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Explore geography in Year 2 with Gina: continents, oceans and countries, directions and comparing localities, countries, capitals and settlements, and more.
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In the seven-continent model, the continents are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australia. Continents and countries are different concepts. The five commonly named oceans are Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic. Other continent models also exist.
Try it: Use an accurate atlas to locate the continents and oceans. Compare their relative positions.
The four main compass directions are north, east, south and west. Use a map’s north arrow rather than assuming the page is always north-up. Compare places using features such as buildings, landforms, weather and transport, without assuming everyone in a country lives the same way.
Try it: Compare your locality with one contrasting place using an atlas and reliable photographs.
A country is a political territory; a capital is a city with an important seat of government. A capital is not necessarily the largest city. Maps use boundaries and labels to identify places. Names and political arrangements should be checked in current reliable sources.
Try it: Find your country and capital on a current atlas with an adult.
A common school model groups land into seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australia. Other models group land differently. Oceans connect rather than belonging exclusively to one continent.
Try it: Locate three continents on an accurate globe.
A coastline is where land meets the sea. Bays and headlands give coasts different shapes. A world map can show the commonly named Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans, which form one connected body of salt water.
Try it: Trace a coastline on an atlas and describe its shape.
Places near the equator generally receive more direct sunlight than polar regions. Temperature also depends on height, season and other factors. Do not assume every part of a country has the same climate. Maps and observations help compare places.
Try it: Compare a polar and an equatorial landscape using reliable images.
North, east, south and west are cardinal directions. A compass rose helps orient a map. East and west are opposite, as are north and south. A map’s top is not automatically north unless its orientation is shown or understood.
Try it: Add a compass rose to a simple map.
Compare places using shared questions about landscape, buildings, transport and daily life. Photographs show selected views, not everything. People within one place may have different experiences. Avoid assuming that all places in a country are alike.
Try it: Compare two safe familiar places using three shared questions.
Fieldwork collects information about a real place. Choose a small question, agree a safe method with an adult, record observations and look for a pattern. Do not record private details about people or enter unsafe locations.
Try it: Plan a short adult-led observation from a safe location.
Each chapter brings together teaching, an example, practice and a practical discovery. Use the material with discussion and suitable offline activities. Choose a comfortable starting point and revisit explanations as needed.
Open this subject in the Academy for Gina’s explanations, examples and activities. The Academy supports shared learning and practical work; it is not independently certified as a complete home-education curriculum.
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Heartwing AcademyExplore maths in Year 1 with Gina: counting and place value, addition, subtraction and number bonds, sharing and equal groups, and more.
Explore →Heartwing AcademyExplore maths in Year 2 with Gina: tens, ones and ordering, adding and subtracting in steps, multiplication and division, and more.
Explore →Heartwing AcademyExplore maths in Year 3 with Gina: hundreds and place value, addition and subtraction with exchange, multiplication and division strategies, and more.
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