Humanities Teachers: Mr Baker, Mr Gilson, Miss Hewson, Mrs Myers Mooney
"There are so many reason why geography is important, especially in the modern - and rapidly changing - world we live in. Understanding the factors that govern the world, be it your local community or globally, means you will be better prepared for the future. The world is an AMAZING place and one that is now within everyone's grasp to explore, enjoy and improve.
What is geography?
Geography is unique in bridging the social sciences and natural sciences. Find out what makes our discipline essential in understanding the world in which we live.
Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographer explore the physical properties of the earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it.
What could be more important for our future?
KS3 Aims
Students will make progress towards becoming a geographer, understanding and valuing the importance of the subject to their life now and in their future.
The main opportunities provided to our students in order to support this are:
- To develop their curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.
- Expand their world knowledge of places.
- Investigate and ask their own geographical questions.
- To make them ‘think like a geographer’.
- To build and use a variety of geographical skills.
- To understand the interconnectedness of the human and natural worlds and the need for sustainability within both.
GCSE Aims
Students will develop the ability of think ‘like a geographer’. That is to say, the will develop the skills necessary to conduct framed enquiries, both in the classroom and in the field in order to develop their understanding of specialised geographical concepts and current geographical issues.
They will develop the ability to think:
- Creatively, for example, by posing questions that relate to geographical processes and concepts that include questioning about spatial pattern and geographical change.
- Scientifically by collecting and recording appropriate evidence from a range of sources, including fieldwork, before critically assessing the validity of this evidence and synthesising their findings to reach evidenced conclusions that relate to the initial aim of their enquiry.
- Independently by applying geographical knowledge, understanding, skills and approaches appropriately and creatively to real world contexts. In so doing they should appreciate that geography can be ‘messy’ i.e. that real geography does not always match typical or predicted outcomes.
Fieldwork is an essential aspect of geographical education and of this qualification. It is placed at the heart of this specification
Geography
KS3 Structure
Year 7
- Unit 1 – What is geographer?
- Unit 2 – What is an economy?
- Unit 3 – Why are rivers important?
- Unit 4 – How are populations changing?
- Unit 5 – How does ice change the world?
- Unit 6 – Human Fieldwork
Year 8
- Unit 1 – What is weather and climate?
- Unit 2 – Is Earth running out of natural resources?
- Unit 3 – What happens where the land meets the sea?
- Unit 4 – What are the world’s biomes?
- Unit 5 – Can we ever know enough about earthquakes and volcanoes?
- Unit 6 – Physical Fieldwork
Year 9
- Unit 1 – What is development?
- Unit 2 – What are the challenges and opportunities facing Africa?
- Unit 3 – How is Asia being transformed?
- Unit 4 – Climate change and the Earth’s future.
GCSE Structure
Students will be following the Eduqas Geography A GCSE specification. The students will study the following components.
Component 1
- Landscapes and physical processes
- Rural-Urban Links
- Coastal Hazards and their Management
Component 2
- Weather, climate and ecosystems
- Development and Resource Issues
- Environmental Challenges
Component 3
- Human fieldwork
- Physical fieldwork
- Wider UK Implications
Assessment
At the end of Year 11, students will undertake the following written examinations:
- Component 1: 1hour 30minutes (35%)
- Component 2: 1hour 30minutes (35%)
- Component 3: 1hour 30minutes (30%)
Resources and Learning at Home
For both KS3 and GCSE, students will have access to Dynamic Learning and Seneca Learning. These two online platforms that will be used by teachers and students to support the learning of all years in addition to classroom teaching.
For GCSE, revision sessions will take place to support learning of all students on a more tailored approach. There is also a suggested revision guide and workbook to accompany the specification taught in school. They are endorsed by the exam board and contain all key ideas and information. They have a useful section at the end of each chapter on revision and exam technique support.
Career Pathways
Studying geography opens up a wide range of careers. Some careers are not necessarily related to geography but the skills taught from Year 7 to Year 11 are transferable to a wide range of employment sectors.
You can find out more about choosing geography at GCSE and A Level, continuing to study geography at university, and the career paths that geography opens up for you, by visiting the RGS website:
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