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. Mr C Burkinshaw as 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. This year the field work questions have been removed. 

Topics covered in each year group 

Year 7

Key Topics

  • Autumn 1 Unit 1 It’s your planet
  • Autumn 2 Unit 2 Maps and mapping
  • Spring 1 Unit 3 About the UK
  • Summer 1 Unit 5 Rivers
  • Summer 2 Unit 6 Africa and it’s horn

Year 8
Key Topics 

  • Autumn 1 Unit 1 Using GIS (Geographical Information Systems) Unit 2 Population 
  • Autumn 1 Unit 3 Urbanisation 
  • Spring 1 Unit 4 Coasts 
  • Spring 2 Unit 5 Weather and Climate Sumer 1 Unit 6 Our warming planet Summer 2 Unit 7 Asia 
  • Summer 2 Unit 8 Southwest China 

Year 9

Key Topics 

  • Autumn Term 1 About Russia 
  • Autumn Term 2 Using Earth’s Resources 
  • Spring Term 1 Earning a living 
  • Spring Term 2 International Develpment 
  • Summer Term 1 Our Restless Planet – Eyjafjalljokull  
  • Summer Term 2 Rocks to soil and the Middle East

Year 10

Key Topics 

  • Autumn 1 Global Hazards Weather 
  • Autumn 2 Global Hazards Tectonics 
  • Spring 1 Changing Climate
  • Spring 2 Distinctive Landscapes 
  • Summer 1 Ecosystems 
  • Summer 2 Rivers Fieldwork 

Year 11

Key Topics 

  • Autumn 1 Urban Futures 
  • Autumn 2 Dynamic Development 
  • Spring 1 UK in the 21st Century 
  • Spring 2 Resource Reliance 
  • Summer 1 Revision Paper 3 revision and skills 
  • Summer 2

Skills the students will develop 

Throughout KS3 and KS4 students will learn a variety of skills from Map skills, Mathematical skills and English skills which will enable them to be good geographers in the future. 

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

Subject leader Clive Burkinshaw
Email address clive.burkinshaw@sjchs.uk

 

Enrichment 

Competitions 

  • Snakes and ladders revision games for end of topics at GCSE 
  • Low stakes knowledge quizzes 
  • Starter and Plenary question slides KS3 
  • Low stakes knowledge and spelling  

 

Extra-Curricular Clubs 

  • Climbing club to talk about adventure/ travel and tourism/ encourage career in the outdoors. 
  • Revision/ Targeted intervention clubs on Monday and Tuesday after school 

 

Reading 

Reading for pleasure 

  • National Geographic   
  • Geography – A Children’s Encyclopedia 

Academic Reading 

  • National Geographic website/ magazine 
  • The following textbooks we use are on Kerboodle and student s have access to them on-line via their school logins 
  • Geog.1,2,3 and Yellow GCSE Book 

Reading for parents 

  • National Geographic website/ Magazine 
  • BBC News Newspapers 

Resources 

Websites 

  • BBC Bitesize 
  • Kerboodle – All year 7-11  Geog.1 for Year 7       Geog.2 for year 8      Geog.3 For year 9 
  • National Geographic website 
  • BBC News/ Weather 
  • Seneca 

Multimedia  

  • BBC Bitesize
  • BBC Documentaries on BBC iplayer 
  • David Attenborough Frozen planet                         
  • Simon Reeves Travels                          
  • Steve Backshall Adventures in nature   
  • Watch the News/ Weather on a regular basis  
  • Watching the local news