Geography Key Information
“The world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades.” – Barack Obama
Geography is being taught to our students so that they have a greater understanding of the world around them and how they can affect their environment. All pupils learn a wide variety of topics within physical and human geography.
The geography department at St Joseph’s is made up of a highly experienced, dedicated team of geographers who love to teach all aspects of geography. Mrs L Harrison (Head of Department) and Mrs K Williams and Mrs A Dove have degrees in Geography and have taught for over 50 years when combined.
Course Followed/Exam board
KS3- Building on the knowledge and skills learned in KS2 of the physical and human geographical themes and concepts and to build knowledge and understanding to enable students to be prepared for their GCSE exams and their future lives, and an appreciation of the natural world created by God. Pupils should consolidate and extend their knowledge of the world’s major countries and their physical and human features. They should understand how geographical processes interact to create distinctive human and physical landscapes that change over time. In doing so, they should become aware of increasingly complex geographical systems in the world around them. They should develop greater competence in using geographical knowledge, approaches and concepts [such as models and theories] and geographical skills in analysing and interpreting different data sources. In this way pupils will continue to enrich their locational knowledge and spatial and environmental understanding and their impact on the wider world.
KS4 – Focuses on the knowledge and geographical skills needed to be successful in their final year exams. The content follows the OCR-B scheme of work and includes all the case studies needed for Paper 1, 2 and 3.
Topics covered in each year group
Year 7
Key Topics
Autumn 1: Unit 1 – Being a Great Geographer
Autumn 2: Unit 2 – Map Skills
Spring 1: Unit 3 – Rocks and Soils
Spring 2: Unit 4 – Rivers
Summer 1: Unit 5 – Africa
Summer 2: Unit 6 – Glaciers
Year 8
Key Topics
Autumn 1: Unit 1 – Population
Autumn 2: Unit 2 – Weather
Spring 1: Unit 3 – Urbanisation
Spring 2: Unit 4 – Climate Change
Summer 1: Unit 5 – Coasts
Summer 2: Unit 6 – Asia
Year 9
Key Topics
Autumn 1: Unit 1 – International Development
Autumn 2: Unit 2 – Plate Tectonics
Spring 1: Unit 3 – Earth’s Resources
Spring 2: Unit 4 – Earning a Living
Summer 1: Unit 5 – Ecosystems
Summer 2: Unit 6 – Different Places
Year 10
Key Topics
Autumn 1: Unit 1 – Global Hazards
Autumn 2: Unit 2 – Global Hazards
Spring 1: Unit 3 – Changing Climate
Spring 2: Unit 4 – Distinctive Landscapes
Summer 1: Unit 5 – Sustaining Ecosystems
Summer 2: Unit 6 – Physical Fieldwork (Rivers)
Year 11
Key Topics
Autumn 1: Unit 1 – Urban Futures
Autumn 2: Unit 2 – Dynamic Development
Spring 1: Unit 3 – UK in the 21st Century
Spring 2: Unit 4 – Human Fieldwork (Urban)
Summer 1: Unit 5 – Resource Reliance
Summer 2: Unit 6 – Revision
Skills the students will develop
Throughout KS3 and KS4 students will learn a variety of skills. These include, map, numeracy, English and decision-making skills.
Future careers and vocations
The government has recently announced the new ‘500 green jobs’ linked to climate change and making our world a better place. In the future there will be many jobs/ careers that help the environment and address current issues of food, water, pollution and many other resources that we will need in the future. It is vitally important that students realise their impact on the planet and investigate the number of Geography related careers there are in the local and national area. This is done both in lessons and in careers events that tale place throughout the year.
Contacts
Head of Department: Linzi Harrison
Email address: linzi.harrison@sjchs.uk
Enrichment
Fieldtrips
Snakes and ladders revision games for end of topics at GCSE
Low stakes knowledge quizzes
Do Now and Exit Ticket question slides
Low stakes knowledge and spelling
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Revision club
Reading
Reading for pleasure
National Geographic
Geography – A Childrens Encyclopaedia
Academic Reading
National Geographic website/ magazine
Geog.1,2,3 at KS3
GCSE geography 9-1 OCR B
Reading for parents
National Geographic website/ Magazine
BBC News Newspapers
Resources
Websites
BBC Bitesize
Kerboodle
National Geographic
BBC News/ Weather
Seneca
Multimedia
BBC Bitesize
BBC Documentaries on BBC iPlayer
David Attenborough – Frozen Planet
Simon Reeves – Travels
Steve Backshall – Adventures in Nature
Local, national and international news
Please Click the following links to view the Learning Journey Roadmaps:
