NOTE: On the attached powerpoint presentation to view the notes attached to a slide, you
should right click your mouse and choose the option called "speaker notes". The notes should
then appear in a box on the screen along with the slide.
A Nomadic Family in Mongolia
Geography
Year 4/5/6
Adapted from QCA scheme of work
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/geography/geo10/?view=get
ABOUT THE UNIT
This is a ‘long’ unit. In it, children develop ideas about a less economically developed country. It aims to develop understanding of
concepts within the global dimension such as Diversity, Human rights, Values & Perceptions and Sustainability. The unit is based
on a photo pack and media sources about Nomadic people in The Mongolian Gobi Desert
When studying settlements in less economically developed countries children can gain an unrepresentative view of what life is
like in the country. It is useful to investigate other settlements. For example, studying the capital, Ulaanbatar as part of this unit
would enable children to appreciate contrasts
The unit offers links to literacy, design and technology, IT, the world of work and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
PLACES
SKILLS
THEMES
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 Settlement: economic activities, land
use
Overseas locality
Widening range of scales
Wider context
Physical and human features
Similarities and differences
Use geographical vocabulary
Make maps and plans
Use globes, atlases and maps
Use secondary sources
Use ICT
VOCABULARY
RESOURCES
In this unit, children are likely to use:
 continent, country, settlement, city, hills, rivers, weather, climate, human, physical,
landscape, road, route, distance, airport, homes, houses, farming, agriculture,
crops, industry, market, key, symbol, landlocked, Nomadic, desert, oasis, ger,
deel, herd, herdsmen, livestock, sustainability, renewable energy, solar, wind
generator, satellite, dung
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They may also use:
 market town, economic activity, trade, cash-crops, occupation, linear, nucleated,
remote semi-desert, rural, arid, yurt
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
globes
world map and atlas
encyclopaedias & books
Media resources such as the film,
The Story of the Weeping Camel,
Episodes 5 & 6 of The Long Way
Round & UN Documentary - Street
Children featuring Richard Gere.
Photo pack (included in the
resource)
a map of Mongolia
display materials
access to the internet & a range of
relevant websites to explore
PRIOR LEARNING
It is helpful if the children have:
 investigated the local area and other localities in the UK and the rest of Europe, as in Units 1, 3, 4 and 6, for example
 started to develop a range of geographical skills
 started to develop key geographical concepts – location, connections, similarity and difference, place and environment
 started to develop an appreciation of the 8 key concepts of the global dimension
If you keep your finger on the left mouse button and drag on the blue bit of the box, you can
TO SEE THE NOTES
When you are viewing a slide, right click your mouse and choose the option called "speaker
notes". The notes should then appear in a box on the screen along with the slide.
If you keep your finger on the left mouse button and drag on the blue bit of the box, you can
move it to the side of the screen so that it's not completely in the way.
 QCA 1998
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
EXPECTATIONS
at the end of this unit
most children will:
Describe a range of physical and human features of places using appropriate
geographical terms; make geographical comparisons between localities studied;
offer appropriate observations about locations of physical and human features; ask
and respond to geographical questions; use maps and secondary sources.
Diversity - Show a better understanding of the diverse world we live in. Respond
appropriately to stereotypical views
some
children
will
not
have
made so much progress and will:
Describe the main features of the locality being studied; begin to recognise
differences between localities; make simple observations about features in the
locality; begin to ask and respond to questions about places, based on their own
observations and information provided by the teacher; use simple maps and
secondary sources. Sustainability - Know of renewable types of energy
some
children
will
have
progressed further and will also:
Make geographical comparisons and offer reasons for their findings; begin to
explain ‘why things are like that’, referring to physical and human features of the
landscape; suggest appropriate geographical questions for investigation; use a
range of skills when undertaking an investigation; investigate other places in
Mongolia and compare these places with The Gobi Desert and their own locality.
Human Rights - Have an appreciation for the ways in which families can live a
sustainable life - keep their traditional way of life but incorporate modern day
features that appeal to them. Start to question how to achieve this in their
community. Learn about human rights issues in Mongolia, namely a right to
education, play and a healthy quality of life.
FUTURE LEARNING
Children may extend their knowledge and understanding of different environments through other locality studies, eg Units 10 and
13, and develop their understanding of environmental quality and change through further investigation of issues in the local area,
eg Unit 12.
 QCA 1998
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN
POINTS TO NOTE
CHILDREN
Where are Asia, Mongolia and the Gobi Desert?
 to investigate places
 to respond to geographical
questions
 to use and interpret globes,
atlases and maps
 to use secondary sources
 to use ICT to access
information
 to identify physical and
human features
 To challenge stereotypes
 QCA 1998
 Using globes, world maps, atlases and CD-ROMs, ask the children
to locate the position of the UK, Europe, Asia, Mongolia and The
Gobi Desert.
 (VALUES AND PERCEPTIONS) In a whole-class session, ask
children to describe what they think Mongolia might be like.
 Provide a series of statements about a country, and ask the
children to guess which country the statements relate to.
