Why learn Geography?
Geography prepares students for both further education and employment. Studying topical issues gives young people a more realistic view of the world, which they can transfer in to the workplace. Numeracy, literacy, map reading, in-depth analysis and decision-making skills are all developed within geography lessons. Geography can lead to many opportunities of further study and employment, for example, jobs in teaching, becoming a member of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Royal Town Planning Institute, employment with the Environment Agency, local and central government, work in environmental science and meteorology as well as land management. Geography alerts students to the issues facing their world, giving them ‘food for thought’ and the facts needed to support their opinions and actions.
Geography Curriculum Overview
Please click the year group and half-term to view additional information.
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Where on Earth are We? |
| Continents and oceans. |
| Parts of the UK and the British Isles. |
| Developments Issues-Zambia |
| What are LICs/NEEs/HICs? |
| Describing and using development indicators. |
| Push and pull factors. |
| Rural-urban migration. |
| Megacities. |
| Impacts of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. |
| Changing job sectors. |
| TNCs and the multiplier effect. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use a range of maps and atlases to locate places. |
| Use maps and atlases to locate India and other significant places. |
| Explain the impacts of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. |
| Impacts of TNCs. |
| Interpret the Demographic Transition Model. |
| Links to prior learning |
| KS1 and 2 map skills. |
| Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas |
| KS2 economic activity, including trade links. |
| Assessment |
| Baseline |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Weather + Climate |
| How does water move around the hydrological cycle? |
| What factors affect climates? |
| The UK’s climate and how it affects us. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret a block diagram. |
| Explain the factors that affect climate in different places. |
| Interpret UK climate data. |
| Say how the weather impacts the economy. |
| Explain the factors that affect the UK’s weather conditions. |
| Links to prior learning |
| KS2 the water cycle. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Rivers |
| What are the physical processes and landscapes found along rivers? |
| How are rivers used differently, and why? |
| How do we use rivers and manage them sustainably? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Suggest how a variety of river landforms are created in a range of places using photo stimuli. |
| Interpret development indicators and use them to explain why rivers are used differently in areas of contrasting wealth. |
| Consider the impacts of industrial, agricultural, and domestic use of water on the environment. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Previous topic-The hydrological cycle. |
| Using development indicators – India Yr 7 topic 2 |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| Climate Change |
| How has climate changed during the Quaternary period? |
| What causes the climate to change? |
| How have humans responded to Global Warming? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Make links between natural events and their impact on the climate. |
| Suggest how human activity adds to the enhanced greenhouse effect through the production of greenhouse gases and environmental degradation using diagrams and graphs. |
| How to mitigate and adapt to Global Warming using visual sources. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Environmental impact of rapid industrialisation- greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| Ecosystems and Tropical rainforests |
| What are the key characteristics of ecosystems? |
| What are the key characteristics of tropical rainforests? |
| How do humans use, and manage rainforests? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Ecosystems |
| Identify and make links between different parts of ecosystems. |
| Tropical rainforests |
| Use maps to describe the distribution of TRF |
| Interpret climate graphs. |
| Explain why rainforests are under pressure. |
| Describe how human activity affects TRF. |
| Consider the sustainability of forest management strategies. |
| Links to prior learning |
| KS2 climate zones and biomes. Vegetation belts. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge |
| Africa- Kenya |
| What are Africa’s major human and physical characteristics? |
| What are Kenya’s main human and physical features? |
| How has Kenya’s economy developed? |
| How has economic developed affected Kenya? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret a range of maps. |
| Draw and Interpret climate graphs. |
| Make links between the climate and animals and plant adaptations. |
| Interpret development indicators and make inferences about Kenya’s level of development and quality of life. |
| Compare rural and urban lifestyles, make judgements about standards of living. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India and Rivers |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Geological Timescale |
