Geography
Curriculum
Introduction
You will study a mixture of real places, real issues and use relevant skills to help you make sense of the world in the 21st Century. We will look at why volcanoes erupt, why some countries have more global power than others, how the physical landscape of the UK varies as well as a range of animals and plants in different environments.
K.Jennings
Subject Performance Leader
Key Skills & Understanding:
critical thinking · geo-politics · map reading · climate & regional impact · cultural awareness · meteorology - resource management
let's take a look...
7
YEAR
Theme/Unit
Class Content
Independent Study
Assisted Study
Introduction to geography
The key themes in physical and human geography.
Takeaway homework- a set of 25 choices of topic related activities.
Check for homework in planners.
Introduction to map skills
Ordnance survey map skills.
Research into the student's local area.
Look at maps and atlases when on a visit or journey.
Exploring
England
The key features of England and its geographical features.
Takeaway homework. Research into English regions.
Think about how they are connected to different parts of England.
Rivers and
flooding
Physical processes, river features. Flooding with a focus on Bangladesh
Takeaway homework. Research into English regions.
Look for recent flood events anywhere in the world and consider their impact.
Amazing places
Atlas skills. Looking at global places of interest.
Takeaway homework. Research into English regions.
Think about places they have visited. Look at a bucket list of dream destinations.
Weather and Climate
How to forecast the weather, what makes it rain, the UK climate.
Takeaway homework.
Look at weather forecasts together and consider their accuracy.
Geography
Y7 | Key Stage 3
Geography
KS3
Weather and
climate
What makes it rain?What affects the UK climate?What are micro-climates?
Takeaway homework a set of 25 choices of topic related activities.Weather diary. Micro-climate assessment.
Check for homework in planners. Look at the weather forecast together.
Changing
coastlines
Ordnance survey map skills.
Takeaway homework. Research into their local area.
Reflect on visits to the coast.
Can you locate them on a map?
Africa and
development
How do we measure development? What is life like in Ghana?
How do we help poor countries?
Takeaway homework. Research into African countries
Discuss Africa in the news. Discuss what fair trade is and whether it is a good thing. Charity - what are your views?
Extreme
environments
How do people survive in Mountains, deserts and cold environments?
Takeaway homework. Research for assessment.
Check for homework in planners.
Global fashion
What is Globalisation? How do transnational companies work?
Takeaway homework.The geography of my stuff.
Check for homework in planners.
My local region
Is Kimberley a model town? Local shopping environments. Local issues housing transport and trams
Takeaway homework.
Local fieldwork.
Check for homework in planners.
Y8 | Key Stage 3
Geography
Theme/Unit
Class Content
Independent Study
Assisted Study
8
YEAR
Y9 | Key Stage 3
Geography
My local region
shopping
assessment
Practice for GCSE investigation questions.
Takeaway homework a set of 25 choices of topic related activities.
Hazards
Nature of hazards.
Volcanoes and earthquakes.
How do we respond to / manage hazards?
Takeaway homework.
Research into recent hazard events.
The Rise of
China
Global population trends. Managing population. Globalisation - benefits and problems.
Takeaway homework. Survey of China in my life.
Rainforests
Global ecosystems.How does a rainforest work? Ecosystems under threat. Decision making.
Takeaway homework.
Crime and
conflict
What is terrorism? The geography of war? What are the impacts of conflict? Global patterns of crime: the drugs trade. Local patterns of crime & burglary.
Takeaway homework.
9
YEAR
Theme/Unit
Class Content
Independent Study
PAPER 2: Urban World
A study of a city in a LIC/NEE – Rio de Janeiro
A study of a UK city – Nottingham
Sustainable Cities
Completing classwork. Observational drawings. Artist Studies. Photographic research. Developments.
Check your child's SMH for homework tasks. Help your child to find interesting things to draw. Take your child to galleries, museums and sites of cultural interest where possible.
Give your child ideas and opinions about their work.
PAPER 1: Living World
Ecosystems
Tropical Rainforests (Amazon and Malaysia) Cold Environments (Svalbard and Alaska
Completing classwork.
Observational drawings. Artist studies. Photographic research.
Developments.
Encourage your child to attend extra-curricular catch up sessions after school and occasionally on Saturday. Go through exam topics and help them come up with ideas and themes personal to them.
