
Focus: History
Topic: Rule Britannia
History: Children to find out what
historical artefacts tell us about the
way Vikings lived.
Children to research significant
figures and events in this period.
Children to research and evaluate
what it was like to live in Viking times.
(Settlement, food, law and order,
Danegeld tax, costume).
Geography:
Children to research where the
Vikings came from and reasons for
leaving home.
Children to identify the invasions and
settlements of Vikings in England.
Throughout the year we will have an additional 2 Topic Days which can be based on any of the topics which have been left out or preferably a local history
study.