Geography

Outline of course:

There are three topics, one planned for each of our school terms.

Content:

Autumn term – Hot and Cold Deserts – This unit explores the factors that affect climate on a global scale. Students examine how climate affects the living and non-living environment and what, if anything, are we doing in order to protect fragile ecosystems.

Spring Term – Development and Trade

Contrasts in the level of development between MEDCs and LEDCs are examined by looking at social and economic factors. Students are made aware of world trade and how the pattern of world trade favours MEDC. They also look at Fair Trade as an example of an initiative to address this imbalance

Summer Term – The Environment and a Hazard – This unit looks at how the environment can be a hazard, which has negative effects on people's lives.

Activities:

• Build upon geographical skill, knowledge and understanding from Year 8.
• Learn the factors which determine world climate types.
• Drawing, describing and explaining misconceptions about the main world climates.
• Make a model of a volcano .
• Construct a series of case studies, locating real places, events and consequences of natural hazards, e.g. Montserrat, Bam earthquake in Iran.
• To understand how we need to respond to hazards and look at development with sustainability in mind.
• Use decision making exercises to gain an understanding of other cultures and to compare and contrast with our own.
• To foster citizenship.
• Undertake extended self-supported enquiries on both a more economically developed country and a less economically developed country.

Skills: To develop a range of geographical skills.To be able to interpret maps at various scales.To develop an enquiring mind.To foster citizenship with an understanding and awareness of other people across the world.To communicate with other students.

Homework activities:

• The pupil will undertake activities at home that will complement and extend the work done in class
• earn key geographical vocabulary
• Creative writing
• Model making Investigation

Assessment:

• Questioning students during class activities to check knowledge, understanding and skills
• Students will be assessed continually in their learning
• Homework tasks
• Six Key Tasks

Parental contribution:

Parental support is encouraged at all times and would typically include:

• Checking their child's exercise book
• Watching geographical programmes with their child
• Encourage their child to read newspaper articles relevant to the area of study
• Helping their child prepare for tests

Useful resources and equipment:

• Key text books include Key Geography and the Geog.series
• Maps, atlas and photographs
• ICT and audio-visual equipment
• Digital Camera
• Your child is expected to provide a pencil case containing coloured pencils (not felt tips), a ruler, pencils, eraser, blue or black biros or an ink pen and a basic calculator

Other relevant information:

Good Geographers do not necessarily have encyclopaedic knowledge and recall but know how to find out the answers to queries. They are well organised and keen to make sense of and to recognise patterns, sequences and consequences of natural processes and human activities.