At St Bonaventure’s the Geography department wants to inspire students to develop a lifelong desire to ask questions about the world around us and the part we all have to play in it.

We aim to promote respect and to help young people to develop their moral compass. We are keen to develop an understanding of the shared values which unite us all. This will result in excellent behaviour for learning in all Geography lessons.

We seek to foster a sense of wonder as well as to motivate students to investigate a complex and dynamically changing world in order to become global citizens. Studying geography enables students to explore their own place in the world by studying people and places from the past, present and future and at all scales from the personal to the global.

We strive to encourage our students to rise to the challenges our world faces and to take responsibility for the sustainability of our planet.

We will develop engaged citizens who will enthusiastically contribute to the big society and understand their place within it because they embrace British values.

Geography is heavily focused on people and their relationships and as such we are well placed to contribute to students’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education. SMSC will be carefully embedded in our curriculum to develop students as well rounded individuals who are proud of their heritage and contribute positively to our society.

As a staff we will be challenged in the Geography department to ask questions about what we teach and to reflect carefully on our practice. This will ensure we consider how we deliver content alongside what we deliver. By doing this we will offer a broad, balanced and  engaging curriculum which provides practical, enquiry based approaches to learning that stimulate student’s enthusiasm and helps to bring Geography to life.

 

KS3 Geography

The curriculum followed at KS3 (years 7-9) is broad and balanced in Geography, encompassing a wide range of human, physical and environmental geographical issues. These are outlined for each year group below:

Year 7

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic My world – What is geography? local area project. Water World – exploring river environments Dangerous World – Extreme Environments Shrinking World – Exploring settlements Diverse World – a place based study of South East Asia A Changing World – a synoptic unit looking at the consequences of electrical items

Year 8

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic My world – Biomes and biodiversity Water World – Coastal landscape investigation Dangerous World – examining the risks of a changing climate Shrinking World – Exploring development and fair trade Diverse World – A place based study – China A Changing World – a continent remade (exploring Africa and its changing Geography)

Year 9

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic My world – The impacts of migration Water world – Exploring Weather and Climate Dangerous World – Tectonic Hazards Shrinking World – The Geography of food Diverse World – Place based study of the Middle East A Changing World – Making Geographical decisions

Characteristics of a successful KS3 Geographer:

  • An excellent knowledge of where places are and their characteristics at a range of scales.
  • An excellent understanding of the ways in which places and interdependent and interconnected. 
  • A detailed understanding of the connections and interrelations between human and physical environments.
  • An extensive based of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Fluency in complex geographical enquiry, the ability to question and use highly effective analytical and presentation techniques.
  • The ability to reach key conclusions and developed a reasoned argument to explain findings.
  • Significant levels of originality, imagination and creativity in interpreting and representing subject matter.
  • The ability to apply models and theories to geographical phenomena.
  • Highly developed and frequently used fieldwork and GIS skills and techniques.
  • A real curiosity for the world and a passion and commitment to the subject.
  • An ability to express well balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in the society and the environment.

I can statements for KS3 Geography 

Suggested supporting resources:

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/ this website helps students to develop their mapping skills using a range of activities and games.

 

https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/zrw76sg useful for recapping and revising key ideas. Revision topics are all named and organised.

 

http://www.geographyalltheway.com/ks3_geography.htm

http://geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/ks3/index.html

http://www.3dgeography.co.uk/

 

KS4 Geography

The exam specification followed at GCSE Geography is Edexcel B. This is made up of three components. Component 1 considers world wide geographical issues, component 2 considers UK scale issues and component 3 is a synoptic decision making component. 2 pieces of fieldwork (one about urban environments and another about river environments) are integral to the course.

The assessment for this course is three exams (one for each component) which are all 1 hour and 30 minutes in length.

Year 10

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic Development Dynamics Development Dynamics, UKs evolving physical landscape UK’s evolving physical landscape and Hazardous Earth Hazardous Earth and UK’s evolving human landscape UKs evolving human landscape and fieldwork Fieldwork, End of year exam and revision, Challenges of an urbanised world

Year 11

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic Fieldwork recap and recall

Challenges of an urbanised world

 Challenges of an urbanised world Synoptic units: People and the Biosphere Synoptic units:

Forests under threat and consuming resources

 Revision and Exams Revision and Exams

Characteristics of a successful KS4 Geographer:

An ability:

  • To investigate a range of places in depth.
  • To investigate  patterns which exist in the human and the physical world.
  • To communicate geographically through maps, extended writing, graphical data and analysis

Suggested supporting resources:

Be careful to use the curriculum map above and only revise the necessary topics from the sites below!

Download the BBC bite size app for support here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgd682p

Or use the website here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/z2f3cdm

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography

http://www.gcsegeography.co.uk/

http://www.gcsegeography.co.uk/

http://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/geography

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/geography-b-2016.html This is the exam board website, past papers and the specification can be found here!

 

KS5 Geography

The exam specification followed at A Level Geography is Edexcel. Students study a range of physical topics (Tectonics, Coastal Processes, The Carbon Cycle and The Water Cycle) and human topics (Globalisation, Regenerating Places, Superpowers and Migration, Identity and Sovereignty) during Year 12 and Year 13. Students are required to complete four days of fieldwork: two days of physical fieldwork at local coastal locations and two days of human fieldwork at the Isle of Dogs and Stratford. From this, students will complete an ‘Independent Investigation’ into a topic of their own choosing from the Regenerating Places and Coastal Processes topic. This is worth 20% of their final A Level grade.

In addition to the Independent Investigation, the assessment for this course is three exams which, as well as the Physical and Human papers, includes a Synoptic paper which will examine students ability to make links between multiple topics studied throughout their A Level.

Year 12

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic Globalisation (EQ1)

 

Tectonics (EQ1)

 Globalisation (EQ2 and EQ3)

 

Tectonics (EQ2 and EQ3)

 Coastal Processes (EQ1 and EQ2)

 

Regenerating Places (EQ1 and EQ2)

 Coastal Processes (EQ3 and EQ4)

 

Regenerating Places (EQ3 and EQ4)

 Retrieval and consolidation of Coastal Processes (EQ3/4)

 

Introduction to Super powers (EQ1 and 2)

 Carbon Cycle EQ1-3

 

Completion of Superpowers EQ3/4)

 

Non Examined Assessment

Year 13 

Term HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6
Topic  

Independent Investigation

 

Water cycle EQ1-3

 Migration, Identity and Sovereignty (EQ1 and EQ2)

 

Carbon Cycle EQ 1-3

 Migration, Identity and Sovereignty (EQ3 and EQ4)

 

Recall and retrieval

 Synoptic Prep

 

 

 Exams  Exams

Characteristics of a successful KS5 Geographer

  • To explore a range of places in real depth.
  • To examine patterns which exist in the human and the physical world.
  • To communicate geographically through maps, extended writing, graphical data and analysis with confidence and coherence.