Geography

Our planet is currently facing a significant range of challenges and issues. Climate change threatens our polar and coastal regions, our resources are being used at an unsustainable rate and increased political instability is creating divides and conflicts within communities. A GCSE in Geography helps you to understand the physical and human processes that lead to these challenges and helps us to consider sustainable solutions to turn them into opportunities.

Geography is a fascinating subject that is ever changing and highly dynamic - if you enjoy learning about the processes that shape the world around you and the strategies to better look after it,, Geography is a great option for you!

Half Term 1 - Global Overview and Biomes

In year 7, students will have significantly different levels of geographical knowledge depending on how much they have covered in KS2. This topic (re)introduces the core geographical  concepts of space and place on a global scale.

Students acquire fundamental conceptual and locational knowledge on which they build throughout the rest of the curriculum.

Half Term 2 - Global Overview and Biomes

Having acquired fundamental knowledge of global human and physical geography, students learn about the diverse physical geography of the world in more depth with a focus on global ecosystems and biomes.

This embeds a broader and deeper understanding of our physical world and environment and creates a sense of awe and wonder.

Half Term 3 - Exploring the UK and Map Skills

This half term the focus is on UK geography as well as map skills, numeracy, and graphicacy skills that they require throughout the rest of the KS3 and KS4 geography curriculum.

It is vital that students know the geography of the country they live in (and also because there is a focus on UK geography in the GCSE curriculum).

Half Term 4 - Europe and the EU

The scale then increases from the national to the regional/continental scale. 

There is a focus on place as well as key geographical concepts such as population and enhanced map skills.

The focus on Europe and the EU  is especially relevant considering current political events.

Half Term 5 - Exploring Cities

This topic introduces students to urban geography and the changing nature of cities with an emphasis on the impact of the Olympics. 

Students compare London and Rio de Janeiro, two cities at different levels of development, and they learn to assess and evaluate, which are vital higher order thinking skills.

Half Term 6 - Globalisation

In this topic, students learn about the interconnectedness and interdependence of countries. 

Students gain a much deeper understanding of the globalised context of their lives and the part they play in larger global processes through their consumption habits of food, gadgets and clothes.

There is a synopsis of concepts such as development and the environment.

Half Term 1 - Development

In Year 8, the focus is on core human and physical geography so that even those students who do not go on to take GCSE geography can have fundamental knowledge of some of  the key processes that shape our world.

Students understand how nuanced the concept of Development is and why there is inequality throughout the world.

Half Term 2 - Volcanoes and Earthquakes

We alternate human and physical topics throughout the year so that students get a well rounded geographical education.

Plate tectonics have shaped and continue to shape the earth.

This topic is not in the GCSE curriculum so it is vital that students learn about this fundamental aspect of physical geography.

Half Term 3 - Conflict

This topic concerns the important historical and current links between geography and conflict.

Students gain a deeper understanding of the links between development (Term 1 topic) and conflict but also the impact of other geographical factors such as resource scarcity and climate change on conflict.

Half Term 4 - Weather and Climate

Students learn about the physical processes that form our weather and climate and about natural weather hazards  before learning about human causes and impacts of climate change thereby emphasising the synopticity between physical and human geography.

Half Term 5 - Glaciation

Glacial processes have shaped part of the UK and global landscape and glacial melt is one of the key contemporary concerns leading to sea level rise as a result of climate change. 

There are clear links between the Weather and Climate topic as well as to the final topic this year which concerns long term sustainability.

Half Term 6 - Sustainable Futures

This topic is highly synoptic in that it ties together physical and human geography as well as prior learning on climate change, while introducing new concepts such as energy.

This topic looks to the future with its focus on long term sustainability and encourages students to be thoughtful about the roles they play in shaping their futures.

Half Term 1 - Introduction to the UK and Coasts

This introductory GCSE topic gives students a grasp of the main physical processes which are at work in the UK.These will help students understand the formation of local landforms, starting with coastal landforms, and help foster an understanding of how these landforms combine to make landscapes. 

Through the 3-year course, students learn key terminology while integrating map, numeracy and graphicacy and extended writing skills.

