Welcome to the Geography Department

Intent

The geography department delivers a challenging and fascinating learning experience to our students. Geography is in the news every day. Never has our curriculum been more relevant, as the impacts of climate change permeate political debate and the media report on devastation human activity wreaks on the natural environment. We equip our students to be able to participate in meaningful discussions based on fact and also support them in carrying out complex decision-making tasks. At KS3 local geography is a key element as we develop an understanding of our own urban environment. At KS4 we consider how policies at local, national and international level impact upon the environment and also upon our towns and cities. We consider the UK’s financial future as we investigate our post-industrial economy. We aim to inspire our students to explore the wider world but more importantly to prepare and equip them to make a positive contribution to society.

Why learn Geography?

Geography prepares students for both further education and employment. Studying topical issues give 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 on to many opportunities of further study and employment, for example, employment 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 and land management. Geography alerts students to the issues facing their world, giving them ‘food for thought’ and the facts to support their opinions and actions.

Year 7

During year 7, students will study the following topics:

Fertile question: Do we have the ability to change our environment?

An introduction to how humans impact their environment by carrying out an on-site litter survey.

To form a hypothesis.
To carry out data collection skills.

Litter survey.
Environmental quality assessment.

To analyse data.
To practise data presentation techniques.

Choosing appropriate graphs.
Accurately constructing graphs.
To analyse data
To draw conclusions for data.
To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the data collected based on the choice of method.

Fertile question: Do Rivers shape the land?

An introduction to UK river landscapes.
Develop map reading skills

How to determine the relief of the land from an OS map (contour lines, spot heights, layer colouring).
Grid references (4+ 6)
Identifying landforms from an OS map.

Understanding the water cycle and identifying features of a drainage basin.
The location and importance of some of the world’s most significant rivers.
Considering river processes and how they create river landforms.
Learning about the factors that affect a river’s risk of flooding.

Case studies:
Flooding in Bangladesh.
Flooding in Lancashire.

Fertile question: Can we save the rainforests?

An investigation of the Amazon rainforest looking at the causes of its destruction. Also considering the strategies being used to try to protect the forests.
We consider the significance of the rainforests and the role they play in absorbing CO2, providing a habitat for animals and also in maintaining the existing global atmospheric patterns.

Fertile question: Kenya - better than Preston?

We compare life in Kenya (Africa) to our lives in Preston by using climate data, examples of rural and urban lifestyles as well as development data.

Fertile question: Where does our energy come from?

Here we focus on the Middle East, looking at the role it has in supplying ‘The West’ with oil. We analyse the unsettled nature of the Middle east region looking at recent events putting them in to a geo-political context.

Fertile question: How important is Russia in the global economy?

This is a chance to look at Russia’s diverse regional climates. To consider the state of Russia’s economy and think about how people live in different parts of this vast nation.

Year 8

During year 8, students will study the following topics:

Fertile question: Could you Survive a Natural Disaster?

Read maps showing the location of tectonic plates.
Interpret photos of damage caused by tectonic hazards and link the images to the wider impacts.

Tectonics:

The structure of the Earth and tectonic theory.
Types of plate boundaries and the tectonic hazards associated with them, each supported by a case study.
Why people live alongside the risks of tectonic hazards and how risk can be minimised.
The causes, effects and responses to tsunamis.

Tropical Storms:

The distribution of tropical storms and the conditions required for their formation.
How tropical storms form and their structure.
Using a case study we consider the causes, effects and responses to a tropical storm.

Fertile question: Where Would You Rather Live? India or China

An In-depth Study of India and China:

Interpret and compare pie charts showing employment structures.
Use development indicators to help understand a country’s stage of development.
Consider the impact of China’s One child Policy and the more recent changes to it.
Consider the impact of Kerala’s population policy and compare the policy to that of China.
Study how the economies of these 2 nations has developed over time (employment structure) and predict their importance in the future.
Look at how India’s slums are being improved and investigate the challenges to lifting millions of people out of poverty.
A study of the R Yangtze. Learn about the economic and environmental importance of the R Yangtze.

Fertile question: Can we Save Planet Earth?

