Even in the age of GPS, children still need an idea of place and a sense of direction. So grab your journey stick and set out to explore your local surroundings, says Ben Ballin…

Fieldwork and local area studies feature prominently in the KS1 geography curriculum.

In fact, most schools very sensibly make this their first geography topic, since children need concrete and direct experiences of familiar locations to form a firm basis for future place knowledge.

The following sets out some practical ideas for exploring the world beyond the school gate. You will need a reasonably fine day, and if it’s impracticable to go outside of the school, then activities could be adapted to take place on site.

Today you will…

• Plan and go on a journey to the area just outside the school
• Record some of the things you experience there
• Create a linear map that tells the story of your journey

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