Geography

Geography is a large department within humanities and is taught in B-Block.

All students study Geography in KS3 and have the option of choosing Geography at GCSE. All KS3 year groups have 2 periods a week. At GCSE the subject continues to be a very popular choice with students, where they have

Geography 3 periods a week.

KS3 Curriculum Overview (Years 7-9)

Throughout KS3 we explore and analyse local, national and worldwide geographical issues, providing our students a developed understanding of both physical and human geography that gives students the chance to experience them out in the field.

In the Year 7 curriculum students are introduced to geography through the ‘Awe and Wonder topic’ within the first half term, gaining experience of new places. In term two students study Weather and Climate where they discover factors affecting climate, how different weather systems are formed and climate change. Next they learn about global biomes, using case studies for each and studying their human and physical characteristics. Finally, the students learn about Our Local Place. During this topic they apply key geographical skills such as reading OS Maps whilst studying Gosport.

In Year 8 students study the impact of tourism on a range of locations, tourism types include dark tourism, mass tourism and sustainable tourism. Next they study Sustainable Development, focusing on the sustainable development goals. They use key geographical skills to display data on the distribution of wealth and carbon. In the spring they begin studying Coasts and Rivers, learning some new keywords and applying their knowledge to technical diagrams. Finally, they do a synoptic study on the Democratic Republic of Congo, applying what they have learnt in the year to a new place.

The Year 9 students start with a topic called Migration and Population which has been linked up with History to compliment their learning. This topic underpins some core GCSE knowledge which they begin after half term. Year 9 then start their GCSE Geography course in November with Natural Hazards, studying tectonics and weather hazards. Finally finishing with Resource Management, another GCSE topic, focusing on food, water and energy provision.

KS4 Curriculum Overview (Years 10-11)

At GCSE we work with the AQA exam board, studying the new 1-9 GCSE.

The topics covered are:

Paper 1 – Living with the Physical Environment – 35% of the GCSE.

• Challenge of natural hazards – tectonics and climatic.
• The Living World – ecosystems to include rainforests and hot deserts.
• Physical landscapes in the UK – coasts and rivers.

Paper 2 – Challenges in the Human Environment – 35% of the GCSE.

• Urban issues and challenges – urbanisation and sustainable living.
• The changing economic world – development, trade and aid.
• The challenge of resource management – UK resources and global water issues.

Paper 3 – Geographical applications – 30% of the GCSE.

• Issue evaluation – a decision making exercise based on pre-released material.
• Fieldwork – all students will be required to carry out fieldwork and use this as a basis for their exam.