| What is the geological timescale? |
| Key events: |
| The Big Bang. |
| Earth’s formation. |
| Evolution of lifeforms. Mass extinction events. |
| The James Webb telescope |
| Rocks and soils |
| How does the rock cycle work? |
| Types of rocks and their formation. |
| How weathering and erosion affect rocks? |
| What is soil? |
| What are the causes and effects of desertification? How can we sustainably manage soils? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Apply scientific understanding to the formation of Earth. |
| Link evolution of life on Earth to key events in Earth’s history. |
| Apply the rock cycle model to the formation of rock types. |
| Make links between human activity and the degradation of soils. |
| Make judgements about the appropriateness of soil management techniques. |
| Links to prior learning |
| brainstorm. |
| Links to science and the formation of Earth’s atmosphere. |
| Impermeable and permeable rocks (yr 7 – building dams) |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Tectonic hazards |
| What are tectonic hazards, and how do they affect us? |
| How can we reduce hazard risk? |
| Why do earthquakes affect places of contrasting wealth differently? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use tectonic theory to explain what happens at plate boundaries. |
| Use examples to demonstrate the causes, effects and responses to earthquakes in areas of contrasting wealth. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Comparing areas of contrasting wealth- yr 7 rivers Egypt + UK |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Tropical storms |
| What are the key characteristics of a tropical storm |
| How can we reduce the risk of tropical storms? |
| How might climate change affect tropical storms? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use diagrams to explain the structure and formation of tropical storms. Use data to compare the effects of Tropical Storms in areas of contrasting wealth. |
| Using examples, explore how HICs and LICs use monitoring, prediction, protection and planning to reduce hazard risk. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Monitoring, prediction, protection and planning- Tectonics |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| Resources |
| What are resources? |
| How are resources distributed globally? |
| What is the UK’s energy mix? |
| What challenges does the UK face with water, food and energy supply? |
| What opportunities and challenges do dams bring? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret maps and graphs to describe the global distribution of resources. |
| Suggest how the UK’s water, food and energy supply can be made more sustainable. |
| The opportunities and challenges of the Three Gorges Dam and the Hoover Dam. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Sustainable development- India. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| China |
| What are the key human and physical features of China? |
| How has China’s economy developed? |
| How has industrialisation and urbanisation affected China? |
| Why is China investing in Africa? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use maps and atlases to locate China’s. |
| Interpret climate and relief data; make links with population distribution and economic activity. |
| Interpret development indicators. |
| Suggest the impact of historic events on modern China. |
| Causes of urbanisation and megacities. |
| Interpret employment data to show economic change. |
| Give reasons to why China is called ‘the workshop of the |
| Links to prior learning |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India and Rivers |
| Employment structure – India yr 7 |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge |
| Russia |
| What are the key human and physical characteristics of Russia? |
| What are the reasons for uneven development? |
| What does the media tell us about Russia? |
| The Middle East |
| What are the key human and physical characteristics of The Middle East? |
| What are the reasons for uneven development? |
| What are the causes of conflict in The Middle East? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use maps and atlases. |
| Interpret climate and relief data; make links with population distribution and economic activity. |
| Suggest the impact of historic events on modern Russia. |
| Reasons for uneven development. |
| Analyse media coverage of Russia in the news. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India, Rivers and Yr 8 China |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India, Rivers and Yr 8 China and The Middle East |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Global Development |
| How do geographers measure development? |
| Zambia’s history. |
| Zambia’s changing economic structure. |
| Zambia’s changing population structure and the Demographic Transition Model. |
| TNCs in Zambia. |
| Impacts of rapid industrial growth. |
| How has economic development affected people’s quality of life? |
| Zambia’s progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals |
| Barriers to further economic development. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Evaluate the effectiveness of development indicators. |
| Making inferences from development indicators. |
| Using scatter graphs to identify correlations between sets of development data. |
