Author: Amanda McGarrigle

Geography—Term 6
Swanley– our local area

Background Information
Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) southeast of central London, adjacent to the Greater London boundary and within the M25 motorway. The population at the 2011 census was 16,226. The local council is Swanley Town Council.
Today, Swanley is essentially a commuter and distribution centre, home to a mainly lower-middle and working class population. It relies on trading via its rail links to Central London and its proximity to the M25 motorway. Being on the outskirts of south east London, it is a convenient commuter town for people who work in the city, as they can still be paid the London living wage. It still keeps some traditional links with Sevenoaks and Kent but it is heavily associated with South East London due to the expansion of that area close to Swanley's borders. The majority of housing development took place from the post-war period to late 1980s. A new fire station was opened in 1962, and new post office two years later. Victorian houses and shops were demolished to create a new town centre. Its 1970s shopping centre was then re-modelled in the 1990s when the Asda supermarket was extended.

In this unit the children will…
identify human and physical characteristics of Swanley and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of Swanley
describe and understand key aspects of physical and human geography
use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate Swanley and describe features studied
use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.

By the end of this unit….
All children will:
develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world
Be competent in the geographical skills needed to:
collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Some children will:
understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time

The children will explore:
Using maps, atlases and digital computer mapping to locate Swanley
use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of Swanley
use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in Swanley using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.

Key Vocabulary
Physical geographical features, human geographical features,
Kent, Swanley,
Housing types: such as terraced, semi-detached, detached, flats or bungalows.
Inner city: an area next to the city centre. Many inner-city areas are characterised by older and often terraced housing, although a number have been recently redeveloped with more modern buildings.
Market, rural , settlement, settlement patterns, shopping centres, urbanisation, suburb