Geography

“Inspiring awe and wonder in the world around us”

Our Geography Curriculum intends to:

Inspire pupils all-through to develop curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.

Equip pupils all-through with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

Give pupils all-through the geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Secondary Choices Process

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Why Learn Geography?

A high-quality geography education will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. This will equip pupils with the knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world will help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geography knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earths’ features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

We deliver our Geography syllabus around a range of local and international themes, considering both physical aspects and human impact our our environment. Pupils will be look at case studies to consider the many aspects of our geographical sourroundings.

Year 7 and 8 Course Content:

The following topics will be covered in Year 7:

Fantastic Places - we will discover the human and physical processes impacting a range of diverse and fascinating places around the world including Svalbard, Dubai, Russia and the Great Barrier Reef.
Map skills - we will develop their map skills, including the ability to give 4 and 6 figure grid references, scale, map symbols, direction, height on maps and the use of GIS.
Raging Rivers - we will gain an understanding of the different physical and human processes that occur along rivers.
Brilliant Biomes - we will develop an understanding of where the world’s major biomes are located and the ways in which these biomes are under threat.

The following topics will be covered in Year 8:

Tectonic Activity - we discover the different processes that cause tectonic hazards and the effects and responses to earthquakes and volcanoes.
Global World of Work - we investigate how sectors of work are changing within different countries and the impact that globalisation is having on employment sectors.
Africa - we investigate the social, economic and environmental characteristics across African countries and the issues that Africa faces within the 21st Century.
Extreme Weather - we define the causes, effects and responses to extreme weather events and will investigate specific case studies of such hazards.
Coasts - we will gain an understanding of the different processes at work along coastal areas, the impacts of coastal flooding and management strategies used in coastal environments.
Asia - we investigate the social, economic, and environmental characteristics across Asia and the challenges that Asia faces.

Many of the topics in Geography - and especially the trips organised to complement the curriculum - are designed to broaden pupils’ cultural experiences.

Course Skills:

Pupils will have the opportunity to develop an array of skills including map skills, fieldwork skills and skills of literacy and numeracy. Within the course pupils will build their knowledge of Winchester, Hampshire, the UK and the wider world around them, alongside key geographical processes

Year 9 course content:

Autumn term:

Fieldwork skills, which will include a local fieldwork study within Winchester.
Population change and management, which will focus on how populations are changing worldwide, the issues which arise as a result and how it can be managed.

Spring term:

Ecosystems -

Summer term

Resource management which will focus on how food, energy and water can be effectively managed both in the UK and worldwide.
Climate change- causes, effects and management.

During Field Work pupils will have an opportunity to do a local fieldwork study in Years 9 and 10. Pupils have also had the opportunity for fieldwork abroad, in locations such as Iceland.

Assessment:

The course contains an assessment during the teaching of each key concept and skill. The opportunity to complete a practice written controlled assessment during the year. The opportunity to complete elements of the full GCSE.

Home Learning:

Home Learning will be set on a weekly basis and will include a mix of practice questions, research-based activities and revision

GCSE Content:

Pupils will cover the following topics within the GCSE course:

Paper 1 - Living with the Physical Environment

Section A: The challenge of natural hazards

Section B: The living world

Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK

Paper 2 - Challenges in the human environment

Section A: Urban challenges

Section B: The changing economic world

Section C: The challenge of resource management

Paper 3 - Geographical applications

Section A: Issue evaluation

Section B: Fieldwork and geographical enquiry

During Field Work pupils will have an opportunity to do a local fieldwork study in Years 9 and 10. Pupils have also had the opportunity for fieldwork abroad, in locations such as Iceland.

Assessment:

The course contains an assessment during the teaching of each key concept and skill.
The opportunity to complete a practice written controlled assessment during the year.
The opportunity to complete elements of the full GCSE.

Home Learning:

Home Learning will be set on a weekly basis and will include a mix of practice questions, research-based activities and revision.

For more information please look at the exam board specification:

Exam Board: AQA - 8035

Planned around half-termly topics, the curriculum provides pupils with the opportunity to learn subject-specific knowledge and understanding, explore links across subject areas and practise their writing. Each topic begins with an enrichment activity such as an educational visit or special event that captures the children’s interest and imagination and builds towards a showcase event such as an exhibition or assembly where children’s learning can be shared and celebrated.

Key stage 2 Subject Content

Pupils will extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Pupils will be taught to:

1.Locational knowledge

Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

2. Place knowledge

Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America

3. Human and physical geography

Describe and understand key aspects of:
Physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
Human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

Geographical skills and fieldwork

Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
Use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologie

Primary Phase Long Term Plan:

Geography

Key stage 1 Subject Content

Pupils develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They are taught to understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils are taught to:

1. Locational knowledge

Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

2. Place knowledge

Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

3. Human and physical geography

Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles.
Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
Key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather.
Key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop.

Geographical skills and fieldwork

Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language (e.g., near and far; left and right), to describe the location of features and routes on a map
Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

Primary Phase Long Term Plan:

Geography

The Westgate School

4 - 16 'all-through' school

Winchester, SO22 5AZ | 01962 854757

Our Geography Curriculum intends to:

Secondary Choices Process

Why Learn Geography?

Year 7 and 8 Course Content:

The following topics will be covered in Year 7:

The following topics will be covered in Year 8:

Course Skills:

Year 9 course content:

Assessment:

Home Learning:

GCSE Content:

Assessment:

Home Learning:

For more information please look at the exam board specification:

Key stage 2 Subject Content

1.Locational knowledge

2. Place knowledge

3. Human and physical geography

Geographical skills and fieldwork

Key stage 1 Subject Content

1. Locational knowledge

2. Place knowledge

3. Human and physical geography

Geographical skills and fieldwork