I've worked in primary teaching for over 10 years and specialise in creating fun and engaging educational resources, particularly for Geography and History.
I've worked in primary teaching for over 10 years and specialise in creating fun and engaging educational resources, particularly for Geography and History.
This lesson is part of Tropical Rainforests, a Geography unit designed for students in KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson. All resources are compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
The presentation introduces students to tropical rainforests, including some of the flora and fauna that live in them. Students then learn about the Earth’s tropical belt and the location of the various rainforests within it.
The activity challenges students to label features of a world map including the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Students then locate 8 of the world’s tropical rainforests.
Easier - Students use a prompt map and have activity clues.
Harder - Students use a prompt map but have no activity clues.
Extension - Students fill in the missing words in a paragraph about tropical rainforests.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation first explains the difference between human and physical geographical features. It then challenges students to identify a range of seaside features (e.g. cliffs, lighthouse, river mouth) and classify them as human or physical.
In the activity, students identify a range of seaside features and classify them as human or physical.
Easier - Students classify seaside features as human or physical.
Medium - Students label seaside features (with initial letter clues) and classify them as human or physical.
Harder - Students label seaside features (no clues) and classify them as human or physical.
Extension - Students unscramble sentences about the seaside.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This fun jigsaw activity is a great geography resource for reinforcing children’s knowledge of the world.
It is also available as part of the Our World topic, an introduction to the geography of Planet Earth for KS1 and lower KS2
The presentation introduces students to a map of the world and highlights physical features including the continents, oceans, rivers and mountain ranges.
The jigsaw puzzle activity is differentiated six ways. The age brackets below are a rough guide:
6 pieces – EYFS
12 pieces – EYFS/Y1
24 pieces – Y1/2/3
36 pieces – Y2/3/4
48 pieces – Y3/4/5
60 pieces – Y4/5/6
A guide map is included for students in Early Years and KS1. Challenge more able KS2 students to complete the puzzle without the guide map.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation takes students on a tour of eight seaside towns and cities around the United Kingdom including: Ayr and St Andrews in Scotland; Aberystwyth in Wales; Blackpool and Newquay in England.
The activity then challenges students to use their map skills to locate these towns and cities on a map of the UK. This can be done using an atlas or the prompt maps included.
Easier - Students label 8 seaside towns and cities using a prompt map.
Medium - Students label 12 seaside towns and cities using a prompt map.
Harder - Students label 12 seaside towns and cities using an atlas.
Extension - Students locate and label 2 further seaside towns and cities from each country of the UK.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation takes students on a tour of the seaside town of Lyme Regis, home of the famous 19th century paleontologist, Mary Anning.
On the way, students find out about a variety of tourist attractions and other features including the harbour, the Marine Aquarium and the Lyme Regis Museum.
The activity then challenges students to use their map skills to locate these features on a map of the town.
Easier - Students identify each feature of Lyme Regis by writing a number.
Harder - Students identify each feature of Lyme Regis by writing a name.
Extension - Students locate and circle other features of Lyme Regis using the map key.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Understanding Latitude and Longitude, a unit designed for students in upper KS2 and KS3. It can also be taught as a stand-alone lesson.
This lesson is specifically devised to help students read latitude and longitude with greater accuracy. Initially it scaffolds the learning of this skill with the use of guidelines, then encourages students to have a go without any aids.
The activity is differentiated two ways and includes an extension:
Easier – Students find the latitude and longitude of 12 points on a world map with guidelines.
Harder – Students find the latitude and longitude of 18 points on a world map with guidelines.
Extension – Students have a go at finding the coordinates of 12 points without guidelines.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Our World, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2 (Y1-3), but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
This Geography lesson is a fun introduction to satellite photos. The presentation first helps students understand what satellite photos are. It then challenges them to investigate satellite photos of a variety of world famous human and natural landmarks (e.g. Eiffel Tower, Victoria Falls).
