Topic/Big Question
Theme(s)
Key Knowledge
Key Skills
• Understand what we mean by the term development and appreciate the advanatges and disadvanatges of measuring develeopment using different indicators.
• Understand the factors affecting a country's level of development.
• Understand what we mean by the term urbanisation and explain why some areas of the world are urbanising rapidly.
• Understand how a country's economic structure changes as it devlops.
• Assess what makes a country developed.
• Use a variety of maps such as political maps and choropleth maps.
Assessment
Students investigate UK physical landscapes like the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District, study river systems and flooding, and explore population issues in developed and emerging regions. They also examine coastal environments and globalisation, with a case study on Saudi Arabia.
Careers
Personal and Spiritual Development
Any other key information (If relevant)
• Use and interpret a variety of graphs including line graphs and climate graphs.
word test and year 9 exam.
Physical and environmental geography
Gasmere filedwork will be taught for the first two weeks in September before comencing the Tropical Rainforests topic. Key vocabulary will be given for this topic. Human geography
This topic will change for 2026 to become 'Tourism' as development issues will be combined with population. This will be taught in year 8 from Nov-Jan. Pupils will undertake fieldwork in Grasmere.
Key vocabulary will be given for this topic.
• Understand the location of tropical rainforests.
• Understand key physical characteristics, such as climate, soil and nutrient cycling.
• Understand key plant and animal adaptations.
• Understand the causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests.
• Understand the social, economic and environmetal impacts of deforestation in tropical rainforests.
• Understand how tropical rainforests can be managed sustainably and why this is important.
• Use and interpret graphs such as climate graphs.
• Use and interpret aerial photographs.
• Use and interpret diagrams such as the Gersmehl model.
• Use and interpret a variety of maps at various scales.
Physical geography
• Understand the structure of the Earth and what tectonic plates are.
• Understand how and why tectonic plates move.
• Identify and describe various plate boundaries, explaining how and why earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
• Understand the social, economic and enviornmatal impacts of tectonic activity.
• Understand how people respond to tectonic activity.
• Understand why people continue to live in areas that experince tectonic activity despite the risks.
• Evaluate whether tourists should be allowed to visit volcanic landscapes.
• Use plate boundary maps.
• Use various diagrams such as plate boundary diagrams.
• Interpret a variety of photographs.
Human geography
• Understand what we mean by the term geopolitics and understand the reasons why countries can be powerful.
• Undersdtand what we mean by globalistions and the impacts of globalisation.
• Understand China's main human and physical features.
• Understand why China's economy has grown rapidly.
• Evaluate the positive and negative aspects of China's trade with Africa.
• Use and interpret a variety of maps such as politcical, population density and relief maps.
Key word test, year 9 exam and adaption report.
Key word test and 'assess' exam question.
Key word test.
Stewardship.
Key vocabulary will be given for this topic.
Justice.
Key vocabulary will be given for this topic.