Geography Scheme | Year 1 | Block 2: Is it Hot or Cold? | Lesson 2: Where in the World Does the Visitor Come From?

Year 1 Geography Lesson – Where in the World Does the Visitor Come From?

Take pupils on an exciting geographical mystery with this Year 1 geography lesson, part of our KS1 geography scheme of work. In this lesson, children become detectives, following clues from a polar bear visitor to locate his Arctic home and plan a route back.

What’s included?

• Full lesson plan with step-by-step teaching guidance.
• Editable slides introducing the Arctic, Arctic Circle, and Arctic Ocean.
• A fun ‘letter from the polar bear’ hook to spark curiosity.
• Worksheet activities for locating the Arctic and drawing a route from the UK.
• Differentiated challenges including labelling continents within the Arctic Circle.
• Cross-curricular opportunities with literacy (writing a reply to the polar bear) and numeracy (directional language: north, south, near, far).

What will pupils learn?

• Locate the Arctic and Arctic Circle on a map.
• Plan a simple route from the UK to the Arctic.
• Identify key continents and oceans on a globe or atlas.
• Understand why polar bears live in the Arctic but not in Antarctica.
• Develop early map skills and geographical vocabulary.

Why choose this lesson?

This lesson combines enquiry-based learning with engaging resources to deepen children’s understanding of climate zones and polar regions. It addresses common misconceptions (e.g. polar bears in Antarctica) while providing plenty of hands-on opportunities. Recognised as part of our Glorious Geography scheme, which was Highly Commended by the Geographical Association, it supports both specialist and non-specialist teachers in delivering meaningful geography learning.