Year 5 Geography Block 1

Topic – Viva Las Vegas!

In this block of learning, you will cover the following lessons:

🗺️ Week 1: How can we travel to Las Vegas?
🗺️ Week 2: What is a time zone?
🗺️ Week 3: What are the features of Las Vegas?
🗺️ Week 4: How is the climate different from ours?
🗺️ Week 5: What is it like to live in Las Vegas?
🗺️ Week 6: What challenges face Las Vegas?

Unit Outcomes (secure)

✅ Be able to use maps to plan a route and the transport needed to travel between two world locations.
✅ Understand the concept of time zones and identify Las Vegas’s time zone in relation to the UK.
✅ Be able to identify key physical and human features of Las Vegas.
✅ Understand the climate of Las Vegas and how it differs from the UK.
✅ Explain what daily life is like for residents of Las Vegas. Identify and understand the challenges Las Vegas faces.

Viva Las Vegas: A Year 5 Geography Unit

Take your pupils on a fascinating journey to explore the vibrant city of Las Vegas and its surrounding region with our Year 5 geography unit, Viva Las Vegas. This engaging unit of work introduces pupils to the physical and human geography of North America while equipping them with essential geographical skills.

Aligned with National Curriculum aims, this unit focuses on developing pupils’ confidence in using a range of geographical tools, such as maps, atlases, globes, and digital mapping, to locate and study countries, cities, and key features. Pupils will delve into the unique environmental regions of North America, including the arid deserts and striking landscapes that define Las Vegas. Through interactive activities and exploration, they will learn about the city’s key physical characteristics, its climate, and its relationship with its surrounding environment.

In addition to studying locational knowledge, Viva Las Vegas encourages pupils to consider the human geography of this iconic destination. Pupils will investigate land use, tourism, and how Las Vegas has adapted to thrive in a challenging desert environment. They’ll also compare and contrast the geography of Las Vegas with other major cities around the world, broadening their understanding of global environmental and cultural diversity.

With a mix of hands-on activities, real-world applications, and creative tasks, this unit brings geography to life in the classroom. Whether analysing aerial photographs, interpreting maps, or using digital tools to explore key features, pupils will build the skills needed to interpret and present geographical information with confidence.

Viva Las Vegas is the perfect way to inspire curiosity, develop essential geographical skills, and foster a deeper understanding of the world in your Year 5 pupils.