This Year 4 geography unit introduces pupils to volcanoes, earthquakes and tectonic processes through geographical enquiry, map work and the study of natural hazards. Pupils explore how the Earth’s surface changes and begin to understand why some parts of the world experience more geological activity than others.
Across six lessons, pupils investigate the structure of the Earth, learn about tectonic plates and examine how volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis occur. The unit also explores how natural disasters affect people, settlements and environments across the world.
Recognised as Highly Commended by the Geographical Association, this unit includes ready-to-teach lesson plans, teaching slides, differentiated geography activities and assessment opportunities to support progression across Upper KS2 geography.
Explore the full Year 4 geography curriculum
See how this volcanoes and earthquakes block fits within our wider Year 4 geography progression.
This Year 4 geography block develops pupils’ understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes and tectonic activity through the study of physical geography and natural hazards. Pupils investigate how processes beneath the Earth’s surface shape landscapes and affect communities around the world.
Throughout the unit, pupils explore the structure of the Earth, examine how tectonic plates move and identify global patterns linked to earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. The lessons encourage pupils to explain geographical processes using accurate vocabulary and real-world examples.
This block forms part of our Year 4 geography curriculum within the KS2 geography scheme. It strengthens pupils’ understanding of physical geography and supports progression into later KS2 units involving environmental challenges, sustainability and global geographical analysis.
The lessons are designed to work flexibly within different curriculum structures and typically fit within a 45-60 minute geography lesson. Many schools teach geography through blocked units across half terms, while others use shorter weekly geography sessions across the term.
Recognised as Highly Commended by the Geographical Association, our Glorious Geography scheme supports progression from EYFS geography through to KS2 geography, including mixed-age geography planning.
