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Geography

‘The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world’ Barack Obama, former US President

Geography is the study of our Earth’s landscapes, its people, places and environments. It is, quite simply, about the world in which we live. Our aim at Westhoughton High School is to develop a sense of place and to develop an awareness of a selection of contrasting physical and human environments. Geography gives an insight into the relationships between people and the environment and how each affects the other, and to comprehend the concept of a sustainable development. Geography enables students to foster a sympathetic understanding of some of the major issues of social concern such as social challenge and urban opportunities.

We aim to develop skills of critical enquiry as well as a firm understanding of concepts through a variety of key questions. The opportunity for fieldwork and practical experience is seen as an important part of the learning experience to bring the concepts that we study to life and the department is committed to providing a curriculum that involves work at home and abroad.

We encourage all pupils to appreciate how actions and decisions made at a local level can have global implications; as a consequence, there are frequent, lively discussions on themes as varied as the management and conservation of extreme environments, to the creation of sustainable communities in modern cities. We believe in the importance of this discussion and understanding in order to equip our next generations to make informed decisions for our community, country and planet.

Please see parental overview of the course in KS3 and KS4 below.

Key Stage 3

Year 7  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Topics
Studied
Geographical Skills

Students develop skills in the use of OS maps and gain experience of viewing images and maps from different perspectives to be able to understand landforms in multiple perspectives.

What is Britain?

Students explore the cultural, geological, historical and political makeup of the British Isles. Students develop a geographical understanding of the British Isles at a variety of scales.

Crumbling Coasts

Students begin their journey into Physical processes. We feel that this is the most relatable environment to begin our study of physical processes as most students will have first-hand experience of a coastal environment.

Paradise Lost

Students explore the impact of tourism on economies of contrasting economic development, with a historical look at the UK, sustainable & community tourism and the growth of dark tourism.

Planet People

Students discover the growth of human population over time and introduces the threshold vocabulary that will be essential for topics covered later in years 8 & 9.  Issues of population are explored in countries of contrasting wealth like the UK, China & India.

Skills and
Key
Knowledge
Taught
Map skills- countries in the BI/ UK

OS map symbol

Scale and distance

Map design

Layer mapping

Grid references

Physical, Human and Environmental Concepts

Skills focus –

Space, map, enquiry, fieldwork, Field sketching

Enquiry/report writing

Aboriginal Britain
Migration and urbanisation
Physical Geography Global locations

Rock formation

Model making

Skills focus – Map, OS maps.

Sequencing

Erosion

Weathering

Hydraulic action

Abrasion

Corrasion

Solution

Cave, arch, stack, stump

Fetch

Constructive and destructive waves

Skills focus – space, map, enquiry, fieldwork.

Butler Model

Ecotourism

HIC/ LIC

Tourist/Tourist

NEE

GDP

Community tourism

Sustainable

Social/Economic/

Environmental

Multiplier effect

Spiral of decline

Skills focus – graphing, extended writing.

GDP

Development

HDI

Population Pyramid

Distribution

Ageing Population

Overpopulation

Globalisation

Economic growth

Superpower

1-2-4 problem

Little Emperors

Links for
Support/
Help at
Home
  • Use of student resources located within WHS SharePoint for students
  • Walks and hikes to studied areas (or any areas with similar geographical landscapes/issues as studied)
  • Use of additional homework booklets, therapy work packs and/or additional resources from the class teacher via Synergy
  • Wider reading: library visits or non-fiction reading on landscapes or countries studied
  • Use of online platforms such as Seneca for podcasts
  • Watching of documentaries linked to geographical issues studied
  • Teacher discussions following assessments and/or reports
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities and/or extra-curricular activities

 

Year 8  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Topics
Studied
Disappearing World

Students explore how human action is governed by the environment and how we interact with our own planet.  Students explore adaptations to varying biomes and the cultures that exist within these regions, the challenges they face and the opportunities they present.

Disappearing World

Students build to their knowledge in Spring 1, students build their ability to compare and contrast biomes as the unit progresses.

 

Our Developed World

Students study the issues affecting a city in a High-Income Country (HIC) contrasting the past to the present and potential issues in the future. Our city to focus on is Manchester.