Half Term 2 - Coasts and Integrated Skills

We continue to examine coastal processes and landforms.

We also focus on the human activities at work on coastal landscapes which helps students develop a holistic understanding of the processes influencing the physical landscape.

Half Term 3 - Rivers and Integrated Skills

Having completed coastal landscapes,  students move on to the physical and human processes which combine to create river landforms and landscapes.

There is some overlap with coastal processes and so an opportunity to consolidate and compare.

Half Term 4 - Rivers and Integrated Skills

We continue with river landscapes but in the second half term there is a bigger focus on how human activities impact upon the landscape and how the physical and human characteristics combine to create a distinctive landscape, which brings it all together.

Half Term 5 - Global Development and Integrated Skills

Global Development builds on the Year 8 development topic. Students will understand the causes and consequences of uneven global development as well as gaining an overview of urban patterns and processes.

We teach this human geography topic first as it helps to create the global context for concepts in subsequent topics (Changing Cities, Resource Management and UK Challenges

Half Term 6 - Global Development and Integrated Skills

In the 2nd part of Global Development students carry out a  detailed case study of challenges that affect India. 

They investigate the factors that have influenced its level of development and explore the impacts of rapid development.

This builds on their knowledge and understanding of urban processes and the causes and consequences of uneven global development.

Half Term 1 - Weather and Climate and Integrated Skills

In the Weather and Climate topic  students begin by learning about the key physical factors that influence weather and climate before studying  how and why global climate has changed and then focussing on the UK’s unique and changing climate.

The concepts in this topic form the basis for several concepts in the Ecosystems and UK Challenges topics that follow.

Half Term 2 - Weather and Climate and Integrated Skills

In the second part of the topic students learn how climate change has potentially influenced the severity of the two hydro-meteorological hazards of tropical cyclones and drought.

Students also develop an understanding of how the impacts of and responses to tropical cyclones and drought vary due to a country’s level of economic development. This ties in with the Global Development topic.

Half Term 3 - Changing Cities and Integrated Skills

This topic begins with a big-picture overview of the key urban processes and trends that shape the world and then focuses on the challenges that they pose for people living in Birmingham, UK and how these challenges are being managed.The ideas studied here help bring together human geography and people-environment issues from other concepts in the Global Development Topic and they also link to UK Challenges.

Half Term 4 - Changing Cities and Integrated Skills

Following an in-depth case study of changing urban processes in Birmingham, UK (a developed country), students study the evolving urban challenges facing residents of Mexico City, Mexico (an emerging country).

This builds on the students’ knowledge of the causes and consequences of uneven global development.

Half Term 5 - Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Management and Integrated Skills

This topic starts with an overview of the distribution of the world’s large-scale ecosystems and the factors that influence their distribution. 

It builds on the concepts in the Weather and Climate Topic.

The focus is then on the interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors of the tropical rainforest, the threats it faces, and its sustainable management in Madagascar.

Half Term 6 - Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Management and Rivers Fieldwork

In the second part of the topic, students learn about the interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors of the temperate forest and its sustainable management in the New Forest, UK.

Students will also spend 1 day and approximately 6 lessons on a practical geographical enquiry into river processes and environments  that they learned about in Year 9. They do so in a local river landscape.

Half Term 1 - Resource Management and Integrated Skills

In this final topic, students learn about the management of resources initially at global and UK scales, looking at an overview of food, energy and water. 

They then carry out an in-depth study of water use and management in the UK and further afield, including the USA and China. 

The aim is to deepen students’ understanding of the complexities surrounding water management both in the UK and other global locations at differing economic stages of development, thereby linking to the Global Development topic.

Half Term 2 - UK Challenges and Urban Fieldwork

Students will spend 1 day and approximately 6 lessons on a practical geographical enquiry into urban processes and environments  that they learned about in Year 10 in the Changing Cities topic. They do so in a local urban landscape.

In the 2nd part of this half term, students draw across their knowledge and understanding from all the previous topics in order to investigate a contemporary challenge for the UK.

Half Term 3,4 and 5 - Revision and Extended Writing

Students will revise content through exam practice with a focus on extended writing skills