Geography
Head of Department: Edward Jones (Mr E Jones)
Key Stage 3
YEAR 7
Course outline
- What is geography?
- Why does weather and climate differ?
- Why does climate change matter?
- What is the value of national parks? (Including local area fieldwork).
Forms of assessment
Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson by a 25-minute end of topic test. All fieldwork will be assessed through the completion of a fieldwork booklet.
What parents can do to help
Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons. Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on the BBC especially on the issue of Climate Change.
Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others. Encourage them to use lots of different types of maps and interact with GIS programmes such as Google Earth. Look for news stories from other parts of the world and think about the climate and weather that they experience. Research extreme weather events like typhoons to find out where and why they occur.
Visit a National Park (such as the Peak District) and experience why these important landscapes need protecting for people and nature within the UK.
YEAR 8
Course outline
- How do plate tectonics shape our planet?
- Is the world becoming more developed? (Including a regional study of the Horn of Africa).
- What is the value of biomes? (Including local area fieldwork).
Forms of assessment
Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson by a 25-minute mid topic, and a 25-minute end of topic test. All fieldwork will be assessed through the completion of a fieldwork booklet.
What parents can do to help
Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons. Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on the BBC such as Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve and the Blue Planet/Planet Earth series. Read news articles regarding the places studied such as development in the Horn of Africa and tectonic hazards as and when they occur.
Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others. Look for news stories from other parts of the world and see how they compare to ours. Look at maps of the places studied and discuss political and physical features of the countries. Discuss topical issues with your child such as migration, conflict, drought etc.
Visit different ecosystems such as woodlands or the coast to consider the living and non-living characteristics of each environment. Zoo's offer a useful insight into biomes that are less readily accessible.
YEAR 9
Course outline
- What is the value of water?
- Is the world shrinking?
- What is the future of Geography? (Including a regional study of Asia).
Forms of assessment
Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson by a 25-minute mid topic, and a 25-minute end of topic test. All fieldwork will be assessed through the completion of a fieldwork booklet.
What parents can do to help
Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons. Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on Netflix, especially regarding Globalisation and patterns of consumption.
Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others. Look for news stories that show the impact of climate change and consumption on water supplies in the world. Discuss topical issues with your child such as trade, global connections, migration, and the role of political superpowers such as the USA and China.
Visit a local river (such as the Goyt or Wye) and try and identify the features and processes in real life, along with how people use it.
KEY STAGE 4
GCSE GEOGRAPHY YEARS 10 & 11
Exam board:
Edexcel A
Course outline
Paper 1- The Physical Environment
- Changing landscapes of the UK- specific focus on rivers and coasts.
- Weather hazards and climate change- specific focus on droughts and tropical storms.
- Ecosystems, biodiversity and management- specific focus on tropical rainforests and deciduous woodlands.
Paper 2- The Human Environment
- Changing cities- specific focus on Manchester and Sao Paulo.
- Global development- specific foucs on Tanzania.
- Resource management- specific focus on energy.
Paper 3- Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges.
- Geographical investigations – physical environments (river study in the Goyt Valley)
- Geographical investigations – human environment (urban study in Manchester)
- UK Challenges.
Forms of assessment
Mocks:
- Students will complete an end of topic test at the end of each topic which may contain elements of previous learning.
- Students will complete a mock paper in the summer of Year 10 equivalent to 1 whole paper.
- Students will complete a mock paper in the winter of Year 11 equivalent to 1 whole paper.
Final Assessment (Summer exam series of Year 11):
- Component 1: The Physical Environment (37.5%), written exam (1 ½ hours).
- Component 2: The Human Environment (37.5%), written exam (1 ½ hours).
- Component 3: Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges (25%), written exam (1 ½ hours).
What parents can do to help
Encourage your child to show you their folder and talk to them about what they are learning and how they are learning.
Help students with homework. Encourage your child to revise for tests and examinations using strategies such as flashcards, quizzing, and online tools such as Seneca.
Try to watch relevant TV programmes such as encouraging your child to watch the news to keep them up to date with current events.
Take your child's learning beyound the classroom by visiting some of the environments studied. This could include visiting a city (Manchester), a river (River Tees), the coast (Holderness Coast), and a deciduous woodland (Wyre Forest). All of these landscapes (including the named examples) are studied, and being immersed in these environments is excellent for bringing learning to life.