LKS2 Topic Overview: Modern Europe
Discover Modern Europe in this exciting and informative topic. Understand the amazing physical and
human geography of Modern Europe. Travel around, learn key facts and explore the varied countries
that make up our European continent. Develop skills in human and physical geography and further your
historical and cultural knowledge of these countries as well!
Block
Block A
Introduction
to Modern
Europe
[7 sessions]
Key NC Objectives
Geography, Computing, English and
D&T
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Locate the world’s countries, using maps to
focus on Europe (including the location of
Russia).
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography including … rivers and
mountains.
Locate the world’s countries, concentrating
on major cities.
Use maps, atlases, globes and digital
mapping.
Describe & understand key aspects of
physical geography including climate zones,
rivers & mountains.
Describe and understand human geography
including types of settlement and land use,
economic activity including trade links, and
the distribution of natural resources
including energy, food, minerals and water.
Understand geographical similarities and
differences through the study of human and
physical geography of a region in a European
country.
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical and human geography.
Use search technologies effectively,
appreciate how results are selected and
ranked, and be discerning in evaluating
digital content.
Use presentation software to communicate
ideas or information (optional).
Retrieve, record and present information
from non-fiction.
Plan, draft, edit and write a concise report.
Be clear about an appropriate standard of
handwriting, e.g. an unjoined style for
labelling a diagram.
Design innovative, functional and appealing
products that are fit for purpose, aimed at
particular individuals or groups. Select tools,
equipment and materials to perform
practical tasks accurately and aesthetically.
Geography, Computing and Art
Block B
France
[4 sessions]
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An understanding of the human and
physical geography of France, including its
climate zones.
An appreciation of geographical similarities
and differences between your local area
Main creative outcomes
Understand the amazing physical and
human geography of Modern Europe.
Create a map of Europe and personalise a
passport recording your achievements.
Investigate key European physical features.
Research a European capital city for a
display and examine the weather from each
of Europe’s climate zones before deciding
what to pack for your travels!
This rich and imaginative block uses a range
of artworks to inspire learning about the
human and physical geography of France,
including its climate zones; discover the art
of Cézanne, Seurat and Morisot and where
LKS2 Topic Overview: Modern Europe
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and regions of France.
Create a class ‘soundscape’ exhibition of
the local area.
Create ‘conté crayon’ sketches of a local
waterway and a painting in the ‘pointillist’
style.
Use impasto painting to recreate one of
Berthe Morisot’s coast paintings.
Use a range of digital devices to capture, edit
and present images and sounds.
Geography, English, PE and Art
Block C
Germany
[4 sessions]
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Locate Germany on a map and concentrate
on its environmental regions,
key physical and human characteristics, and
major cities.
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Understand geographical similarities and
differences through the study of human and
physical geography of a region in Germany.
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography, including: climate zones,
biomes and vegetation belts, rivers and
mountains.
Describe and understand key aspects of
human geography, including: types of
settlement and land use, economic activity
including trade links, and the distribution of
natural resources including energy, food,
minerals and water.
Use maps, atlases, globes and
digital/computer mapping to locate
countries and describe features studied.
Give well-structured descriptions,
explanations and narratives for different
purposes.
Extend pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and
mastery of language through public
speaking, performance and debate.
Play a game of 5-a-side football and apply
basic principles suitable for attacking and
defending.
Use running, jumping, throwing and catching
in isolation and in combination.
Improve their mastery of art and design
techniques, including drawing, painting and
sculpture with a range of materials, to create
a theatrical backdrop.
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Geography, English and D&T
Block D
Spain
[4 sessions]
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Locate Spain on a map and concentrate on
its environmental regions,key physical and
human characteristics, and major cities.
Understand geographical similarities and
differences through the study of human and
physical geography of a region in Spain.
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography, including: climate zones,
biomes and vegetation belts, rivers and
their works are located geographically; the
outcomes of this block include creating a
21st Century soundscape, a pointillist style
painting and an impasto painting.
Become a professional footballer in
Germany and learn about the team you
represent and its regional geographic
features. Explore physical and human
aspects of the region. Take an enchanted
journey with the Brothers Grimm into the
Black Forest and discover why this
landscape influenced the retelling of some
of our most famous traditional tales. Put on
your own performance in the backdrop of
the Black Forest - a backdrop you have
created yourself!
Join the world’s top cyclists to take a road
trip through the varying geography of
Spain. Stop off en-route to try your hand at
some classic Spanish cooking and learn
about the origins of some of Spain’s more
famous dishes and their links to the physical
and human geography of Andalusia,
Valencia and the Cantabrian Mountains.
