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Geography

Curriculum Intent

Our intent is to teach Geography in a context that will stimulate students curiosity about the ‘physical’ and ‘natural world’ around them, understanding the ‘wider meaning’ and to inspire a future generation of Geographical Investigators.

Geography underpins a life long ‘conversation’ about the Earth as the home of humankind. (GA manifesto 2018)

Geography is offered as: (these will be links so you can jump the right point in the page)

  • Core subject Years 7, 8 & 9
  • GCSE Option Years 10 & 11
  • IB Geography Year 12 & 13

 

ks3

ks4

ks5

Key Stage 3 Geography

Curriculum Overview

In Key Stage 3 we seek to embed the following core skills into our young geographers to help them understand the world around them and begin their life long geographical journey.

  1. Physical process through space and time
  2. Human process through space and time
  3. Systems approach
  4. Interactions of people and place
  5. Geographical skills
  6. Geographical locations and scales
 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 7Introduction to Geography and Map SkillsPopulationThe World of waterIndia and SwedenPerspectives of Rochester
Year 8The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)Global Ecosystems

 

 

The Globalisation of FashionThe dark side of GeographyCan we put life on Mars
Year 9Topical review of the summerClimate ChangeGlobal Power struggles

 

 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Fieldwork

 

Year 7

Students receive 3 lessons per fortnight, through which they develop key geographical awareness. They are encouraged to look at the world from a range of scales and study a wide variety of locations. We begin to explore some of the contemporary issues facing the world and how these are being overcome. Students will also carry out local fieldwork which will help them to develop investigative skills and understand the enquiry process.

Year 8

Students receive 3 lessons per fortnight and begin to be taught in a thematic style where much larger issues are looked at and they are guided to reflect upon and apply knowledge from across the geographical spectrum. This in turn helps students to understand the complex interrelationships that exist in the world today between peoples and place. Students will also carry out local fieldwork which will help them to develop investigative skills and understand the enquiry process.

Year 9

Students receive 3 lessons per fortnight and continue to be taught in a thematic style. We carry on looking at some of the large questions facing the world and seek to blur the line between conventional ‘human’ and ‘physical’ geography instead looking to develop synoptic thinkers who critically analyse the world around them.

Assessment

Geography is assessed in a number of ways from convention examinations to group work and presentations. Emphasis is placed on using and applying correct terminology within written and oral work. Students will also reflect frequently on how they are meeting the core 6 skills within geography and the progress that they are making within the subject.

In addition to the Key Stage 3 knowledge and skills, students will also undertake fieldwork to investigate their local area at a range of different scales helping them to understand the enquiry process and how to collect and analyse data.

Further Reading/Resources

– The Royal Geographical Society has a large range of articles, videos and competitions that KS3 students can access

– This curriculum is designed to be as up to date as possible and as such we will frequently change examples based on what is happening in the world around us and as such expect students to follow the news and current affairs to support them in their understanding of the topic.

Key Stage 4 Geography

Curriculum Overview

Students at Key Stage 4 have two periods a week studying the AQA Geography curriculum.

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 10The Challenge of Natural HazardsThe Living WorldUrban issues and ChallengesPhysical Landscapes in the UK & Fieldwork
Year 11Physical Landscapes in the UK & FieldworkThe Changing Economic WorldThe Challenge of resource managementPre-release and Revision 

 

 

        

Year 10

Students will build upon knowledge developed in KS3. Our studies will focus on how disparities in wealth can impact the outcomes of disasters, the ‘curse’ of having resources such as a rainforest and a look at how social opportunity differs between two major cities, Rio De Janeiro and London. We will finish the year by undertaking fieldwork to the coast to look at the impacts and effectiveness of coastal management, which is assessed on paper 3.

Year 11

We start the year by completing our fieldwork requirements and we head to Canterbury to assess the impact that regeneration has had on the Highstreet. Studies then turn to the economic world where we look at global and regional differences between countries and consider why Nigeria and the UK have differed in terms of development and what the future holds for each nation.  We finish the set curriculum by looking at resource issues within the UK. Around the Easter break we will also issue the pre-release document which is assessed on paper 3 and spend term 5 working through this with students as well as revising.

Assessment at GCSE

  • Paper 1 – Living with the Physical Environment
    • Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
    • 88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPaG))
    • 35% of GCSE
  • Paper 2 – Challenges in the Human Environment
    • Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
    • 88 marks (including 3 marks for (SPaG))
    • 35% of GCSE
  • Paper 3 – Geographical Applications
    • Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes
    • 76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG)
    • 30% of GCSE
    • Pre-release resources booklet made available 12 weeks before Paper 3 exam

Further Reading/Resources

– My Revision notes AQA GCSE 9-1 (Available for purchase through the Geography department)

– This curriculum is designed to be as up to date as possible and as such we will frequently change examples based on what is happening in the world around us and as such expect students to follow the news and current affairs to support them in their understanding of the topic.

