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.
| Weeks 1-3 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Where on Earth are We? Continents and oceans. Parts of the UK and the British Isles. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use a range of maps and atlases to locate places. |
| 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 |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 4-7 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Developments Issues-Asia and India What and where is Asia. Countries and regions. Physical features and biomes. Asia’s population 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 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 |
| KS2 economic activity including trade links. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 8-10 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Weeks 11-15 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Weeks 16-19 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Weeks 20 - 30 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Ecosystems Tropical rainforests Polar regions What is an ecosystem? The nutrient cycle. Food chains and food webs. What are the key characteristics of tropical rainforests? How do humans use, and manage rainforests? What are the key characteristics of polar regions? Fieldwork- To what extent does litter damage ACSC’s environment? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Ecosystems Terrestrial + marine environments Identify and make links between different parts of ecosystems. Tropical rainforests+ Polar regions Use maps to describe the distribution of different ecosystems. graphs. Explain why ecosystems are under pressure. Describe how human activity affects ecosytems. Consider the sustainability of forest management strategies. Threats to marine environments. Sustainable management of our oceans. (SDGs) |
| Links to prior learning |
| KS2 climate zones and biomes. Vegetation belts. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 30 - 40 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Africa- East Africa (a region of Africa) What are Africa’s major human and physical characteristics? What are East Africa’s main human and physical features? How has East Africa’s economy developed? How has economic development affected East Africa? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret a range of maps. Draw and Interpret climate graphs. Interpret development indicators and make inferences about East Africa’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 |
| Weeks 1-5 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| 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. |
| Links to prior learning |
| brainstorm. Links to science and the formation of Earth’s atmosphere. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 6-10 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Rocks and soils How does the rock cycle work? 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 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 |
| Impermeable and permeable rocks (yr 7 – building dams) |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 11-15 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Weeks 16-20 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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. Fieldwork- To what extent does ACSC successfully recycle. |
| Weeks 21-26 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 world’. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India and Rivers Employment structure – India yr 7 |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 27 - 34 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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? Revision for End of Year Exam |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use maps and atlases. Interpret climate data and link to adaptations. Suggest how historic developments in the Middle East have impacted the economy and lives of the population. Suggest reasons for uneven development. Use data and examples to suggest the causes of conflict in the region. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Using development indicators – Yr 7 India, Rivers and Yr 8 China |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 35 - 39 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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? |
| 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 and The Middle East |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. Prove It tasks. Assessed pieces |
| Weeks 1-10 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Weeks 11-20 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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. Fieldwork- To what extent do new housing development have a negative impact on the rural-urban fringe. 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 |
| Weeks 21-26 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: Glacial Environments What are the characteristics of glacial environments? 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. Apply knowledge of the Global Atmospheric Circulation Model to explain vegetation and climate. Make links between climate and adaptations. |
| 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 |
| Weeks 27-33 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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? Manchester’s regeneration. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret thematic maps to make links between sets of data eg relief, and population density. Explain the impact of globalisation and de-industrialisation on the UK economically, socially and environmentally. Use data to prove to what extent inequality exists. |
| 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 |
| Weeks 34-40 |
| Knowledge |
| Topic: 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 |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Recap key elements of coastal topic. |
| Urbanisation + Rio |
| What factors affect rates and levels of urbanisation? |
| A city in an NEE- Rio |
| Where is Rio and why is it important? |
| What are social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges in Rio? |
| How is urban planning improving the quality of life for the urban poor in favela Bairro. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Analyse line graphs. |
| Analyse and interpret photos, data and written extracts. |
| Data collection and presentation |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 -Megacities India. |
| Yr 8 megacities China. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| End of year exam. |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Glacial Landscapes in the UK |
| What was the maximum extent of ice cover across the UK during the last ice age? |
| How do glacial processes create glacial landforms? |
| What are the economic opportunities in The Lake District? |
| How can management strategies be used to reduce land-use conflicts? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Interpret maps. |
| Identify landforms from photos. |
| Use map skills including grid references and scale. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 9- glacial processes and landforms. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| Mock exam. |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Resources |
| How important are food, water and energy to human development? |
| How is demand for resources (food, water and energy) changing in the UK? |
| What challenges and opportunities do these changes create for the UK? |
| Energy |
| What are the issues surrounding energy supply? |
| What strategies can be used to increase energy supply. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Use written source materials. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 8 resources |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| Mock exam. |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| The Development Gap |
| How can we classify parts of the world and measure development? |
| What are the links between stages of the Demographic Transition Model and the level of development. |
| What are the causes and consequences of uneven development? |
| How can we reduce the development gap? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| making inferences from development indicators |
| Interpret images. |
| Use source materials. |
| Interpret geographical models. |
| Interpret photos and maps. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Zambia- foreign investment |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| End of year exam. |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| Nigeria |
| Where is Nigeria, and why is it important? |
| How is Nigeria’s economy changing? |
| What impact do TNC’s have on Nigeria? |
| How is Nigeria’s place in the world changing? |
| How does aid affect Nigeria? |
| How is rapid industrial growth affecting Nigeria? |
| Does development improve everyone's quality of life? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| interpreting employment structure data |
| Interpret images. |
| Use source materials. |
| Interpret geographical models. |
| Interpret photos and maps. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Zambia in yr 9 |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| End of year exam. |
| Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge |
| A Major UK City -Liverpool |
| How is the UK’s population distributed? How are the UK’s major cities distributed? |
| What is the location and significance of Liverpool? |
| How has national and international migration affected the growth and character of Liverpool? |
| How has urban change created opportunities |
| and challenges? |
| Why is urban regeneration needed? |
| 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 |
| Use data to support answers. |
| Interpret images. |
| Use source materials. |
| Interpret geographical models. |
| Interpret photos and maps. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 9 Life in the UK- Urban challenges. |
| Yr 8 Desertification. |
| Yr 8 The Middle East |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval. |
| End of unit assessment. |
| End of year exam. |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Tropical Rainforests |
| Distribution of tropical forests. The threats to tropical forests and how to protect them. Economic gains versus environmental losses. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Reading distribution maps. Calculating changes in rates of deforeststion. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 7 Tropical Forests and Ecosystems. Yr 9 Ecosystems and the rural-urban fringe. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| Tectonic Hazards |
| What are natural hazards. tectonic hazards and types of plate boundary. The effects and responses to tectonic hazards. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Calculating the numerical impacts of hazards. Reading maps showing the distribution of tectonic hazards. |
| Links to prior learning |
| yr 8 earthquakes and volcanoes |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Tropical Storms + Extreme Weather in the UK |
| 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? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Tracking tropical storms on a map. |
| Links to prior learning |
| yr 7 weather and climate. Yr 8 formation of tropical storms and their impacts. |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| The Changing Uk Economy |
| 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. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Using charts to describe changes in employment strutcure. |
| Links to prior learning |
| Yr 9 'Life in the UK' unit |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Climate Change |
| The causes and effects of climate change. How to reduce the effects of climate change through adaptation and mitigation. |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Using graphs to describe changes in earth's climate over time. |
| Links to prior learning |
| yr 7 Climate Change |
| Assessment |
| Retrieval tests. End of topic assessment. Mock exams |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| Pre-release and revision |