It is accompanied by two activities:
Speaking and Listening Activity
In mixed pairs or trios, students match the photos of 16 world famous landmarks to their satellite photos, explaining their reasoning as they do so.
Writing Activity
Students investigate satellite photos and write sentences explaining which landmark they think each one is. E.g. “I think this photo is Stonehenge because I can see a circle of huge stones surrounded by grass.”
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation introduces students to islands, including these basic points:
Islands can be found in rivers, lakes or seas/oceans.
Islands can be found in hot and cold parts of the world.
Islands can vary in size from very small to very large (e.g. the British Isles).
The activity then challenges students to use their map skills to locate islands of the United Kingdom. This can be done using an atlas or the prompt maps included.
Easier - Students use the map prompt to identify 12 islands of the UK (using labels).
Medium - Students use the map prompt to identify islands of the UK (writing in the names).
Harder - Students use an atlas to identify 12 islands of the UK (writing in the names).
Extension - Students complete a cloze-procedure paragraph about islands.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
This lesson has a PSHE/writing focus and complements the other Geography skills based lessons in this unit.
The presentation asks students to think about what they would take on a seaside holiday. Students are particularly encouraged to think about items linked to sun safety (e.g. sun cream, sun hat).
The activity then challenges students to draw or stick the items they would take in their suitcase on a seaside holiday:
Easier - Students have three designated items to write sentences about.
Harder - Students choose three of their own items to write sentences about.
Extension - Students can label the items they have drawn/stuck in their suitcase.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation introduces students to the seaside topic and then challenges them to identify features of the seaside (e.g. sandcastle, lifeguard) from partial picture clues.
In the activity, students identify and label seaside features:
Easier – Students label photos of seaside features (with initial letter clues).
Harder – Students label photos of seaside features (no clues)
Extension:
Easier – Students label seaside features in photos of Brighton Beach and a beach on the Isle of Harris.
Harder - Students write sentences about seaside features in photos of Brighton Beach and a beach on the Isle of Harris.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Our World, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2 (Y1-3), but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
It aims to help younger students understand where they live. It looks at where Earth is in the solar system and then which continent, country and place they call home.
In the activity students write sentences about where they live. There are two differentiated worksheets:
Easier – Students fill in cloze procedure sentences to describe where they live.
Harder – Students write full sentences to describe where they live.
Extension – Students sort the names of countries, continents and planets into the correct categories.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of The Seaside, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation introduces students to the Isles of Scilly, which lie off the south-west coast of the UK. Students then get to find out what it’s like to live on an island with Zoe and Isaac, two children who live on Bryher.
The activity then challenges students to think about the differences between life on the Isles of Scilly and life on the mainland.
Easier - Students sort 8 statements describing life on the Isles of Scilly and life on the mainland.
Harder - Students sort 14 statements describing life on the Isles of Scilly and life on the mainland.
Extension - Can students think of their own statements to write in each column?
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Our World, a Geography unit designed for students in KS1 and lower KS2 (Y1-3), but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson.
The presentation first helps students understand the concepts of ‘human’ and ‘natural’. It then takes them on a journey around the world and challenges them to identify human and natural features of our planet (e.g. mountains, airports).
There are two associated activities:
Group activity:
Students match pictures of features of the world to their names and sort them into human and natural categories.
Individual activity:
Children identify photos of features of the world.
Easier – Students identify features of the world (no writing).
Harder – Students identify features of the world (writing).
Extension – Students label each feature as human (H) or natural (N).
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Tropical Rainforests, a Geography unit designed for students in KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson. All resources are compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
First, the presentation introduces students to deforestation and then looks at the reasons the Amazon rainforest is being cut down (i.e. logging, farming and house building). Students are then encouraged to think about the positive and negative impacts of deforestation.
In the activity, students arrange these impacts of deforestation into a diamond 9, ranking them in terms of importance.
