Curr- Geography

Curriculum Plan: Geography "Geography is a subject which holds the key to our future." Michael Palin Geography aims to capture the imagination of each pupil through the diverse curriculum offered. Geographers see the world differently; we seek to spark curiosity and encourage students to critically question, investigate and research their own questions. The curriculum challenges our students’ thinking and attitudes and we expect them to develop their own views and values about issues that affect our changing world and are able to make informed decisions. We instil the importance of knowledge and understanding of people and places, patterns and processes and we convey the relevance of Geography to our students and the lives of people they will never meet.

The curriculum provides an excellent foundation for those wishing to continue geography at GCSE level and beyond and it also provides a great rounding experience for those who do not. We employ a range of teaching and learning techniques to make geography accessible and interesting to all learners. Our units of work are as follows:

Year Group 7

Half-term 1

Units of work Passport to the World: The main purpose of this unit is to further develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of places. Pupils investigate some of the features and characteristics of different places while also developing a range of geographical skills.

2

Map Skills This involves pupils

investigating the key features of maps such as map symbols, keys, titles and the idea of the plan view, provides them with an opportunity to use these skills in creating their own map, and introduces them to important geographical concepts such as

Assessed piece/skills

Reading skills

• ask geographical questions • communicate appropriately • use atlases/globes/maps • annotating photographs • develop extended writing Students are assessed by completing an extended writing piece that solves a mystery.

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research to complete homework.

• ask geographical questions • draw maps, plans and graphs • develop map skills and are assessed on these new skills by an end of term test.

Writing skills Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

Year Group

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

scale, distance and direction. They are also provided with practical examples regarding measuring distances, planning routes, identifying features using four and six-figure grid references, analysing height and relief of land through contour lines.

3

Weather and climate change -

4

Urbanisation – this unit explores

• ask geographical questions • develop supported arguments • use OS maps and GIS • annotating photographs • develop extended writing Students are assessed by completing an end of module test.

5

Rivers and flooding - This unit of

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• develop extended writing Students are assessed by completing an end of module test.

The purpose of this module is to explore the weather and climates of today and predict the climates of the future. The focus of the module is how and why climates change, what the impacts of this change might be, and how we can behave sustainably to limit the impacts of this change. the fact that Urbanisation is a global phenomenon and since 2007 more people live in urban than rural areas, it will look at the impact of this important fact. It will also look at the causes of urbanisation and the different land uses in urban areas. The location of settlements and how they have grown, developed and in some instances have gone through a period of decline and regeneration. work develops students understanding of rivers and investigates resilience in the context of water and flooding. It delivers an understanding of awareness, preparedness and knowledge of what actions should be taken in the event of flooding; and of how

• ask geographical questions • communicate appropriately • use atlases/globes/maps/satellite images • develop extended writing Students are assessed by completing an end of module test.

Reading skills

Writing skills

Year Group

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

Reading skills

Writing skills

changing physical and human processes bring about flooding in the first place. This unit nurtures vital skills for what might be termed 'environmental citizenship'.

6

Rocks, Geology, soils and Weathering – This unit focuses on

• develop enquiry skills • communicate arguments appropriately • use atlases/maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams/ICT • develop extended writing Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

1

Coasts – this module will

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• develop independent research skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• develop extended writing Students are assessed by completing an end of module test.

2

India – this unit will look at the

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate arguments appropriately.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• develop extended writing Students are assessed by an

geological timescales and investigates the geology of the UK. It delivers an understanding of how different soils are formed in different places. It also investigates different landscapes and investigates dynamic limestone landscapes.

8

investigate why is £86 million being spent on sea defences along the Fylde Coast? In order to answer this question it will look at different coastlines around the UK, the causes of waves and tides, the formation of beaches and hard and soft management of coastlines. It will also look into the argument of whether coastlines should be protected.

similarities and differences of this former British colony. It will look at global cities and the contrasts between the rich and poor population. Students will also investigate the rapid economic

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research to complete homework.

Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

Year Group

Half-term

Units of work growth and the impacts on the local and global population.

Assessed piece/skills Extended writing task

3

People and Resources - What

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• develop extended writing Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

4

China Today - This module

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an end of module test.

5

Tourism

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately

impact is industry having on planet earth? The unit will look at how natural resources, people and employment are linked. Students will gain an understanding about the different types of industry where they are located and the impact on the population and environment at different scales. It will challenge students to think about where electricity comes from, the problems of burning fossil fuels and the different sources of renewable energy. focuses on how the world is changing China and China is changing the world. It looks at trade, for example increases in exports, with China already the world's third-largest trading entity; consumption, for example difficulties over the sustainability of China's resourceintensive path of development and growing numbers of affluent consumers; migration, for example a rapidly urbanising nation to have a much bigger ecological footprint; population - for example is China's changing population as a resource or a curse.

This module is about tourism. It focuses on the physical and

Reading skills

Writing skills

Year Group

9

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

human processes that make Thailand an increasingly popular place for tourists to visit; how tourism affects environmental interaction and sustainable development and the interdependent nature of an industry that increasingly relies on other countries, near and far, to supply its workforce and to widen its markets.

One consequence of this interdependence may have an effect on cultural understanding and diversity both positive and negative.

through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, including using ICT • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an end of module test.

6

Exploring the UK – The aim of

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, including using ICT • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an end of module test.

1

Population and Development – The module will

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• research and present information.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

this unit is for students to gain an in depth knowledge and understanding of where we live. They will describe and explain the physical and human features that give rise to the distinctive character of places.

Students will undertake research about the population, jobs that we do and where people in the UK live.

