Geography

Year 7

Autumn Term: Fascinating Places

Through a whistle stop tour of our amazing planet, we aim to develop our students’ sense of place to assist with their development of culture capital. Through the study of specific places, such as Easter Island, and the new 7 Wonders of the World, students will become map detectives, improving both their skills and their geographical knowledge. We focus on developing students’ map skills, including 4 and 6 figure grid references, distance, direction and height in order to lay the building blocks for progress through the Key Stages of the Geography National Curriculum. During this term, students will also undertake a local area project, where they can develop enquiry and research skills in the discovery of the unique area in which they live.

Spring Term: Coasts

We study our dynamic coast through the study of wave types, beaches and the processes of erosion, transportation and deposition. We encourage students to develop their ideas on how best to manage the coastline and the implications of rising sea levels. With current topical global concerns about Climate Change, we are able to introduce students to debate on pertinent questions on the effects of climate change in our own coastal settlement of Bude.

Summer Term: China

We study China as an example of an emerging superpower, investigating the human and physical geography of the country. We aim to introduce pupils to geographical similarities, differences and links between different regions, from Kamchatka to Tibet and look at the influence of population and the government on both the natural and manmade environment.

Year 8
Autumn Term: Biomes

We study different biomes around the world, focusing particularly on The Mediterranean and Desert Biomes, examining reasons for their distribution and the significance of climate as a factor. During the unit, students are given the opportunity to make their own ‘Biome in a Box’ to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of plant and animal adaptations in different global ecosystems. We also examine the importance of sustainable development when studying fragile ecosystems, such as the Tundra and TRF. For example, through a study of deforestation, pupils will develop their understanding of how human and physical processes can interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on the effective functioning of natural systems.

Spring Term: Plate Tectonics

During this unit, we study Earthquakes and Volcanoes and examine some key processes of physical geography relating to geological timescales and plate tectonics. We explore the ideas of Alfred Wegener and how his work led to the development of plate tectonic theory. We also examine the impact of natural hazards on human activity, through case studies of recent tectonic events, such as the Nepal earthquake. Building and exploding model volcanoes is one of the voluntary independent study assignments of this unit to encourage pupils to explore different types of eruption and their associated impacts.

Summer Term: The Plastic Problem

The growing concern for the state of our oceans has been highlighted in the media increasingly in recent years. With our lives so intertwined with the sea in our coastal location, we have developed a unit based on enquiry and evaluation skills that builds on the knowledge of Coasts studied in Y7. Students complete an enquiry on plastics in the local area and use local resources and expertise to evaluate the extent, causes and consequences of this issue.

Year 9
Autumn Term: Population

We examine world population dynamics in this unit, investigating reasons for growth and the impact of processes such as migration, revisiting our earlier study of China to develop students’ understanding of how crowded countries can try to manage their populations. Through pupil investigations into world distribution and density, we review map and atlas skills, through the interpretation of topographical and other thematic maps. We focus on megacities as a way of introducing the issues associated with urban living and urbanisation.

Spring Term: Russia

We aim to extend our students’ locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries through our study of Russia and its history. We look at the country’s physical and human geography, and focus on how economic activity can bring about change to places. Students complete an issue evaluation task based on the Aral Sea, making use of satellite imagery and GIS, examining how economic activity in the former USSR resulted in significant change to the environment and people of this area. A consideration of whether the situation is reversible is a challenge task designed to enrich their understanding of environmental issues.

Summer Term: Ice on the Land

In the summer term, we begin the topic of UK Landscapes, focussing on how ice was a powerful force in shaping the landscape, adding to the country’s geographical diversity. In this unit, we consolidate our previous learning on climate change and geological timescales from the Ice Age to the present. Students explore the development of glacial landscapes through the processes of transport, erosion and deposition and investigate the influence these have had on modern economic activity and settlement. We explore the issues of conflict and management of glaciated areas, looking in particular at the Lake District.

Assessment at KS3

Assessments and Homework assignments are recorded on Show My Homework via the school website.
Please contact us if you have difficulty accessing these.