Geography

Geography and me

Pupils learn to use a range of maps and compass directions to describe their location. They use OS maps and a key to characterise their geographical area. With this foundation pupils then study the physical characteristics of the British Isles and are introduced to relief and rivers. This is followed by an overview of the countries and capital cities that make up the UK. The unit introduces how classical and modern migration has shaped the UK.

Our planet

This unit is the second induction unit to geography, this time taking a global perspective. All pupils arrive with a notion that we inhabit planet Earth and that we can study the natural and human processes that occur on it. This unit aims to introduce the different ‘spheres’ of activity on planet Earth (tectonic, atmospheric, hydrological, biological and human activity).

Resources and trade

Following the Unit 2 induction to ‘Our planet’ pupils recognise how the many regions around the world are connected through the trade of resources. Pupils’ understanding of their ‘personal geographies’ is deepened by analysing their own possessions, noticing how most items they own have been manufactured and have global connections.

Brilliant biomes

In Unit 2 pupils learned how the atmosphere and the water cycle enables Earth to be inhabited by plants and animals. In this unit they will learn how global biomes are distributed, the importance of the carbon, nutrient, and water cycles. They will focus on tropical rainforests and desert biomes and the human activities affecting these biomes.

Fantastic places of the UK

By the end of this unit pupils will understand how physical processes account for the varied landscapes of the UK. Pupils will use OS maps to identify mountainous, lowland and coastal areas. They will learn how processes such as continental drift and glaciation have shaped the UK landscapes.

UK coasts

This unit on coasts is placed after UK landscapes as pupils will already have a solid understanding of geology in the UK. Pupils by now are familiar with OS maps and the use of a map key, which was introduced in Unit 1 and revisited in Unit 5 together with contour lines and spot height. In this unit pupils learn the skill of four figure grid references and are then able to identify where coastal features are located on a paper map.

River rivals

Students learn how rivers are a key feature of the earth’s natural landscape. River characteristics change between the upper and lower courses. Rivers are vital resources that maintain ecosystem balance, improve quality of life and enable economic development. However, water supply and river health are jeopardised by rising populations. River management is needed to prevent flooding and conserve resources, and large rivers are often managed by hydro-electric power dams such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Place context: River Nile, north east Africa.

Food and famine

In this unit, students learn about food as an essential resource. While parts of the world are experiencing food plenty, others continue to face food insecurity. Economically developed regions tend to be food secure. Food insecurity is most severe where extreme climate and poor soil conditions exist alongside political instability and economic hardship. Rising populations and levels of wealth affect food security in the future which will have knock-on effects including famine. Largescale farming is becoming more common. Strategies exist to improve food security.

Endless energy?

Endless Energy is the third in a set of three units all about resource management. In Unit 2 Food and Famine students assessed why there was inequality in access to food and the consequences of this for quality of life. In this unit we turn to a more global perspective where we learn about the role of energy in our modern lives and how the use of energy as we know it will inevitably change. In this unit we learn that the combustion of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases which contributes to rising global temperatures.

Climate change

Unit 4 develops prior knowledge from the Endless Energy topic by examining how fossil fuel combustion contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect and explores the uneven impacts of these climatic changes across the globe. It then assesses contribution that developing renewables can have in mitigating against climate change.

Polar environments

In this unit, students will be learning about cold, arid polar environments found in high latitudes; the Arctic and Antarctic. Students will learn how polar environments play an important role in keeping the global climate cool and how rising temperatures are rising fast in this regions. Glaciers are huge frozen landforms and can be found in polar regions. They will learn about the humans that live in the Arctic region and the connections to the fossil fuel industry.

Culture and Trade

Pupils navigate the complexities of cultures in around the world as we focus on how the Middle East has utilised their geographic location to become a gateway trade route for Africa, Europe and Asia. In this unit pupils will also explore the wonders of sustainable living in Masdar City, and the importance of a mineral called Coltan, which is used in every smart device in the world.

Global oceans (tectonics and global processes)

This is the first of four units that address the theme of global connections. Before oceans are studied as bodies of water pupils examine their connection to the Earth’s crust. The first part of the unit addresses how tectonics alter land under the oceans and demonstrates how oceans can also bring natural hazards. The second part of the unit investigates large scale ocean systems, in particular their interaction with the atmosphere. Through this, pupils can explain the importance of oceans to the planet.

Ocean biomes and governance

The previous topic demonstrated how oceans are part of tectonic systems and the atmosphere. This unit adds layers of both marine life and human activity. Students explore different marine ecosystems and and their biodiversity e.g. coral reefs. They go on to find out the threats to these ecosystems and the difficulties in trying to manage marine ecosystems.

The global economy

This unit focuses on trade, income, economic activities, and employment (the economy). Students will identify general trends when comparing the economies of countries with different levels of wealth. Pupils discover out how China quickly changed from an agricultural to a manufacturing nation. Pupils will also find out how the UK has dealt with the decline of industry. They will learn about the connections of countries through trade and how these interconnections are known as the global economy. An increase in global trade has led to some benefits and some disadvantages. 

Development disparity

This unit is therefore synoptic in nature, encouraging pupils to make links to several other units that have come before. Students learn about indicators of development and how these indicators show a similar pattern of uneven development. Students explore the physical and human causes for uneven development. In the second part of the unit the students focus on India and the historical factors that have impacted development and the strategies to reduce the gap.