Rapid Rivers

Students build on the physical processes from Crumbling Coasts by learning about the processes of erosion and how they link to landforms.

The Awesome Arctic

a regional case study of the human and physical geography of the Arctic Circle, its climate, culture, opportunities and challenges, with a focus on Scandinavia and Russia

Global Crossroads

Students will learn the climate, culture, human and physical Geography of the Middle East and the issues facing this diverse region.

Skills and
Key Knowledge Taught 
Skills focus –

Climate graphs

Evaluation

Map skills

Essay writing skills

Food Web

Abiotic

Food Chains

Aspect

Ecosystem

Altitude

Biomes

Latitude

Global

Biotic

Small scale

Sustainable

Deforestation

Stewardship

Conservation

Distribution

Adaptation

Skills focus –

Empathy

Extended writing/justification of points of view.

Urbanisation

Megacity

Infrastructure

Migration in a variety of scales

Push and pull factors

Amenities

Sanitation

Cholera

Hygiene

Skills focus –

Sequencing/OS maps/fieldsketching

Erosion, transport and depositional processes

Water cycle

Drainage basins

Landforms of erosion:

Waterfalls.

Skills focus – graphical, map, contrast.

Latitude

Extreme environment

Biome

Climate

Arctic Circle

Culture

Traditions

Opportunities and challenges

Adaptation

Sustainability

Stewardship

Skills focus –

Compare & Contrast

Graphs/maps

Migration

Climate

Vegetation

Adaptation

Culture

Conflict

Slavery

Links for
Support/
Help at
Home
  • Use of student resources located within WHS SharePoint for students
  • Walks and hikes to studied areas (or any areas with similar geographical landscapes/issues as studied)
  • Use of additional homework booklets, therapy work packs and/or additional resources from the class teacher via Synergy
  • Wider reading: library visits or non-fiction reading on landscapes or countries studied
  • Use of online platforms such as Seneca for podcasts
  • Watching of documentaries linked to geographical issues studied
  • Teacher discussions following assessments and/or reports
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities and/or extra-curricular activities
Year 9  Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Topics
Studied
Restless earth

Students explore the processes and products of earth forces.

Students explore the links between the 3 disciplines in geography i.e., when does a natural event become a natural hazard?

Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunami, Supervolcanoes and hotspots.

How and why do people choose to live in these regions?

Restless Earth continued and then Our Developing World

Students complete the learning Restless Earth and then begin to explore the issues facing citizens of cities across LIC/NEE countries.  They will look at how people find ingenious ways to survive and improve their quality of life.

Our Developing World

Students explore mathematical, map and graph skills to develop the understanding of the measures and the means of calculation/ variety of ways data can be represented.

On Thick Ice

Students further explore the natural processes of Glacial erosion with a reflective look back to What is Britain and the learning about our Ice age and Paradise lost and the tourism opportunities.

The UK today

Students explore elements of all three Geographical disciplines relating to the UK. This ranges from food and energy security to extremes of weather, global warming, HS2 and levelling up.

Geographical Skills

A synoptic look back at the Key stage 3 learning journey through an extended study of concepts and decision making activity.

Skills and
Key
Knowledge
Taught
Skills focus –

Sequencing

Extended writing

Conservative plate margin

Constructive plate margin

Destructive plate margin

Earthquake

Immediate responses

Long-term responses

Plate margin

Planning

Prediction

Primary effects

Protection

Secondary effects

Tectonic hazard

Tectonic plate

Volcano

Economic impact

Environmental impact

Migration in a variety of scales

Push and pull factors

Amenities

Sanitation

Cholera

Hygiene

Skills focus –

Graph/map, empathy, place, scale.

