History and Geography are important aspects of environmental studies. It gives knowledge about the immediate world and can give a sense of belonging, from both a social and spatial point of view. This first block will take us on a journey through the rich and varying landscapes of North America pre-settlement, telling the stories, mythology and history of the varying indigenous peoples living throughout this vast and diverse continent, including the mountainous West, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, the varied eastern region and the Deserts of the South-West. The emphasis in this first block will be for the pupils to gain a comprehensive understanding of the different regions, prominent topographical features and how these distinct geographical landscapes form interrelating eco-systems. This will be brought to life by focusing on the close relationship that indigenous cultures had with their natural landscapes and resources up until and during the settlement of North America by Europeans.
Block 2 will focus more on the arrival of Europeans and the accompanying slave trade, followed by the mass arrival of different communities from around the world. How some of these new peoples viewed North America as a land of 'boundless opportunity' and almost limitless resources, whilst for others, their opportunities were 'boundered'. This second block will map the continant of North America more through the social and physical infrestructures created post-settlement, that enabled the North America of today to establish itself.