Eventually reveal that the statements are actually about how
others view people in the UK. Provide some facts about Mongolia
and show a range of photographs to highlight issues with
stereotypes.
 Using atlases, maps and aerial photographs of Mongolia, ask the
children to find out which countries and seas border Mongolia and
to investigate the weather and climate. Ask them to find out what a
landlocked county means?
 Ask the children to use these resources to add the main physical
and human features to a blank map of Mongolia.
 Produce a whole-class display of a map of Mongolia using the
information collected.
1
 locate
UK
and
Mongolia
 draw maps to show
locational
knowledge
and
awareness of main
human and physical
features
 To understand that
what we hear/see
from other people or
the media may not
be true.
To answer the enquiry question, focus activities on specific
questions, eg Which countries and seas border India? What
shape is India? What are the main human and physical
features of India? What is the weather like?
(DIVERSITY) Children could use an atlas to find other land
locked countries and other deserts. They could look for any
similarities/ differences in the landlocked areas e.g. water
sources, location of towns/cities etc.
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
POINTS TO NOTE
CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN
How is The Gobi Desert connected to other places? What do we think it will be like there?
 How places relate to each
other
 To make maps
 To use and interpret atlases
and maps
 To use secondary sources
 To identify environmentally
friendly ways to travel.
 Ask the children how they would get to Mongolia. Ask them to use
atlases, maps and secondary sources to plan a route, including
information on possible airline routes, distance travelled and
countries crossed. They should also note airports they would use.
 (SUSTAINABILITY) Allow children to watch various sections of
The Long Way Round and then challenge children to find a way to
get to The Gobi Desert in a way that will cause the least damage
to the environment.
 Discuss with the children what they think Mongolia and The Gobi
Desert are like and ask them to list questions relating to what they
need to find out to confirm their thoughts.
 Prepare a simple
map
and
commentary to show
an environmentally
friendly
route
to
Mongolia
 Describe what they
think it would be like
to travel to Mongolia
and live with a family
in a rural area.
The enquiry section should include questions such as …
 Who lives in the Gobi desert?
 Are there animals in the Gobi Desert?
 What do homes look like?

What do the people do for jobs/fun?

Do the children go to school?
 What do they eat?
The following websites can help children to investigate
basic information about people, culture and wildlife in
the Gobi desert
www.oneearthadventures.com/gobi/people/people.htm
www.sokoltours.com/destination.phtml?m=102
www.guide-mongolia.com/index.html
www.mongoliatoday.com
 QCA 1998
2
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN
POINTS TO NOTE
CHILDREN
What is the landscape of The Gobi Desert like?
 to identify main physical and
human features
 to make maps
 develop understanding of
how to recycle and manage
our waste.
 QCA 1998
 Discuss with the children, using clips from The Story of the
Weeping Camel what the landscape is like in the Gobi
Desert.
 Use books to explore the area. Children’s titles such as
Rare Plants of the Gobi, The King of the Gobi and Blowing
on the Wind by John Hare discuss a range of issues
surrounding the landscape and sustainability issues.
 Ask the children to annotate a base map of The Gobi
Desert, using the resources. Ask them to note the shape of
and the main physical and human features.
 (SUSTAINABILITY & CITIZENSHIP) Show various clips
from the film that explain Mongolian culture regarding use
of the Earth’s resources - Take what you need, no more,
and take what can replenish itself. This leads to discussion
about waste management and can provide a contrast to
life at home – e.g. discuss ideas about how can we
minimise our waste.
 complete a map to show the
main
features
of
the
settlement
 recognise main human and
physical features
 Know of items that can be
recycled/reused.
Literacy: in this and subsequent discussion activities,
children can be encouraged to reflect on their discussions,
eg by recording how well they sustained their talk over
several sessions.
There are links to RE if there is an opportunity to explore
nomadic people’s view of fire. They do not allow rubbish to
be thrown into the fire nor is the fire to be extinguished by
man because fire has sacred connotations.
Living with the earth is an aspect of Mongolian ancient
wisdom, which is as relevant today as it ever was. For
Traditional Mongolians, this means that waste should be
minimized and things should be re-used as much as
possible.
3
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
What are the homes of the children in The Gobi Desert like?
 to use secondary sources
 about
similarities
and
differences between places
 Divide the children into small groups and ask them to
identify similarities and differences between gers and
homes in their own locality.
 Explore the film, the story of a weeping camel where ugna
sees a cartoon for the first time. Discuss reasons for
having a TV and role play a scenario where you see a TV
for the first time.
 (SUSTAINABILITY) Children to design a ger that will
explore how Ugna could have a TV in a way that causes
the least harm to the environment. Discuss their plans with
the class before allowing children to see how Ugna
eventually gets a TV.
 (DIVERSITY) - Making a cup of tea. Show video clip from
Internet sources to show how a cuppa is made and how it
is served/received. Ask children to create a set of
instructions for the process.
 are aware of, and able to
discuss, the main similarities
and differences in homes
Sustainable links relate to heating and power for electrical
items. Rural gers use a combination of solar and wind power
for items that require electricity. They use the dung from their
own herds as fuel for their heating/cooking system.