PAPER 2: Resource Management
Global supply and demand of resources Provision of food, water and energy in the UK Global and local energy management (Peru)
Completing classwork.
Observational drawings. Artist studies. Photographic research.
Developments.
Encourage your child to attend extra-curricular catch up sessions after school and occasionally on Saturday. Go through exam topics and help them come up with ideas and themes personal to them.
PAPER 1: UK Physical Landscapes
An in depth study of rivers (River Tees and Cockermouth Floods) An in depth study of coasts (Holderness Coast, Yorkshire and Banbury)
Completing classwork.
Observational drawings. Artist studies. Photographic research.
Developments.
Encourage your child to attend extra-curricular catch up sessions after school and occasionally on Saturday. Go through exam topics and help them come up with ideas and themes personal to them.
Geography
Y10 | Key Stage 4
10
YEAR
Theme/Unit
Class Content
Independent Study
Assisted Study
PAPER 1: Natural Hazards
Tectonic Hazards (Chile and Nepal earthquakes) Weather Hazards (Typhoon Haiyan and Cockermouth Floods) Climate Change
Practice examination questions
Revision for mock examination
Ongoing weekly homework
Support with students preparing for mid and end of unit assessments
Support with students preparing mock examination
PAPER 2: Changing Economic World
The Development Gap (Jamaica) Newly Emerging Economies (Nigeria) Changing UK Economy
Practice examination questions Ongoing weekly homework
Support with students preparing for mid and end of unit assessments
PAPER 1: Revision
Structured revision of Paper 1 units
Tectonic hazards
Weather hazards
Climate change
Ecosystems
Tropical Rainforests
Cold Environments
Rivers
Coasts
Creation of revision materials Practice examination questions Ongoing weekly homework
Support with student attending any catch up sessions that are offered
Support with students preparing for final exams
PAPER 3: Preparation
Pre-release document issued by exam board (Approx Easter)
Students will be guided through a series of preparation lessons
Fieldwork revision and examination practice
Independent revision and learning of pre-release materials
Practice fieldwork examination questions
Ongoing weekly homework
Support with student attending any catch up sessions that are offered
Support with students preparing for final exams
PAPER 2 Revision
Structure revision of Paper 2 units
Urban World
Urban Change in the UK
Sustainable Cities
The Development Gap
Newly Emerging Economies
The Changing Economic World
Resource Management
Energy Management
Creation of revision materials Practice examination questions Ongoing weekly homework
Support with student attending any catch up sessions that are offered
Support with students preparing for final exams
11
YEAR
Geography
Y11 | Key Stage 4
Theme/Unit
Class Content
Independent Study
Assisted Study
What is Geography at Key Stage 5?
Geography is the study of the Earth’s Places, People, Environments and Societies. It is the only subject whose main focus is the relationship between people and their environment. In other words Geography tries to make sense of the changing world we all live in. There are many types of Geography. At A-level we look at Physical, Environmental, Human, Social and Cultural and Political Geographies.
Who is it for?
12&13
YEARS
Candidates for Geography will be interested in the World around them, how and why it is changing and their role in the world of the Future. Our students will learn in a number of ways and will develop a range of skills including ICT and handling data, decision making, fieldwork skills, presenting data, as well as looking at other cultures, political decisions, and discussing alternative solutions to problems. Candidates will normally have studied Geography at GCSE but this is not always essential.
What will I study?
Geography tries to make sense of the changing world in which we all live. There is a balance of Human and Physical Geography along with a range of option choices which we may be able to make. Topicality is the key, with real life issues being at the heart of the course. Each module of work has a current issue to study, for example how do we manage the future pressures on Cities? How might we live in a sustainable way in the future? Can we feed an ever-growing global population? Is global warming now inevitable and are the ways we can manage it?
Geographers develop a unique range of skills which are not only academically valuable but could be regarded as life skills. Geographers can ask questions, collect and analyse data and offer solutions to problems. You will learn outside the classroom, handle data, use maps and graphs, develop a range of mapping skills and support all of this with the use of ICT. However just as important are the skills of decision making, of understanding different cultures and political systems. Candidates will consider moral and ethical issues, multicultural societies, sustainability and the environmental challenges facing the planet in the 21st century.