| Identify reasons for uneven development. |
| Assess Zambia’s progress against the SDGs |
| Evaluate the role of TNCs in Zambia. |
| ERIC task- investigate accusations against TNCs. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 /8 How historic development affects us today- Yr 7 India, Yr 8 China, Middle East, Russia, yr 9 Zambia |
| Yr 7/8 Development indicators India, China, Middle East, Russia. |
| Sustainable development. India, China. |
| Employment structures- India, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Ecosystems |
| Ecosystems at different scales. (local and global) |
| The difference between food chains and food webs. |
| Human impacts on ecosystems? |
| How to use fieldwork techniques to investigate how urban change affects the environment. |
| Where is the rural-urban fringe? |
| What pressures are placed on the rural-urban fringe? |
| Impacts of development on the rural-urban fringe. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Identify the link between cause and effect in ecosystems. |
| Apply an urban model to Preston. |
| Identify and explain the wider impacts of urban change on the environment. |
| Use data presentation, analysis and interpretation to draw conclusions about the impacts of urban change. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 Food chains and food webs |
| Yr 7 Causes of deforestation |
| Yr 8 The causes of desertification |
| Yr 7 Tropical forests, |
| Yr 8 Plant and animal adaptations. |
| Yr 8 Tropical forests. |
| Yr 8 Hot deserts in The Middle East. |
| Global atmospheric circulation model. |
| Solar insolation levels |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Glacial Environments |
| What are the characteristics of polar, tundra, alpine and glacial environments? |
| How does climate affect adaptations? |
| How do glacial processes create glacial landforms? |
| How can we generate income from glacial and post glacial environments? |
| What are the pressures affecting glacial landscapes? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Apply knowledge of processes to suggest how glacial landforms are formed. |
| Identify the economic opportunities and challenges in glacial and post glacial environments. |
| Assess the extent to which fragile glacial environments are under pressures, including climate change and resource exploitation. |
| Apply knowledge of the Global Atmospheric Circulation Model to explain vegetation and climate. |
| Make links between climate and adaptations. |
| Investigate the fourteen ‘8 thousanders' including K2 and Everest, (Mallory and Irvine, Hilary and Norgay) |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 and 8 abrasion, attrition. |
| Yr 7- the role of rivers in shaping pre and post glacial landscapes. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| Life in the UK |
| What are standards of living like in the UK? |
| How has the UK’s economy developed and changed? |
| What are the reasons for uneven development? And the social impacts of this? |
| How can we reduce economic and social inequality? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret thematic maps to make links between sets of data eg relief, and population density. |
| Assess the impact of historic events on modern Britain and N Ireland. |
| Explain the impact of globalisation and de-industrialisation on the UK economically, socially and environmentally. |
| Use data to prove to what extent inequality exists. |
| Decision-making- Reducing inequality in society. To what extent are strategies successful? |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 and 8- the impact of historic events on current economic, social and environmental conditions. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| Coastal Areas |
| Characteristics of waves. |
| Coastal processes and landforms? |
| How is sea-level rise affecting us? |
| How do we manage coastal areas? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Identify and explain the characteristics of coastal processes and landforms. |
| Evaluate the threat of sea-level rise to those in vulnerable areas. |
| Assess the negative impact of oil spills. |
| Decision-making- suggest effective coastal management strategies |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 River processes. |
| Yr 8 weathering processes |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| Prove It tasks. |
| Assessed pieces |
| Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 | Half Term 5 | Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge |
| Glacial Landscapes in the UK | Resources | The Development Gap | Nigeria | A Major UK City -Liverpool | |
| Recap key elements of coastal topic. | What was the maximum extent of ice cover across the UK during the last ice age? | How important are food, water and energy to human development? | How can we classify parts of the world and measure development? | Where is Nigeria, and why is it important? | How is the UK’s population distributed? How are the UK’s major cities distributed? |
| Urbanisation + Rio | How do glacial processes create glacial landforms? | How is demand for resources (food, water and energy) changing in the UK? | What are the links between stages of the Demographic Transition Model and the level of development. | How is Nigeria’s economy changing? | What is the location and significance of Liverpool? |
