Primary National Curriculum: Cross-Curricular Learning

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Introduction
In this assignment I will justify the place of the following subjects within the primary national curriculum: Geography, History, Physical Education, Religious Education, Drama and Music. The reason I have chosen these subjects is because I have had an experience of them within my teaching placements and within seminars at university. In addition to this, I will analyse the use of cross-curricular learning in primary education and I will aim to explore the benefits and challenges of the approach.

Geography
I believe that geography is a significant subject in the primary national curriculum because it supports children to develop an understanding of the places in the world and the diverse range of people who live in it. For me, this is an important aspect to learning because it enables children to be globally aware. According to the DFES (Great Britain. Department for Education and Skills, 2005a) education plays a vital role in helping children to recognise their contribution and responsibilities as citizens of the global community and equips them with skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions. In a recent geography seminar, I collaboratively planned a lesson for KS2, involving children taking a visit to Seaton, a local beach in Cornwall to compare and contrast the area through photographs after recent storm damage. The Royal Geographical Society (2014) suggests through the use of enquiry-based fieldwork, children can gain first hand experiences of physical processes. Having planned this activity I now realise that the use of first hand experiences will support children to develop attitudes and opinions. This is important because in my future geography teaching I can challenge children by using t...

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...g Matters.
Kerry, T. (2011) Cross Curricular Teaching in the Primary School: Planning and Facilitating Imaginative Lessons. London: Routledge.
Langer, S.K. (1978) Philosophy in a New Key. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Philpott, C. & Spruce, G. (2012) Debates in Music Teaching. London: Routledge.
Rose, J. (2009) The Independent Primary Review. London: Crown.
Royal Geographical Society (2014) Available at http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Learning+and+Leading/Why+do+fieldwork.htm (Accessed 25 March 2014).
Talbot, M. (2007) ‘Valuing Physical Education – Package or Pedagogy?’ Physical Education Matters, 3 (3).
Weston, D. (2011) The Religious Education CPD Handbook. Available at http://re-handbook.org.uk/section/manging/planning-a-scheme-of-work/reviewing (Accessed 4 December 2013).
Whitehead, M. (2010) Physical Literacy Throughout the Life Course. London: Routledge.

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