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Year 1

AIMS

The year starts with a study of the planet earth in the solar system. It is then followed by an attempt to help students become familiarised with the Geography of the school grounds, Nicosia, Cyprus the European Union mostly with the use of basic map skills. Additionally a serious attempt is made to introduce Geographical terms in English .A lot of these topics involve the use of ICT.

THEMES EXPLORED:

  1. Location of Earth in solar system.
    • Variation in the length of `day` /`year` on the planets in our solar system.
    • Diagram of earth revolving around its axis.
    • Diagram of the earth orbiting around the sun. (Dates for longest/shortest days  when day and night are equal in length, axis, shading of night day)
    • Variation of length of day/night through the year on planet earth.
    • Contrast of North and South hemispheres.
    • Seasons
    • Lines of Latitude -know how they are measured and characteristics
    • Lines of Longitude-know how they are measured and characteristics
    • Greenwich Meridian-location and significance
    • International Date Line -location and significance
    • Time zones. How many there are, why needed, why they are not straight lines, ability to work out time differences between countries from map
  2. Basic Cartographic skills.
    • Direction: 16 point compass directions
    • Spot heights
    • Drawing of contours using spot heights
    • Contours: vertical intervals, completing missing contours
    • Contour patterns: distinguish steep and gentle slopes, recognise hills valleys, relate contour pattern with shape of landscape e.g. round shaped hill, long narrow hill, flat topped hills ect.
    • Distances: - be able to measure straight lines, curved lines and change these to `distances on the ground`
    • Scales: - ability to work with representative fraction, line scale, statement. Ability to work with and convert between any of the above three.
  3. The above are taught using:
  4. The project "Home to School sketch map"
  5. Street map of the school map: distance exercise
  6. Plan of the school area ,orientation exercise,
  7. Contour map of the school grounds: elevation exercise
  8. Map of Nicosia
  9. Street maps of Nicosia
  10. The European Union:
    • The countries which make up the EU: Recognise and name them on maps
    • The history of its enlargement
    • Changes its name, EEC, EC, EU
    • Cyprus -EU
    • Functional bodies of EU. (Parliament court, Council)
ICT based teaching: CDs &Websites Used

The Future :

The department is examining and planning a review of the course content and resources used for YEAR ONE.
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