Development
Overview
Students will be introduced to the concept of development. They will consider the characteristics of countries at each stage of development: A high income country (HIC), low income country (LIC) and a Newley emerging economy (NEE). They will look at ways that geographers measure development and several strategies that are used to close the gap between HIC's and LIC's.
Building On
This topic builds on KS2 knowledge of key human features, locational knowledge of the world's seven continents. It will also draw on students own knowledge of experienced places as they identify characteristics of developed and less developed places.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Weather and Climate
Overview
Students will begin their KS3 study of weather and climate by focussing on the UK. They will look at the geographical processes that create different weather systems. They will also look at the impacts and responses to extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods.
Building On
This topic builds on KS2 knowledge of seasonal and daily weather patterns, climate zones.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Coasts
Overview
When studying coasts, students will look at how different processes shape our coastline to create geographical landforms. They will consider how humans manage the coast in response to an ever changing coastal environment.
Building On
Students will build upon their KS2 knowledge of physical characteristics of the coast and Ordnance Survey maps.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Geographical Inquiry
Overview
Students will explore geographical research methods to conduct fieldwork.
Building On
Students will deepen their understanding of fieldwork from primary school.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Energy and sustainability
Overview
Students will begin this unit studying the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable fuels. As they progress they will look at energy in the Middle East.
Building On
This unit builds on students' knowledge of energy from prior study at primary school. They also build upon knowledge from the unit Weather and Climate to consider how climatic variations influence energy demand and consumption.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Glaciation and Tourism
Overview
Students will study both human and physical aspects of the cryosphere. They will look at how plants, animals and humans have adapted to survive in cold environments. They will also look at threats to cold environments and consider how these environments might change in the future.
Building On
Students will build on their knowledge of latitude covered at KS2 to explore cold environments.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Tectonics
Overview
Students will look at how the structure of the earth causes the tectonic hazards: earthquakes, volcanos and tsunamis. They will look at why people live in hazardous areas and what precautions people take to make themselves safer.
Building On
This topic links and builds on students KS2 knowledge of earthquakes and volcanos and development. They will begin to explore how human and physical environments are interconnected.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Population
Overview
Students will begin their study of demography by exploring how the global population has changed over time. They will look at models and graphs that are commonly used to show changing population. Their study of population will continue with looking at migration and how cities around the world respond to migration. To end they will look at how and why some countries want to control their populations.
Building On
This topic builds on students year 7 knowledge of development and place knowledge from KS2. They will also build upon mathematical and graphical skills which are essential when interpreting graphs and models which are fundamental to this topic.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Rivers
Overview
Through studying fluvial systems, students will explore how water creates physical features on the earth. They will then consider how humans manage these fluvial systems to minimise impact from events such as flooding.
Building On
Students further deepen their knowledge of rivers from KS2 and revisit geographicaly processes covered in the year 7 topic of Coasts. They also enhance their cartographic skills through interpretation of more complex Ordnance Survey maps. They further link rivers to population by examining how humans alter natural processes to minimise impacts from flooding but also to increase supplies of key resources such as water and energy.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Threatened places
Overview
As students' progress through year 9, they will study some of the main challenges affecting our earth and the way we use it. They will look at the impact of plastic in oceans, climate change, fast fashion, conflict over resources and desertification.
Building On
This topic links together students study of both human and physical geography. They will be asked to link energy, climate, population, development, and ecosystems to develop holistic understanding of unique problems facing our world today.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Living world
Overview
The living world topic covers ecosystems with a primary focus on the tropical rainforest. Students will look the unique characteristics of the tropical rainforest and how plants and animals adapt to this environment. They will also look at how deforestation is threatening this ecosystem and strategies that are being put in place in order to manage it in a more sustainable way that allows for economic development of NEE's.
Building On
The study of the Living World will build on Population, Energy and Sustainability, Threatened Places, Climate and Development as they consider how long term economic development in NEE's is supported through careful exploitation of fraile environments.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Resource management
Overview
Students will take a close look at food, energy and water and how the demand and supply of these resources changing. They will look at how we can increase supplies of food, energy and water in a sustainable way to meet a changing demand.
Building On
Through studying this unit, students will build on their knowledge from Energy and sustainability, Rivers, Population and Development to gain greater appreciation of how humans have the ability to both damage but equally preserve natural resources to create sustainable development.