Modelling

Sketching

Map skills

Role Play

Calculations

Conversions

Development

HDI

GDP

Skills focus –

Sketching

Sequencing

Process & product

Glacial processes of erosion and landforms of erosion:

Corries, Aretes, U shaped valleys

Extreme weather

Brexit/independence

Northern Powerhouse

HS2

North/South Divide

Skills focus –

Justify, teamwork, evaluation and management strategies

Links for Support/ Help at Home
  • Use of student resources located within WHS SharePoint for students
  • Walks and hikes to studied areas (or any areas with similar geographical landscapes/issues as studied)
  • Use of additional homework booklets, therapy work packs and/or additional resources from the class teacher via Synergy
  • Wider reading: library visits or non-fiction reading on landscapes or countries studied
  • Use of online platforms such as Seneca for podcasts
  • Watching of documentaries linked to geographical issues studied
  • Teacher discussions following assessments and/or reports
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities and/or extra-curricular activities

Key Stage 4

Year 10  Autumn Term 1 Autumn Term 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Topics
Studied in
AQA GCSE
Geography
Physical Landscapes in the UK- River Landscapes

Students study the features of the river valley, erosional, transportation and depositional processes and landforms focusing on the River Tees; Students learn of the challenges of flooding and strategies used to mitigate it.

The Challenge of Resource Management
Students explore the UK issues with food, water and energy – the journey up to now and what the future holds.Global distribution of the fundamental resources and the issues worldwide of supply and demand; focus shifts towards the energy challenge and what the 21st Century will demand.
The Living World

Students learn of ecosystems and food webs, locally and globally. Students complete an enquiry into the Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem, and the challenges it faces balancing the opportunities it creates with the preservation of the ecosystem. Students will focus on the Amazon rainforest in South America contrasted with cold environments and ecosystems.

The Living World

Students continue with the content from Spring 1.

Physical Landscapes in the UK – Glacial Landscapes in the UK

Students learn to identify the features of glaciated upland landscapes, processes which formed them, focusing in on the Lake District region. The impact of tourism and the issues it creates are also examined.

Fieldwork

The students undertake two field visits either at Blencathra field centre or Malham for a river investigation as part of the requirement to study the physical component.  They then evaluate the impact of tourism and the issues it creates are examined in the second piece of fieldwork, which involves all students collecting data off site in the village of either Grasmere or Ambleside.

Skills and Key Knowledge Taught  Landscape

Abrasion

Arête

Bulldozing

Conservation

Corrie

Drumlin

Erratics

Freeze-thaw weathering

Glacial trough

Hanging valley

Land use conflicts

Moraine

Outwash

Plucking

Pyramidal peak

Ribbon lake

Rotational slip

Till

Truncated spur

Agribusiness

Carbon footprint

Energy mix

Food miles

Fossil fuel

Local food sourcing

Organic produce

Resource Management

Aeroponics

Biotechnology

Famine

Food insecurity

Food security

Hydroponics

Irrigation

Permaculture

Sustainable development

Sustainable food supply

Undernutrition

Urban farming

‘Grey’ water

Groundwater management

Over-abstraction

Sustainable development

Sustainable water supply

Abiotic

Biotic

Decomposer

Ecosystem

Food chain

Food web

Nutrient cycling

Global ecosystem

Producer

Photosynthesis.

Biodiversity

Commercial farming

Debt reduction

Deforestation

Ecotourism

Logging

Mineral extraction

Selective logging

Soil erosion

Subsistence farming

Sustainability

Fragile environment

Infrastructure

Permafrost

Polar

Tundra

Abiotic

Biotic

Decomposer

Ecosystem

Food chain

Food web

Nutrient cycling

Global ecosystem

Producer

Photosynthesis.

Biodiversity

Commercial farming

Debt reduction

Deforestation

Ecotourism

Logging

Mineral extraction

Selective logging

Soil erosion

Subsistence farming

Sustainability

Fragile environment

Infrastructure

Permafrost

Polar

Tundra

Urbanisation

Megacity

Migration in a variety of scales

Push and pull factors

Amenities

Sanitation

Cholera

Hygiene

Infrastructure

Brownfield site

Economic opportunities

Greenfield site

Mega-cities

Migration

Natural increase

Pollution

Rural-urban fringe

Sanitation

Social deprivation

Social opportunities

Squatter settlement

AO3: Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements (35%, including 10% applied to fieldwork context).

AO4: Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings (25%, including 5% used to respond to fieldwork data and context.