Glacial landforms and processes

In this unit students will learn about locations of vast areas of ice e.g. ice shelves, ice sheets and glaciers. They will study an example - The Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range. They will learn about the characteristics of glaciers and the processes and landforms created by them.

Factfulness

This is the final unit of the KS3 geography course. This is a seamless link into GCSE geography as pupils debunk misconceptions about development, extreme poverty and deprivation around the world. This series of lessons has been created using the work of Hans Rosling, a Swedish Geographer, and the founder of the Gapminder Foundation. By the end of this unit pupils will see world development through a different lens.

Natural hazards

In this unit students will learn how natural hazards pose major risks to people and property; different types of natural hazard that occur and the factors affecting hazard risk.

They will learn about tectonic hazards - Plate tectonics theory; the relationship between plate margins and EQ and Vol distribution; processes at different plate margins; primary and secondary effects; immediate and long-term responses; named examples showing how level of development affects hazard effects and responses; reasons why people live in areas prone to tectonic hazards; how management can reduce tectonic hazard risks.

They will also learn about weather hazards - General atmospheric circulation model; causes and structure of tropical storms (TS); how climate change might affect TSs; primary and secondary effects; immediate and long-term responses; a named example of a TS; how management can reduce TS effects.

They will also study weather hazards in the UK including an example of a recent extreme weather event in the UK and the evidence of weather becoming more extreme in the UK. They will end the unit by studying climate change; the evidence for it, the natural and human causes, the impacts and the ways in which it can be mitigated against, and how people can adapt to it.

Living world

Pupils will start by exploring ecosystems – they will study an example of a small -scale UK ecosystem and they will consider the balance between biotic and abiotic components; impact of changing one component; large scale ecosystems (distribution and characteristics). Pupils will then focus on tropical rainforests; where they are distributed and vast biodiversity, they will use a case study to explore the causes and impacts of deforestation and they will then look at ways of managing rainforests sustainably. This will be followed by exploring hot deserts, they will learn about where they are distributed and the lack of biodiversity in there ecosystems, they will then look at a case study of a hot desert and assess the opportunities and challenge for economic development in these regions. They will then look at the causes and management strategies for desertification.

Urban issues and challenges

Pupils begin this unit by looking at global urbanisation, the causes of urbanisation and the emergence of megacities. They will then look at a case study of a city in an NEE, exploring the opportunities and challenges resulting from urban growth. They will then study an example of urban planning to improve quality of life. The second part of the unit focuses on the distribution of UK cities and more specifically the case study of a UK city. Pupils we consider the opportunities and challenges resulting from urban growth. They will then study an example of urban regeneration.

UK Physical landscapes: Coasts

In this unit students will learn about different wave types and characteristics; the physical processes affecting coasts such as erosion, deposition and longshore drift. They will also learn about the characteristics and formation of erosional landforms and depositional landforms. They will study an example of a stretch of UK coastline. They will finish this topic by investigating the costs and benefits of hard and soft engineering strategies and then considering an example of a coastal management scheme in the UK.

UK Physical landscapes: Rivers

In this unit students will learn about long and cross profiles of a typical river; fluvial processes of erosion, deposition and transportation. They will learn about the characteristics and formation of erosional landforms and landforms resulting from erosion and deposition as well as depositional landforms. They will consider the physical and human factors affecting flood risk and how flooding events can be shown on hydrographs. They will finish this unit by looking at costs and benefits of hard and soft engineering strategies and an example of a flood management scheme in the UK.

Mocks/Revision and Fieldwork

Students will take part in two fieldtrips, one urban environment and one coastal environment. Students will follow an enquiry process, taking the following steps; formulating a question and understanding what primary and secondary data is, as well as qualitative and quantitative data; collect data and use different equipment; analyse the data; draw a conclusion; evaluate the stages of the enquiry.

Resource management

This unit begins by looking at 3 essential resources; food, water and energy – how they impact wellbeing and global supply, and consumption Pupils look at the UK demand for resources and issues associated with this. Pupils then focus on the resource of ‘food’. The consider global inequalities and the reasons for increasing consumption, they study factors affecting supply and the impacts of insecurity. They then investigate strategies to increase supply, using an example of a large-scale development. Pupils then explore strategies to improve sustainable supplies of food, with an example of a local scheme in and LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supply.

Changing economic world

Pupils will study international development - development classifications (e.g. HIC/NEE/LIC ) development indicators and their limitations. They will study the Demographic Transition Model and the causes and consequences of uneven development. They will then consider strategies to reduce the development gap, with an example of how tourism in an LIC/NEE helps to reduce the development gap. They will study a case study of an LIC or NEE to show location, importance and context, changing industrial structure, role of trans-national corporations, changing political and trade relationships, aid, impacts of economic development. The second part of the unit considers the economic futures in the UK - causes of decline and the post-industrial economy. They consider the impacts of industry on environment with an example of how modern industrial development can be more sustainable. They study the changes in rural areas; UK infrastructure improvements and development; north-south divide and strategies to close north-south gap; the UK's place in the wider world.

Revision

During these lessons students will recap, revise and complete practice exam questions in preparation for their GCSE’s.

Issue evaluation

This is a document released from the exam board (AQA) prior to the exam. This will contain information and figures from any area of the specification. In these lessons students will practice interpreting the information, images and statistical data in preparation for exam questions on Paper 3.

Revision

During these lessons students will recap, revise and complete practice exam questions in preparation for their GCSE’s.