Other ideas for diversity are to compare games (look up the
Mongolian ankle game) or traditions such as Tsagaan Sar
(Mongolian New Year based on our spring equinox)
What is school in The Gobi Desert like?
 to use secondary sources
 about
similarities
and
differences between places
 To know about children’s
Human
rights
for
Education & Play
 QCA 1998
 Ask children to discuss what they like/dislike about school.
(HUMAN RIGHTS) Introduce section 30 & 31 of the
Human rights act and discuss why children should have
these rights.
 Show a section of the film to highlight how far Ugna &
Dude live from the nearest town. Discuss how they could
benefit from & receive their entitlement to education.
 Explain about programs to help children in these areas
receive education – e.g. travelling teachers/ lessons over
the radio. (DIVERSITY) Think about types of families in
the western world who may need travelling teachers e.g.
circus or actors.
 Decorate shaped cutout, to show ‘my ideal teacher’. Using
a flower diagram, ask children to put reasons on each
petal why children should have access to free education.
 are aware of, and able to
discuss, the main similarities
and differences in schools
 To know that children have a
right to education and to
play (sections 30 & 31 of the
Human rights act)
4
Education is a problem for many people in Mongolia and the
Gobi Desert. Exploring the issues could be connected to the
annual campaign for education. See poster with details
shown at the end of the unit.
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN
POINTS TO NOTE
CHILDREN
What is the main type of work in The Gobi Desert?
 to use secondary sources
 about
similarities
and
differences between places
 to identify land use
 to begin to understand the
relationship
between
location
and
economic
activity
 To know of the issues
surrounding
children’s
Human rights
 Using sources, ask the children to describe the work being
done to support family life. Encourage them to focus on
methods of farming and the work role of women &
children.
 Ask the children to compare the work people do in The
Gobi Desert with what people do in their locality.
 (HUMAN RIGHTS) Compare their chores to children in the
Gobi Desert, how would this affect their ability to take part
in lessons and complete their homework on time?
 are aware of economic
activities
 use aerial photographs to
identify and record different
forms of land use in and
around the village
 To understand their basic
rights to education and play.
World of work: the comparison of jobs in The Gobi Desert.
Human rights Children’s chores usually involve looking after
siblings and collecting firewood or dung for the
heating/cooking system. These chores can be very tiring.
Children can contemplate child labour, education and play
An additional element may be to explore the world of children
in the Capital, Ulaanbatar and Human rights. This could lead
to a fundraising project for UNICEF or one of the many
centres that look after Mongolian street children – e.g.
Christina Noble and The Sunshine School,
How do people meet their basic needs in the Gobi desert?
 to use secondary sources
 how places relate to each
other
 about
similarities
and
differences between places
 to differentiate between
wants and needs.
 QCA 1998
 Conduct an activity to explore the difference between
wants and needs.
 Split the class into groups to explore and record the main
similarities and differences regarding basic needs between
Ulaanbatar & The Gobi Desert, Street Children and Dude
& Ugna.
 Bring the class together to discuss how these compare to
each other and to life in the UK.
 Using the Internet, films and other media sources, explore
how people in the Gobi Desert get food, water, clothing
etc. Create a menu or a clothing catalogue.
 Use secondary sources to
identify
and
record
similarities and differences
in ways of selling and
trading goods
 Understand how different
places are connected to
each other
 To describe their basic
needs to live a healthy life.
5
For an exploration of different Mongolian dress, look at the
following
websites.
www.skiouros.net/varia/ncmpr/ncmpr011.htm
www.guide-mongolia.com/mongolia/culture
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN
POINTS TO NOTE
CHILDREN
What are the main similarities and differences between our locality and The Gobi Desert?
 to use ICT to access
information
 about
similarities
and
differences between places
 Use the internet to gain up-to-date information about, and
images of, Mongolia.
 Ask the children to identify and explain the main
similarities and differences between their own locality and
The Gobi desert.
 Ask the children to reflect on how their ideas about
Mongolia have changed and developed. Ask them to list
further questions, which, if investigated, would give a more
representative view of life in Mongolia.
 review and reflect on what
they have found out and
how it has affected their
initial thinking
 understand ways in which
The Gobi Desert is similar
to, and different from, their
own locality
IT: use of the internet.
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development: children
can consider cultural diversity to counter stereotypes. Where
possible, they should be given opportunities to develop a
broader, more accurate view of life in less economically
developed countries. This could involve investigating a
contrasting place in the country, eg a city like Bangalore
when studying rural India.
It is important to be aware of bias and stereotypical images,
which can sometimes be found in locality packs.
 QCA 1998
6
Ref: QCA/98/253W
Browse, save, edit or print Schemes of Work from the Standards Site at www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
 QCA 1998
Primary Schemes of Work: Geography Unit 10 A village in India
7
Ref: QCA/98/253W