Extreme Weather and Climate Change:

This unit will consider how some of our most extreme and beautiful environments are being affected by human activity.
Students will be interpreting photos that show the causes and impacts of climate change.
Students will investigate changes happening to our world including coastal erosion, coral bleaching, desertification and plastic waste.
What are the issues associated with renewable and alternative energies? (Nuclear energy and the Chernobyl Disaster) (fracking in Lancashire)

Year 9

During year 9, students will study the following topics:

Fertile question: Is the UK’s Weather Becoming more extreme? PROVE IT!

Is it possible for mankind to Mitigate against Climate Change?

Extreme Weather & Climate Change:

What evidence is there for climate change.
The causes of climate change and its wide ranging impacts.
How people can reduce the causes of climate change and how we can adapt to live with the effects.

Fertile question: Prediction is the most effective way to mitigate against the effects of tropical storms.

Tropical Storms:

How we can reduce the effects of tropical storms by using monitoring, prediction, protection and planning strategies.
Investigate the case study of a Tropical Storm and consider its primary and secondary effects as well as the immediate and longer-term responses.

Fertile question: Will there be biomes in the future?

Biomes of the World:

This topic will be an introduction to biomes with an additional in-depth study of tropical rainforests and hot deserts.

Students will learn about the climate, vegetation, plant and animal species and their adaptations in both biomes.
Students also study how economic activities can be developed in these areas and investigate the ensuing social, economic and environmental impacts.
Case study of the Malaysian rainforest.
Case study of the Thar desert.

Fertile question: Has technology made tectonic hazards less dangerous?

Tectonic Hazards:

Considering how the effects of an earthquake vary between areas of differing wealth and development.
Assess the extent to which monitoring, prediction, protection and planning

Fertile question: Can We Control Flooding?

River Landscapes:

Interpret OS maps and be able to identify features of a river landscape.
Understand the movement of water through the landscape.
Understand how river processes shape and change the landscape.
Assess the effectiveness of management strategies in reducing flood risk.

Year 10

During year 10, students will study the following topics:

Fertile question: How useful are the UK’s glacial landscapes?

UK Glacial Landscapes:

Be able to analyse OS map extracts and identify glacial landforms.
Understand the role of glacial processes in shaping glacial landscapes.
Consider the conflicts affecting glacial landscapes.
Describe economic opportunities in glacial landscapes.

Fertile question: Can we completely prevent coastal erosion?

UK Coastal Landscapes

Be able to analyse OS map extracts and identify coastal landforms.
Understand the role of coastal processes in shaping and changing the coastal landscape.
Assess the effectiveness of management strategies in reducing coastal erosion.

Fertile question: Is Rio an important city?

A city in an LIC/NEE (Rio de Janeiro):

The regional, national and international importance of Rio.
Rio’s social, economic and environmental challenges and opportunities.
An example of an urban improvement scheme. (favela Bairro)

Year 11

During year 11, students will study the following topics:

Fertile question: How effective are Fleetwood’s coastal defences?

Fieldwork study:

Hypothesis 1 ‘Urban Sprawl has a negative impact up the rural-urban fringe of Preston.’
Hypothesis 2 ‘Fleetwood’s coastal defences are effective in reducing longshore drift.’

Studying Bristol - a major UK city.

How urban change leads to challenges and opportunities for the businesses and people of Bristol.
Assess to what extent an urban regeneration project in the Temple Quarter area of Bristol has led to social, economic and environmental opportunities.

Fertile question: Does the UK economy have a bright future?

The Changing UK Economy:

Consider how and why the UK’s economy has changed over the last 60 years.
Does the north-south divide exist? What is the government doing to economic inequalities in the UK.
What does the post-industrial economy look like? The growth of science and business parks and the quaternary sector.
The challenges and opportunities created by investment in the UK’s transport infrastructure.
How can UK industries be made more environmentally sustainable?

Fertile question: How can we measure development?

Development Indicators and Nigeria:

A look at development data and the limitations of its use.
The regional and international importance of Nigeria.
How Nigeria’s political context and economy has developed over time.
The impact of Transnational Corporations on Nigeria, socially, economically and environmentally.
How aid is used in Nigeria.

Fertile question: Can we provide resources for everyone?

Resources:

How the UK provides food, water and energy for its population and how we can develop a more sustainable approach.
Reasons for global inequality and unequal access to resources.
Local and national schemes designed to improve access to resources.

Year 11 will spend the remainder of the year studying pre-release material and revision

Geography