LKS2 Topic Overview: Modern Europe
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mountains.
Describe and understand key aspects of
human geography, including: types of
settlement and land use, economic activity
including trade links, and the distribution of
natural resources including energy, food,
minerals and water.
Use maps, atlases, globes and
digital/computer mapping to locate
countries and describe features studied.
Prepare and cook two savoury and one
sweet Spanish dish using a range of cooking
techniques.
Understand seasonality, and know where
and how a variety of ingredients are grown,
reared, caught and processed.
Give well-structured descriptions,
explanations and narratives for different
purposes.
Participate in presentations.
Geography, English, Science and D&T
Block E
Russia
[6 sessions]
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Locate the world’s countries, using maps to
focus on Europe (including the location of
Russia).
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography including climate zones,
biomes and vegetation belts, rivers and
mountains.
Give well-structured descriptions,
explanations and narratives for different
purposes.
Speak audibly and fluently with an
increasing command of Standard English
Participate in presentations.
Select and use appropriate registers for
effective communication.
Identify that animals need the right types
and amount of nutrition and that they get
nutrition from what they eat.
Construct and interpret a variety of food
chains, identifying producers, predators
and prey.
Identify how animals and plants are
adapted to suit their environment and in
different ways.
Explore and use classification keys to help
group, identify and name a variety of living
things in their local and wider environment.
Use research and develop design criteria to
inform the design of innovative, functional,
appealing products that are fit for purpose.
Generate, develop, model and
communicate their ideas through
discussion, annotated sketches, crosssectional and exploded diagram.
Select from and use a wider range of tools
and equipment to perform practical tasks
accurately.
Select from and use a wider range of
Raise awareness of the four major Russian
biomes to help protect them for future
generations. Can you become a Biome Coordinator and put on your own creative
biome exhibition that will include food chain
mobiles, adaptation fold-ups, an online
classification key and a large scale model of
your chosen biome? If so, then welcome to
Russia!
LKS2 Topic Overview: Modern Europe
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materials and components, including
construction materials and textiles,
according to their functional properties and
aesthetic qualities.
Evaluate their ideas and products against
their own design criteria and consider the
views of others to improve their work.
Geography, History and English
Block F
Italy
[4 sessions]
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Locate Italy on a map and concentrate on its
environmental regions,
key physical and human characteristics, and
major cities.
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Understand geographical similarities and
differences through the study of human and
physical geography of a region in Italy.
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography, including: climate zones,
biomes and vegetation belts, rivers,
mountains and volcanoes.
Describe and understand key aspects of
human geography, including: types of
settlement and land use, economic activity
including trade links, and the distribution of
natural resources including energy, food,
minerals and water.
Use maps, atlases, globes and
digital/computer mapping to locate
countries and describe features studied.
Construct informed responses that involve
thoughtful selection and organisation of
relevant historical information.
Understand how our knowledge of the past
is constructed from a range of sources.
Give well-structured descriptions,
explanations and narratives for different
purposes.
Retrieve, record and present information
from non-fiction.
Extend pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and
mastery of language through public
speaking, performance and debate.
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Geography, Science, PE and Maths
Block G
Norway
[4 sessions]
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Locate the world’s countries, using maps to
focus on Europe.
Understand geographical similarities and
differences through the study of human and
physical geography of a region in a European
country.
Describe and understand key aspects of
physical geography including climate zones,
biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, and
mountains.
Describe and understand human geography
including types of settlement and land use
Travel to Italy to take in the alpine scenery
and enjoy a mountain trek through the
many mountain ranges that Italy boasts.
Take a trip back in time to CE 79 and the
fateful day that Mt Vesuvius blew her top.
Investigate the mysterious draw of the
volcanoes of southern Italy for settlement would you take the risk and live in the
shadow of a live volcano?
Study the geography and winter sports of
Norway in preparation for a ‘top trumps’based briefing of sports executives for the
winter Olympics - consider forces and
investigate friction challenges using
scientific methods, processes and skills.
LKS2 Topic Overview: Modern Europe
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and economic activity.
Ask relevant questions and use scientific
enquiry to answer them.
Set up simple practical enquiries,
comparative and fair tests.
Make systematic and careful observations
and take accurate measurements.
Gather, record, and present data to help in
answering questions.
Compare how things move on different
surfaces.
Notice that some forces need contact
between two objects.
Take part in outdoor and adventurous
activity challenges.
Use running and jumping in isolation and in
combination.
Develop flexibility, strength, technique,
control and balance [for example, through
athletics and gymnastics].
Measure and compare lengths; interpret and
present data using bar charts and tables;
solve comparison questions using info
presented in scaled bar charts.