Links for
Support/Help at Home 
  • Use of student resources located within WHS SharePoint for students
  • Further research of topics and key ideas studied
  • Walks and hikes to studied areas (or any areas with similar geographical landscapes/issues as studied)
  • Use of additional homework booklets, therapy work packs and/or additional resources from the class teacher via Synergy
  • Wider reading: revision book purchases for students to have their own copies–or revision guides-to actively annotate (PPG funding can be used)
  • Wider reading: library visits or non-fiction reading on landscapes or countries studied
  • Use of online platforms such as Seneca for podcasts
  • Watching of documentaries linked to geographical issues studied
  • Teacher discussions following assessments and/or reports
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities and/or extra-curricular activities
Year 11  Autumn Term 1 Autumn Term 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
Topics
Studied in
AQA GCSE
Geography
The Economic World

Students study the development measures and indicators such as HDI/GNP.  They explore the journey of development through the case study of Nigeria, with a particular focus on the industry, the role of TNC’s, Environmental issues and solutions.

The Economic World continued then Natural Hazards

Students study tectonic hazards with a closer study of volcanoes, how they impact humans living alongside them, preparations for an eruption and responses to an event. Students draw comparisons between a Low-Income Country and a High-Income Country.   Students explore weather hazards and global circulation of the air we breathe. How tropical storms form, and climate change.

Restless Earth continued then

Urban Issues and Challenges with PPE & Revision

Opportunities and challenges created by rapid urban growth, the impact on a Newly Emerging Economy and the solutions to the effects. Focus based around Nigeria and Brazil. Students study the changing UK cities and their shift towards more sustainable urban living concentrating on issues for the future – waste recycling and management, traffic and congestion, water conservation, green spaces and energy conservation.  Focus based more locally on the city of Manchester. Students begin revision for their PPEs and retrieval of the course to date.

Urban Issues continued then Issue Evaluation/ Revision-focus

The exam board release material with a brief period for students to study.

Issue Evaluation and Class-specific revision
Revision foci will differ between groups and students to ensure their assessment data is used to direct teaching and independent learning.
Exams undertaken
Skills and
Key
Knowledge
Taught
Birth rate

Commonwealth

Death rate

De-industrialisation

Demographic Transition Model

Development

Development gap

European Union

Fairtrade

Globalisation

Gross national income (GNI)

Human Development Index (HDI)

Infant mortality

Intermediate technology

International aid

Life expectancy

Literacy rate

Microfinance loans

North-south divide (UK)

Post-industrial economy

Science and business parks

Service industries (tertiary industries)

Trade

Transnational Corporation (TNC

Hazard risk

Natural hazard

Conservative plate margin

Constructive plate margin

Destructive plate margin

Earthquake

Immediate responses

Long-term responses

Monitoring

Plate margin

Planning

Prediction

Primary effects

Protection

Secondary effects

Tectonic hazard

Tectonic plate

Global atmospheric circulation

Social impact

Tropical storm (hurricane, cyclone, typhoon)

Climate change

Mitigation

Orbital changes

Quaternary period

Urbanisation

LIC/NEE/HIC

Rural – Urban Migration

Urban – Rural Migration

Push factors

Pull factors

Cholera

Favela

Sanitation

Slums of hope/despair

Pacification

NGO

An accumulation of all content, skills and key terminology. An accumulation of all content, skills and key terminology.
Links for
Support/
Help at
Home
  • Use of student resources located within WHS SharePoint for students
  • Further research of topics and key ideas studied
  • Walks and hikes to studied areas (or any areas with similar geographical landscapes/issues as studied)
  • Use of additional homework booklets, therapy work packs and/or additional resources from the class teacher via Synergy
  • Wider reading: revision book purchases for students to have their own copies–or revision guides-to actively annotate (PPG funding can be used)
  • Wider reading: library visits or non-fiction reading on landscapes or countries studied
  • Use of online platforms such as Seneca for podcasts
  • Watching of documentaries linked to geographical issues studied
  • Teacher discussions following assessments and/or reports
  • Support in application of BUGS/PEDAL written strategies.
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities and/or extra-curricular activities