In short, this course offers academic rigour and challenge combined with the study of contemporary issues of global citizenship with the ability to learn in a wide number of ways. This makes Geography fit with any combination of subjects.
We will organise fieldwork to support the compulsory requirements of the course. Possible locations in the UK will be the Yorkshire coast or South Wales, along with perhaps London and the Peak District and regular work in the Local area.
Course Content:
Component 1:
Physical Geography. Water and carbon cycles – the global water cycle, drainage basins, carbon cycles and human impacts.
Coastal systems and landscapes – Distribution, coasts as natural systems, processes and landforms and management of coastal environments.
Hazards – tectonic and storm hazards. Hazard management
Component 3:
Geographical Investigation:The independent investigation must:
• be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student individually to address aims, questions and/or hypotheses relating to any part of the specification content
• incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations
• draw on the student's own research and/or secondary data
• require the student to independently contextualise, analyse and draw conclusions
• involve presentation and analysis of data and findings, and extended wrIting
Component 2:
Human Geography:Global systems and global governance – international trade, globalisation, responding to globalisation. Antarctic treaties.
Changing places – how does the concept of place influence our lives? Case studies of two contrasting places and how their social and cultural characteristics change over time.
Contemporary Urban environments – the rise of urbanisation, urban issues such as sustainability and urban climates. Social and economic issues in cities.
How will I be assessed?
The Assessment Objectives are common to AS and A Level
Unit 1
Physical Geography
A 2 hour 30 min exam worth 40% of total A level
Unit 3
Students complete an individual investigation which must include data collected in the field . The individual investigation must be based on a question or issue 3 – 4 thousand words.
20% of total marks.
Unit 2
Human Geography
A 2 hour 30min exam worth 40% of total A level
Y12/13 Guide to Independent Learning
Geography at KS5
After each lesson you should:
• Review your lesson notes, go back through the power point and highlight anything that you do not understand so that you can ask about this in the next lesson
• Read through the relevant section of the textbook and revision guide to add additional information to class notes
• Ensure your class notes are in lesson order in your folder
• Complete or plan relevant exam questions in booklet, linking to lesson content
Each week you should:
• Review the work you have done over the week and make some active revision resources. Examples may include glossaries, mindmaps, flash cards, flow diagrams, quizzes, mood boards, drawings for understanding
• Be proactive when using revision sites - locate the pages relevant to the material that you have been covering in lessons. Add any extra or interesting information to your notes
• Ensure you understand how to apply the content from lessons – how do they link to previous lessons? How could you link them to a case study? Can you use this information on different scales? Can you identify synoptic links?
Below are some particularly useful sites for elements of the course:
Website: Useful for:
Geography Revision - PMT (physicsandmathstutor.com) Additional revision notes
AQA A-Level Geography Revision Blast | Coastal
Systems & Landscapes 1 | 7 Apr 2021 - Bing video
Summary on key topics
AQA A Level Geography | Revision Notes & Study
Resources (geography-revision.co.uk)
Revision materials
Royal Geographical Society - Royal Geographical
Society (with IBG) (rgs.org)
Up to date case studies
Throughout the year you should:
• Complete past paper questions with mark schemes from the AQA website (the mark schemes can also be found
here: AQA | AS and A-level | Geography | Assessment resources
You should work through these questions to test your knowledge and critically assess your work using the mark schemes. You could also ask your class teacher to read through any questions you have completed in your own time.
If you are in year 13, could you attend year 12 lessons on topics you are unsure on? Are you up to date on your homework revision sheets?
At least once per half-term you should:
• Carry out a folder cleanse. Ensure work is in a sensible order (chronological or by theme) and that sections are clearly divided ( e.g. different teachers / different topics / assessments v class work)
• Identify any missing work and take steps to fill gaps – email teacher for power point, liaise with peers to catch up
• Use additional reading in the groups folder to complete further notes on lesson content and case studies
Where can this course take me?
Geography is one of the most employable subjects. You could work in a variety of areas including
Environmental Work Conservation
Financial Services
Town Planning
Architecture
Travel & Tourism
Law
Accountancy
Armed Forces
Meteorology
Civil Services
Police and more..
For more information of post-school progression please check out our dedicated Careers Page for related links and guidance.
For more information on this course throughout all key stages please contact Mrs K Jennings
k.jennings@kimberleyschool.co.uk
