Geography

Subject Information Key Stage 3

Intent

In Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8), students will explore what Geography is and the skills needed to understand both the physical and human sides. The intent of the curriculum is to develop the key skills which students need to know in our five-year GCSE plan. In Year 7 students examine a number of Physical Geography topics. They include; Poles Apart, Extreme Weather and Tropical Rainforests. Students will also explore a variety of different Human Geography topics, such as Personal Geography, Settlement and Map work. Each of these topics enable students to develop a variety of skills, such as analytical, interpretative and evaluative skills. In Year 8, students again focus on a variety of topics in both the physical and human environment. Topics which will be covered include; Plate Tectonics, the Geography of Sport, Migration and Rivers.

Implementation

Homework menus are given to students every half term, whereby they must complete all homework pieces before the end of each term. These homework menus reflect the topics which are being studied in class and students can pick the order in which they complete them. Both students and guardians will be given a copy of these homework menus each half term.

Impact, through Enrichment Activities: When students are studying the topic of Tropical Rainforests, we invite Jonathan’s Rainforest Roadshow to come in and show our students tropical animals found in this ecosystem. Our students have had the pleasure of meeting tarantulas, centipedes, millipedes, geckos, lizards, stick insects and snakes over the past three years. As well as that, we often organise excursions into the BFI IMAX theatre in London, where students are able to watch 3D documentaries on National Parks and Polar regions.

In February, 2020, students had the opportunity to explore a new environment, by attending a school visit to Iceland. 20 Key Stage 3 students attended this trip, whereby they got to see Waterfalls, Geysers, Glaciers, black sand beaches and the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This experience allowed students to see what geographical features can be found, in other countries. It has also opened their eyes to wanting to explore more countries, whether through more school trips, or with parents/families etc. We are very excited to be attending our trip to Italy, in November, 2022. Students will be visiting the city of Sorrento and exploring key attractions, such as Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Pompeii. This is closely linked to the Year 8 curriculum, where we examine Plate Tectonics, in the Autumn term.

Subject Information Key Stage 4

Exam Board and Course Title	AQA GCSE Geography (8035) The intent of the curriculum is to develop all skills which are essential in being successful in Geography GCSEs. We need to focus on key evaluative skills in particular, as these are important when answering many 6 mark and 9-mark questions. As well as that, it is important to encourage a love for the outdoors and to use our key skills to research various areas.
Course Overview and Format	Exam Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment-88 marks Weighting: 35% Time allocation: 1 hour 30 minutes Assessment design: Multiple choice, short answer, level of response and extended essay type questions. The topics include: o Natural Hazards o Deserts o Tropical Rainforests o Climate Change o Coasts o Rivers Exam Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment-88 marks Weighting: 35% Time allocation: 1 hour 30 minutes Assessment design: Multiple choice, short answer, level of response and extended essay type questions. The topics include: o Urban Opportunities and Challenges o Economic Change o Resource Management o Food Resource Management Exam Paper 3: Geographical Applications-76 marks Weighting: 30% Time allocation: 1 hour 30 minutes Assessment design: Multiple choice, short answer, level of response and extended essay type questions. Topics include: o Issue Evaluation (Given three months, before the examination paper) o Unseen Fieldwork Completed Fieldwork
Past Papers, Examiners reports and Mark Scheme	Specimen papers and mark schemes can be found here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035/assessment-resources
Top Websites for Revision	BBC Bite size http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/ Geography revision world https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/geography GCSE Geography http://www.gcsegeography.co.uk/
Subject strategies for Revision	Use the revision booklets which have been created to help you with your studying. When studying for your case studies, mind-map the key information-easier to retain the key facts when studying. Visit the above link in section three and download past examination papers. Once you have attempted these questions, upload the mark scheme and check your answers. Practice drawing diagrams of key geographical features in preparation of them coming up in your GCSE paper. Examine past papers and see which definitions tend to come up. Using flash cards, write down key words and their definitions on the reverse side of your card.

Enrichment Activities

Students go on at least two fieldwork excursions during their time in Key Stage 4 Geography. We have gone on trips to examine the impacts of tourism on particular areas of London, urban regeneration in Leatherhead and the variations of species found in an unmanaged and a managed woodland in Box Hill, Surrey. It is important for students to have secure knowledge in both human and physical geography and therefore a mixture of both components are examined on a fieldwork basis.

In February, 2020, students had the opportunity to explore a new environment, by attending a school visit to Iceland. 20 Key Stage 4 students attended this trip, whereby they got to see Waterfalls, Geysers, Glaciers, black sand beaches and the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This experience allowed students to see what geographical features can be found, in other countries. It has also opened their eyes to wanting to explore more countries, whether through more school trips, or with parents/families etc. We are very excited to be attending our trip to Italy, in November, 2022. Students will be visiting the city of Sorrento and exploring key attractions, such as Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Pompeii. This is closely linked to the GCSE, Year 9 curriculum, where we examine Natural Hazards, in the Autumn term.

Impact

Students who study Geography can enter a wide range of careers such as town planning, meteorology, cartographer, architect, geology and jobs within the travel and tourism sector. Engaging in fieldwork opportunities, when studying GCSE Geography, allows students to engage in primary and secondary data collection. This is very beneficial for students, who wish to go on and study a variety of subjects, at A-Level. Students, who have attended trips abroad, may want to travel and explore other countries, to see what geographical features, they have to offer, as well.