Year Two
Core Knowledge UK
Yearly Overview - Geography and History
Focus
Areas to cover
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Autumn
One
Spatial
Sense
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Autumn
Two
Northern
Europe
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Identify buildings, playgrounds, fields, entrances, boundaries, vegetation and
neighbouring land use.
Examine aerial photographs of the school grounds and surrounding area.
Develop spatial awareness by drawing basic maps of confined areas, for example
a classroom, the playground, their bedroom, etc. Use symbols, a key to represent
objects on the map and a colour code for different areas. Identify the major
oceans and the seven continents.
Find the equator, the northern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere and the
North/South Poles on a globe.
Identify the UK as one of many countries in Europe, with neighbours such as
France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway,
Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Ireland.
Identify the spatial distribution of the Roman Empire (link to History)
Climate of Northern Europe: mild in the south; cold and snowy further north.
Northern Europe is covered in snow and ice for much of the winter.
Vegetation: coniferous forest adapts to the cold and snowy climate.
Landscape: mixture of lowlands, mountains and lakes.
Countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
Languages spoken: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finish, and Icelandic.
Settlement: the capital cities are Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki and
Reykjavik.
Discuss what it is like to live in a cold and snowy climate. How do people keep
warm? How do they travel around? How do they clear snow?
Resources
The National Geographic Kids World Atlas
(National Geographic Society) 2010
Gill Doherty, The Usbourne Internet-linked
Children’s World Atlas (Usbourne) 2005
First Geography Encyclopedia Years 5-11 (Dorling
Kinderlsy) 2011
Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman, Explore Europe
(Crabtree Publishing) 2007
Ira Wolfman, My World and Globe: A First Book
of Geography (Workman Publishing) 2003
Madeline Donaldson, Europe (Learner Publishing
Groups) 2005
Year Two
Core Knowledge UK
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Spring
One
Spring
Two
Regions of
the UK
Ancient
Egypt
Name the continent, country and county in which you live.
Identify regional differences between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland. For example: identify the flags, major mountain ranges, major rivers,
lakes, capital cities and other distinguishing characteristics.
 England: identify cultural symbols, famous people and cultural differences. For
example: St. George’s Day, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Anglo-Saxons,
football, Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare, Chaucer
 Scotland: identify cultural symbols, famous people and cultural differences. For
example: Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, Scottish Gaelic, tartan, kilts, haggis, highland
games, Robert Burns, Scottish dancing [cross-curricular connection with Music
Year 2]
 Wales: identify cultural symbols, famous people and cultural differences. For
example: Welsh language, rugby, Dylan Thomas, St. David’s Day, Eisteddfod
festival of literature and music, Welsh folk songs
 Ireland: identify cultural symbols, famous people and cultural differences. For
example: Irish Gaelic, St. Patrick’s Day, shamrock, leprechaun, James Joyce,
Gaelic football
 Identify the African continent on a map or globe.
 Understand the climate in Africa and its influence on vegetation, particularly in
the Sahara Desert [Cross-curricular connection with Science Year 2]
 Understand the importance of the Nile River, floods and farming
 Identify key pharaohs: Rameses II, Amenhotep, Tutankhamun [Cross-curricular
connection with Visual Arts Year 2] Hatshepsut, woman pharaoh, Akhenaten and
Queen Nefertiti [Cross-curricular connection with Visual Arts Year 2]
 Identify key features in the Ancient Egyptian culture and religion: Pyramids,
Mummies, Great Sphinx, Animal gods, Hieroglyphic writing
 Understand the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia
 Identify key features in the Ancient Mesopotamian culture and religion:
Cuneiform writing: understand why writing is important to the development of
civilization, Ziggurat temples, Babylon city, The Gate of Ishtar. Become familiar
with the Code of Hammurabi (early code of laws) and understand why rules and
laws are important to the development of civilisation.
Stephanie Turnbull, Sticker Atlas of Britain
and Northern Ireland (Usborne Publishing)
2012.
Terry Deary, Horrible Histories Special:
England (Scholastic) 2009.
Terry Deary, Horrible Histories Special: Wales
(Scholastic) 2009.
Terry Deary, Horrible Histories Special:
Scotland (Scholastic) 2009.
Terry Deary, Horrible Histories Special:
Ireland (Scholastic) 2009.
Tomie dePaola, Bill and Pete Go Down the
Nile (Puffin Books) 1996
Philip Steele, I Wonder Why Pyramids Were
Built and Other Questions About Ancient
Egypt (Kingfisher) 1995
Judy Donnelley, Tut’s Mummy Lost... And
Found (Random House) 1988
Interactive Game about mummification:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactiv
e/games/mummy_maker/index_embed.
shtml
Year Two
Core Knowledge UK
JUDAISM
 Belief in one God
 Followers are called the Jewish people or Jews
 Become familiar with the Story of the Exodus- Moses leads the Hebrews out of
Egypt
 Understand important places, holidays, symbols and features: Israel, Hanukkah
(sometimes spelled Chanukah), Torah, synagogue, symbol of the Star of David
Summer
One
World
Religions
CHRISTIANITY
 Belief in one God
 Followers are called Christians
 Christianity grew out of Judaism
 Understand important places, holidays, symbols and features: Jesus, meaning of
‘messiah’, Christmas, Easter, symbol of the cross
ISLAM
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Summer
Two
British
History
Belief in one God
Followers are called Muslims
Originated in Arabia, spread worldwide
Understand important places, holidays, symbols and features: Allah, Muhammad
(pbuh), Makkah, Qur’an, mosque, symbol of the crescent and star (found on the
flags of many mainly Islamic nations)
The Romans Invade 43AD
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Invasion under Emperor Claudius
 Romans fail to conquer Scotland (Caledonia)
 Large Roman Settlements
 Technological advances
 Roman archaeology
The Romans Leave 410
 Economic decline
Angles and the Saxons, Invasions From 490
Sue Meredith & Nicholas Hewetson, The Usborne
Book of World Religions (Usborne Publishing)
2005.
Emma Damon, All Kinds of Beliefs: a Lift-the-Flap
Book (Tango Books) 2000.
Douglas Charing, DK Eyewitness Books: Judaism
(DK Children) 2003.
Caroline Stone, DK Eyewitness Books: Islam
(Dorling Kindersley Publishing) 2005.
Kenneth N. Taylor, A Child’s First Bible (Dorling
Kindersley Publishing) 2000.
Philip Wilkinson & Michael Tambini, DK
Eyewitness Books: Christianity (DK Children) 2006.
Henrietta Marshall, Our Island Story
(Civitas/Galore Park) 2006
Geraldine McCaughrean and Richard Brassey,
Britannia: 101 Great Stories From British
History (Orion Childrens) 2004
Christopher Lee, The Sceptred Isle: Julius Caesar
to William the Conqueror 55BC-1087 (Audio CD
collection) (BBC Audiobooks) 1999
Year Two
Core Knowledge UK
 Native Anglo-Saxon culture
Christianity in Britain
 Spread of Christianity
 Missionaries and Monks
Ruth Brocklehurst & Abigail Wheatley,
Roman Britain (Usborne Publishing) 2008
Terry Deary, Smashing Saxons (Scholastic) 2007
The Vikings, Scandinavian Explorers and Invaders
 Viking culture, known for violence and invasion
 Invasion of Britain
Terry Deary, Stormin’ Normans (Scholastic) 2007
Terry Deary, Victorious Vikings (Scholastic) 2007
NORMAN INVASION, 1066
Succession dispute, Harold Godwinson (Earl of Wessex), Harald III of Norway and William
of Normandy