Easier - Students complete the diamond 9 and explain their reasoning for the most important statement they chose.
Harder - Students complete the diamond 9 and explain their reasoning for the most and least important statements they chose.
Extension - Students match topic words to their meanings.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This resource is part of Tropical Rainforests, a Geography unit designed for students in KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson. All resources are compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
This lesson is a great introduction to the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. First, the presentation introduces students to the Amazon and its incredibly biodiverse flora and fauna. It then goes on to look at the geography of the Amazon in more detail, specifically its location within the continent of South America.
The activity challenges students to identify a range of human and physical geographical features within South America, including the nine countries in which the Amazon rainforest is located.
In follow up extension activities, students identify the capitals of those countries and then complete a cloze-procedure paragraph about the Amazon.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Tropical Rainforests, a Geography unit designed for students in KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson. All resources are compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
First, the presentation introduces students to the different layers of the rainforest and some of the animals that live in each layer.
Students then complete a range of activities:
Activity 1:
In pairs, students match the layers of a tropical rainforest to descriptions.
Easier - Students have multicoloured descriptions. They match each layer to one green, blue and purple description.
Harder - Students have plain black descriptions. They match each layer to three other descriptions.
Activity 2:
Students identify and label the four layers of a tropical rainforest.
Easier - Students write one word for each layer.
Harder - Students write two words for each layer.
Extension:
Students cut out pictures of tropical rainforest animals and stick them in the layer in which they live.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
This lesson is part of Tropical Rainforests, a Geography unit designed for students in KS2, but can also be taught as a stand alone lesson. All resources are compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
First, the presentation introduces students to some of the animals which live in tropical rainforests around the world. Many of these are endangered species so the concepts of extinction and conservation are also covered.
Group Activity:
The group activity then challenges students to match photos of rainforest animals to their names and fact files.
Finally, students learn about a conservation success story - the mountain gorillas of the Congo River Rainforest.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
London Zoo is a cross-curricula unit suitable for KS1 and lower KS2 (Y2-4).
It is a fun way to learn about one of the world’s most famous zoos.
The planning overview and topic title page can be downloaded for free here. Lessons include:
L1 – Writing a fact file about London Zoo
L2 – Taking a tour of London Zoo
L3 – Using compass directions at London Zoo
L4 – Using grid references at London Zoo
L5 – Matching animals to their habitat
L6 – The history of London Zoo
Each lesson includes a presentation and differentiated activities/worksheets.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
Great Missenden – A Village Settlement is a Geography unit suitable for upper KS2 (Y4-6).
Located in the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire, the village of Great Missenden was once home to famous children’s author Roald Dahl. It is a great case study for helping students understand the similarities and differences between urban and rural settlements.
The planning overview and topic title page can be downloaded for free here. Lessons include:
L1 – Locating Great Missenden in the UK
L2 – Investigating satellite photos of Great Missenden
L3 – Locating features of Great Missenden using grid references
L4 – Identifying the features of settlements
L5 – Surveying Great Missenden High Street using Google Street View
L6 – Interpreting a high street survey of Great Missenden
Each lesson includes a presentation and differentiated activities/worksheets.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.
Exploring St Lucia is a Geography unit designed for students in KS2.
As a tropical island in the Caribbean, St Lucia is great for teaching about a contrasting non-European country.
The planning overview, topic title page and vocabulary page can be downloaded for free here. Lessons include:
L1 – Locating St Lucia in the Caribbean
L2 – Identifying the human and physical features of St Lucia
L3 – Investigating satellite photos of St Lucia
L4 – Using compass directions to locate places in St Lucia
L5 – Comparing the weather of St Lucia and the UK
L6 – Comparing St Lucia with the UK
Each lesson includes a presentation and differentiated activities/worksheets.
If you like this resource, we would appreciate a review! We will happily send you a free resource in return for a review or useful suggestions/feedback. Contact us at ed@teachitforward.co.uk.