Key Stage 5 Geography

Curriculum Overview 

Students at Key Stage follow the IB Geography course as part of the IB Diploma and can be taken at Standard Level (SL) (5 lessons per week) or Higher Level which includes the SL syllabus (8 lessons per week).

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 12 SLFreshwaterGeophysical hazardsInternal Assessment (IA)Changing population
Year 12 HLPower places and networksHuman development and diversityGlobal risks and resilience
Year 13 SLGlobal resource consumption and securityGlobal climate – vulnerability and resilience 
Year 13 HLFood and HealthRevision

Year 12

Students will build upon their geographical knowledge further by studying units some of which will be familiar, and some will be completely new. The focus is to understand how the world operates at a wide range of scales and how human interactions are interrelated and to be able to critically evaluate the outcomes of these interactions and the factors which can contribute to this.

In addition, during year 12 students will go and undertake fieldwork to gather data as part of their Internal Assessment and begin the write up process for this.

Year 13

In Year 13 students are able to build upon the knowledge gained in Year 12, project. In geography we aim for them to become nexus thinkers and understand how geographic issues, have been shaped by powerful human and physical processes and to begin synthesizing diverse geographic knowledge in order to form viewpoints about how these issues could be resolved.

Assessment at IB

Paper 1 – Four Core Themes

  • Format: Section A has FOUR “short-answer” document-based questionnaires (one for each core theme) + Section B has ONE essay-like question
  • Duration: 90 minutes
  • Maximum total of marks: 45 marks (Section A) + 15 marks (Section B) = 60 marks
  • Weight in final grade: (SL: 40%) (HL: 25%)

Paper 2 – Options paper

Format: on each of the (SL: Two) (HL: Three) optional themes which they have studied, candidates must choose between two document-based “structured questions”.

  • Duration: (SL: 80 minutes) (HL: 120 minutes)
  • Maximum total of marks:
      • SL: 20 marks x 2 themes = 40 marks
      • HL: 20 marks x 3 themes = 60 marks
  • Weight in final grade: (SL: 35%) (HL: 35%)

Internal Assessment (Fieldwork) (2,500 words max – 25%)

  • Format: individual written report of 2,500 words maximum
  • Maximum total: 30 marks
  • Weight in final grade: 25%
  • The fieldwork is required for both SL and HL students

Further Reading/Resources

– Geography: A Very Short Introduction – John A. Matthews

– Small in Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered – E. F. Schumacher

– Questioning Geography – Castree

– The Revenge of Gaia – James Lovelock

– Human Geography: An Essential Anthology – ed. Agnew, Livingstone and Rogers

– Mapping: Ways of Representing the World – Dorling & Fairbairn

– Territory: The Claiming of Space – David Storey

– Hungry City – Carolyn Steel The Economics of Climate Change – Nicholas Stern

– Globilisation and its Discontents – J. Stiglitz

British Values

British Values in Geography

Democracy:

  • KS3 Abuses of democracy are explored through the exploitation of workers by TNCs We also look at child soldiers and the abuse that is inflicted on them POL for yr 7 also looks at the commonwealth and the benefits that this brought with it
  • KS4 and KS5 We look at areas that are not democratic and totalitarian/authoritarian states such as North Korea, China and Russia and the impacts for people and society

Rule of law:

  • KS3 We look at sustainable development goals and a big part of this is the rights and respect that are offered to differing groups such as females and children
  • KS4 We explore how TNCs have violated laws and how corruption in governments have led to negative impacts for people and the environment.
  • KS5 The teaching of Superpowers and Geopolitics focuses on the rule of law around the world the role of large IGOs such as the UN and the role of the security council. We also consider the law of the sea and the rules regarding exclusive economic zones.

Individual Liberty:

  • KS3 We explore the role of woman in societies and the emancipation of women around the world and the impacts that this has for them and their societies.  We look at sustainable development goals and a big part of this is the rights and respect that are offered to differing groups such as females and children

Mutual respect:

  • KS3 Resect of other cultures and an understanding of ‘British norms’ in comparison to others such as Asian, African and European cultures. POL looks at the commonwealth as well as multicultural societies in the context of London.
  • This is done in KS4/5 with a range of other examples

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs:

  • KS3 We look at Inuit peoples and how their way of life differs from ours. As well as the lives of people in India, across Europe POL looks at the commonwealth as well as multicultural societies in the context of London.
  • KS5 We explore a range of different cultures and beliefs through looking at western vs eastern spreads of cultures and how they have been accepted as well as how these cause challenges. We also look at how indigenous tribes have been treated and how increasing tolerance has enabled them to maintain cultural identities and beliefs