| What factors affect rates and levels of urbanisation? | What are the economic opportunities in The Lake District? | What challenges and opportunities do these changes create for the UK? | What are the causes and consequences of uneven development? | What impact do TNC’s have on Nigeria? | How has national and international migration affected the growth and character of Liverpool? |
| A city in an NEE- Rio | How can management strategies be used to reduce land-use conflicts? | Energy | How can we reduce the development gap? | How is Nigeria’s place in the world changing? | How has urban change created opportunities |
| Where is Rio and why is it important? | What are the issues surrounding energy supply? | How does aid affect Nigeria? | and challenges? | ||
| What are social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges in Rio? | What strategies can be used to increase energy supply. | How is rapid industrial growth affecting Nigeria? | Why is urban regeneration needed? | ||
| How is urban planning improving the quality of life for the urban poor in favela Bairro. | Does development improve everyone's quality of life? | What are the features of urban sustainability? | |||
| Hot Deserts | |||||
| What are the main | |||||
| physical characteristics of a hot desert? | |||||
| How are biotic and abiotic elements of the ecosystem linked? | |||||
| How can development create opportunities and challenges. | |||||
| Why are areas on the fringe of hot deserts are at risk of desertification. | |||||
| What strategies can be used to reduce the risk of desertification? | |||||
| Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge |
| Analyse line graphs. | Interpret maps. | Interpret maps and graphs including choropleth maps, scatter graphs. | making inferences from development indicators | interpreting employment structure data | Use data to support answers. |
| Analyse and interpret photos, data and written extracts. | Identify landforms from photos. | Use written source materials. | Interpret images. | Interpret images. | Interpret images. |
| Data collection and presentation | Use map skills including grid references and scale. | Use source materials. | Use source materials. | Use source materials. | |
| Interpret geographical models. | Interpret geographical models. | Interpret geographical models. | |||
| Interpret photos and maps. | Interpret photos and maps. | Interpret photos and maps. | |||
| Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 -Megacities India. | Yr 9- glacial processes and landforms. | Yr 8 resources | Zambia- foreign investment | Zambia in yr 9 | Yr 9 Life in the UK- Urban challenges. |
| Yr 8 megacities China. | Yr 8 Desertification. | ||||
| Yr 8 The Middle East | |||||
| Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment |
| Retrieval. | Retrieval. | Retrieval. | Retrieval. | Retrieval. | Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. | End of unit assessment. | End of unit assessment. | End of unit assessment. | End of unit assessment. | End of unit assessment. |
| End of year exam. | Mock exam. | Mock exam. | End of year exam. | End of year exam. | End of year exam. |
| Half Term 1 | Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge | Knowledge |
| Tropical Rainforests | Tectonic Hazards | Tropical Storms + Extreme Weather in the UK | The Changing Uk Economy | Climate Change | Pre-release and revision |
| Distribution of tropical forests. The threats to tropical forests and how to protect them. Economic gains versus environmental losses. | What are natural hazards. tectonic hazards and types of plate boundary. The effects and responses to tectonic hazards. | How and why tropical storms form. The effects and responses to tropical storms. Examples of extreme weather events in the UK. Why is the UK experiences more extreme weather? | The process of de-industrialisation and its impact on the Uk economy. Changes to the UK's employment sructure. Science and Business Parks. Sustainable industrial actvities. Impacts of changes to rural areas. The role of the UK in the wider world. | The causes and effects of climate change. How to reduce the effects of climate change through adaptation and mitigation. | |
| Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge | Skills / application of knowledge |
| Reading distribution maps. Calculating changes in rates of deforeststion. | Calculating the numerical impacts of hazards. Reading maps showing the distribution of tectonic hazards. | Tracking tropical storms on a map. | Using charts to describe changes in employment strutcure. | Using graphs to describe changes in earth's climate over time. | |
| Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning | Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 Tropical Forests and Ecosystems. Yr 9 Ecosystems and the rural-urban fringe. | yr 8 earthquakes and volcanoes | yr 7 weather and climate. Yr 8 formation of tropical storms and their impacts. | Yr 9 'Life in the UK' unit | yr 7 Climate Change | |
| Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment | Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams | Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams | Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams | Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams | Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |