Key Stage 3
Year 7
Intent
Year 7 introduces our students to the key concepts of Geography exploring our physical and human world. Core concepts of Causality, Systems, Inequality, Development, Identity, Globalisation, Interdependence and Sustainability are interweaved throughout each topic. A focus on Environmental Geography is addressed at a local, national and global scale to ensure our students are aware of the risks to our planet.
Learning Journey
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- How has planet earth changed over time?
- What are the causes of climate change?
- Why climate change is such a controversial issue.
- What are the impacts of climate change at different scales?
Key Knowledge
- Climate change
- Quaternary period
- Carbon cycles
- Orbital changes
- Milankovich cycles
- Sun spots
- Volcanoes
- Agriculture
- Greenhouse gases
- Industrialisation
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Why should we care about uneven development?
- How do we measure development?
- How can a country’s physical geography hinder its development?
- How can a country’s human geography hinder its development?
- Why is eliminating gender inequality crucial?
- Why is Afghanistan a prisoner of its geography?
Key Knowledge
- Development
- Quality of life
- Standard of living
- GNI $
- HIC, NEE, LIC
- Literacy rates
- Birth rates
- Death rates
- Infant mortality rates
- Human Development Index (HDI)
- Colonialism
- Landlocked
- Climate
- Debt
- Corruption
- Overpopulation
- Natural hazards
- Natural resources
- Gender equality/inequality
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- What journey do water droplets take?
- How does the profile of a river change from source to mouth?
- What processes operate within a river?
- What landforms are found as a river changes from source to mouth?
- How does the human and physical geography of an area cause flooding?
- What is the most effective way to manage river flooding?
Key Knowledge
- Open and closed system
- Input, stores, flows and outputs
- Drainage basin – precipitation, interception, infiltration, surface run off, through flow, evaporation, percolation, transpiration
- Erosion – hydraulic action, attrition, abrasion and solution
- Transportation – traction, suspension, saltation and solution
- Deposition
- Long and cross profile
- Landforms – v shaped valley, waterfalls, gorges, meanders, ox bow lakes, levees, floodplains, deltas and estuaries
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Is our world shrinking?
- Where does all our stuff come from?
- How did Apple become so successful?
- Is trade fair?
- Is globalisation good for the world?
Key Knowledge
- Globalisation
- Transnational corporations
- Containerisation
- Economic leakage
- Multiplier effect
- Exploitation
- Trade
- Fair trade
- Sectoral shift
- Mcdonaldisation
- Spatial patterns
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- What are ecosystems?
- Where are the tropical rainforests located?
- What are the layers of the tropical rainforests?
- How do plants adapt to the rainforest?
- How do animals adapt to the rainforest?
- Why is the rainforest interdependent?
- What are the causes, effects and responses to deforestation?
- How is ecotourism preserving the rainforest?
Key Knowledge
- Biotic
- Abiotic
- Interdependence
- Food chain and web
- Producer
- Consumer
- Decomposer
- Deforestation
- Ecotourism
Skill Development
Locational knowledge is fundamental to our geographers’ journey so frequent work on atlas, OS maps and GIS is used through all topics.
Students are taught to analyse and draw conclusions from geographical data to further their understanding.
Students will use a range of increasingly complex quantitative and qualitative data from cartographic, graph and statistical sources to enhance their knowledge.
Fieldwork opportunities are built in to expose students to how fieldwork can improve a students geographical understanding.
Year 8
Intent
Year 8 students develop their knowledge and understanding of the key geographical concepts further with an increased focus on the geography of their own lives. Personal geographies such as future jobs, ecological footprints and our changing local area are therefore all explored. Students also develop and deepen their understanding of key physical processes - both below (tectonics) and above (atmosphere) - investigating how they too shape our lives and land.
Learning Journey
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- How are our actions impacting our planet?
- What lessons should we learn from Easter Island?
- Why is sustainability a 3-pronged approach?
- What the 3 R’s?
- Why is ‘blue gold’ so valuable?
- Can we rely on fossil fuels?
- How sustainable is Newark Academy?
- How can our actions make a difference?
Key Knowledge
- Sustainability – social, economic, environmental
- Systems – inputs and outputs
- Linear system
- Circular system
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
- Consumption
- Renewable energy
- Non-renewable energy
- Fossil fuels
- Energy usage
- Water access
- Food waste
- Resources
- Fieldwork Investigation
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- How old is the earth?
- What is the structure of our planet?
- How has our understanding of the world changed over time?
- What happens when 2 plates meet?
- What happens when an earthquake strikes?
- How dangerous are volcanoes?
Key Knowledge
- Quaternary period
- Layers of the earth – inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
- Oceanic crust
- Continental crust
- Continental drift
- Pangaea
- Tectonic plates
- Magma
- Convection currents
- Slab pull, ridge push
- Tectonic plate boundaries – constructive, destructive, conservative, collision
- Landforms – trenches, volcanoes, fissures, rift valleys, fold mountains
- Earthquakes – focus, epicenter, aftershocks, magnitude, Tsunami
- Volcanoes – pyroclastic flows, lava, volcanic bombs
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Where do the people of the UK live?
- What are the impacts of an ageing population?
- How is the UK influenced by migration?
- How does quality of life differ across UK cities?
- How are the UK’s rural areas changing?
Key Knowledge
- Rural
- Urban
- Population distribution /density
- Population pyramids
- Birth rates and Death rates
- Dependency ratio
- Ageing population
- Migration, Economic migrant Displaced people
- Refugees
- Asylum seekers
- Colonialism
- Commonwealth
- Multiculturism
- Urbanisation
- Burgess model
- Urban transect
- Development
- Deprivation Inequality
- Counter urbanisation
- Brownfield and greenfield sites
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Why is the UK’s weather so variable?
- What are the impacts of extreme weather in the UK
- How do urban areas affect the climate?
- How do microclimates affect Newark Academy?
Key Knowledge
- Weather and climate
- Air pressure – high pressure, low pressure
- Anticyclones
- Depressions
- Frontal rainfall
- Convectional rainfall
- Relief rainfall
- Clouds (Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, Nimbus)
- Air mass – Tropical continental, tropical maritime, polar continental, polar maritime, arctic maritime
- Extreme weather – heatwaves, flooding, storms, coldwaves
- Urban heat Island effect
- Albedo effect
- Urban planning
- Microclimates
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- What are the different industries that form the economy?
- How do industries link to global development?
- What influences do primary and secondary industries have on the UK?
- Why are tertiary and quaternary industries important to the UK economy?
- What is the future of jobs and industry in the UK?
Key Knowledge
- Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary industry
- Development
- HIC, NEE, LICs
- Rural
- System of inputs, processes and outputs
- Agricultural revolution
- Industrial revolution
- Deindustrialisation
- Globalisation
- Post-industrial economy
- Business parks
- Out of town retail
- Decentralisation
- STEM
Skill Development
More detailed locational knowledge for each topic area is explored. Students continue being exposed to a range of different cartographic sources. GIS skills are developed further so students develop their understanding of how technology can further their geographical understanding of issues.
A continued use of a range of quantitative and qualitative sources are used in each topic and students will work on their geographical skills such as measures of central tendency.
Year 9
Intent
Year 9 geographers will explore some of the biggest issues of our time – population explosion, the development of new superpowers, the potential impending energy crisis and mass migration of people to our cities. Students apply core geographical concepts to real life situations and future scenarios, thereby exploring the ‘big picture’ and making powerful links and connections across and beyond the curriculum.
Learning Journey
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Why are single stories dangerous?
- What is the physical and human geography of Africa?
- How has Africa’s past shaped its present?
- Why can having resources be a curse?
- What threats are there to The Sahel region?
- Why is piracy happening around the Horn of Africa?
- Why is Africa splitting in 2!?
- How are diseases impacting Africa?
- How has conflict changed the map of Africa?
- Is tourism a good thing?
- What does the future hold for Africa?
Key Knowledge
- Misconceptions
- Single story
- Colonialism
- Blood diamonds
- Desertification
- Piracy
- Development
- Tectonics
- Rift valley
- Conflict
- Tourism
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Are there too many people on the planet?
- Where do most people live?
- Can we control population size?
- The rise of China
- The Geography of Russia – benefit or curse?
- Why is the Middle East an important global region?
Key Knowledge
- Population explosion
- Boserup and Malthus
- Anti-natal population policies
- Pro natal population policies
- BRICS and MINT
- Containerisation
- Geopolitics
- Diversification
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- What do we need to survive?
- Who has it and who doesn’t?
- Why are our food miles increasing?
- Does the UK have enough water?
- Why are we not more energy secure?
Key Knowledge
- global inequalities
- consumption
- supply and demand
- carbon footprints
- food miles
- organic farming
- agribusiness
- energy mix
- energy security
- fossil fuels
- renewable energy
- fracking
- famine
- undernutrition
- soil erosion
- irrigation
- aeroponics
- hydroponics
- the new green revolution biotechnology
Themes, Concepts and Questions
- Why is our world becoming increasingly urbanised?
- The rise of the megacity
- Lagos – the first 100 million person city?
- What are the opportunities and challenges of life in Lagos?
Key Knowledge
- Urbanization
- migration (push–pull theory)
- natural increase
- megacities
- squatter settlements
- sanitation
- waste disposal
- air and water pollution
- traffic congestion
- informal economy
Skill Development
Locational knowledge of key global areas are explored and a range of atlas, OS and GIS sources are developed throughout.
Students will be working on a wide range of graphs to present data and will develop their ability to interpret these. Geographical skills such as statistical analysis techniques are worked on. A wide range of qualitative and quantitative sources are used through each topic.