The module will identify places of importance and how tourism is an important contributor to the UK Economy. It will also focus on how the UK is connected to the rest of the world.

further develop students’ understanding of the reasons and

Reading skills

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research

Writing skills

Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

Year Group

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

impacts of the increasing global population. Students will undertake an enquiry investigating the difference between family sizes in Brazil and the UK. It also looks in depth at migration investigating the causes and effects and the impacts this has on different people and places. Chocolate is important for many different reasons, students will play a game about chocolate and the impact that Fair trade can have on producers and consumers.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

2

Africa - The aim of this module is to

3

Ice on the Land - The aim of this

4

Russia – the aim of this module is to

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• research and present information.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, including using ICT • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an end of module test.

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

introduce students to the huge variation in geography that exists within the complex continent of Africa. Whilst providing a framework for young people to understand what is going on in the continent, the aim of each lesson is to involve them in the lives of people living in Africa, rather than just looking at the continent from the outside.

module is to provide a foundation for understanding glaciation and geological timescales that satisfies the Key Stage 3 requirements while also preparing students for further study of these topics if they choose to continue with geography beyond Key Stage 3.

Reading skills to complete homework.

Writing skills

Year Group

Half-term

5

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

investigate the location and understand the physical, environmental and human geography of this vast country. The module will challenge students to look at similarities and differences of different characteristics of the country. The nuclear explosion that occurred Chernobyl and the local and global impacts of this disaster.

Recent conflict between Russia and the Ukraine will also feature and the impact that Russia has on global energy resources.

• research and present information.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

Middle East - This module explores

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• research and present information.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• debate arguments and make decisions.

• develop knowledge of places • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an extended writing piece.

how human activity can create or change places that can be considered to be "impossible". It may be that the physical or natural environment cannot supply new demands of uncontrolled urban development. It could be that human innovation has created the means to enable and make possible new development in places unthinkable before. It also introduces students to the topical issue of conflict, a concept that can be challenging to teach. A particular focus of the module is the extent to which conflict can influence, and be influenced by, geography. It encourages students to develop an awareness of the causes and impacts of conflict, and of the interconnectedness that results in links between conflict and their own lives.

Reading skills

Writing skills

Year Group

Half-term 6

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

Restless Earth – This unit explores

• develop geographical enquiry skills.

• communicate appropriately through diagrams and text.

• use maps/satellite images/photographs/diagrams.

• demonstrate decision-making skills, including using ICT • analyse and interpret data.

Students are assessed by an end of module test.

the layers of the earth and the unstable plate margins. It also investigates volcanic hazards that result from tectonic activity. Research into the location and cause of earthquakes and the effects that these tectonic movements have on different locations.

Reading skills

Writing skills

Geography Curriculum Overview – KS4 ‘Geography is all about the living, breathing essence of the world we live in. It explains the past, illuminates the present and prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?’ Geographical Association President At GCSE, students follow the AQA specification A. The course is divided up into six teaching units, covering a wide range of interesting topics.

Physical Geography topics studied are: 

The Restless Earth Water on the Land



Ice on the Land



Human Geography topics studied are:   

Changing Urban Environments Globalisation Tourism

Students study a mix of physical and human topics in Year 10 and in Year 11 and sit two 1 ½ hour exams at the end of Year 11. At the end of Year 10, students begin their controlled assessment task which is based on a local fieldwork investigation. The focus for this changes each year, but is likely to be based around the Tourism or Water on the Land topic. The controlled assessment task is a written report worth 25% of the overall grade.

There is a strong emphasis on linking Geography with jobs and careers. Geography provides an excellent knowledge base from which to pursue many Post-16 courses. Transferable skills, such as ICT and numeracy, are utilised on a regular basis. Literacy is a very strong feature and is our key to ensuring good results. In addition, subject-specific skills link with many aspects of the workplace.

We aim to provide a learning environment in which students can feel confident and positive about their abilities and enjoy their lessons. We do this by providing a variety of teaching/learning experiences and by careful monitoring of students. Students really enjoy learning Geography, and are very successful in the subject.

Geography Curriculum Overview – KS4 Geography helps us think more intelligently about ourselves, how to live and the futures that we may need to face. It succeeds in doing this because as a subject it holds things together, in place, across the physical and human domains.

It helps us understand the significance of scale and connectedness.’

(David Lambert)

The A-Level course builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills that students have developed at GCSE and helps to prepare students for further study in higher education.

At A-Level students follow the AQA specification. The course is divided into four units across the two years.

AS Unit 1: Physical and Human Geography    

Rivers, Floods and Management Coastal Environments Population Change Health Issues

Examined through a two hour written exam in June with a mix of structured short and extended answers.

Unit 2: Geographical Skills A range of basic, investigative, ICT, graphical, cartographical and statistical skills.

Examined through a one hour written exam in June with structured questions on skills and fieldwork.

A2 Unit 3: Contemporary Geographical Issues   

Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards World Cities Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges

Examined through a two and a half hour written exam in June with structured short and extended questions, plus an essay.



Unit 4a: Geographical Issue Evaluation

Students undertake structured short and extended questions based on an Advance Information Booklet released at the end of March. It is examined through a one and a half hour written exam in June with structured short and extended questions based on candidates fieldwork investigation and fieldwork skills.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Fieldwork is a vital part of the curriculum, enabling pupils to build on what they have learned in the classroom. The buildup of fieldwork experience gives pupils a chance to develop their skills so that by the time they undertake coursework for GCSE, and later for A Level, they are familiar with the techniques used to collect, present and analyse raw data.

Recent destinations have included Ingleton Waterfalls and White Scar Caves. We like to go and investigate our local geography and have visited Blackpool sea front, Woodlands Road. Key stage 4 students visited Wycoller Beck, Manchester as a changing Urban Environment and Borrowdale to investigate how ice has changed the landscape.

Sixth Form students visit the dunes in Formby and Manchester as a world city.