Geography
GeographyHEAD OF DEPARTMENT – Mrs R.E Greenfield
The Geography department at King's school comprises of three graduate Geographers:
Mr Philip Dixon Smith
Mr Matthew Collinson
All three teach the whole age range of 11-18
Mission Statement
To provide learning environments where pupils can develop an appreciation of the world in which we live and examine the meaning of citizenship in a world increasingly characterized by social inequalities at a local and national level.
b) Undertake studies that focus on geographical questions and that involve class work that also involves a wide range of activities. Students will involve the development of skills and the development of knowledge and understanding about places and themes.
c) Explain geographical patterns and physical and human processes.
d) Consider the issues that arise from people’s interaction with their environments.
e) Become aware of the global context within which places are set, how they are interdependent and how they may be affected by processes operating at different scales.
Geographical skills
a) In investigating places and themes, pupils will be given the opportunity to:
b) Identify geographical questions and issues and establish and appropriate sequence of investigation
c) Identify the evidence required and collect, record and present it
d) Analyse and evaluate the evidence, draw conclusions and communicate findings.
Pupils will be taught to:
a) Use an extended geographical vocabulary, to explain geographical patterns and change and to investigate the relationships.
b) Undertake data logging and fieldwork, selecting and using appropriate techniques to measure and record accurately.
c) Make maps and plans using a variety of scales, using symbols, keys and scales.
d) Use and interpret maps and plans at a variety of scales, including ordnance survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps.
e) Make effective use of atlases to find appropriate information.
f) Select and use appropriate graphical techniques to present evidence on maps and diagrams.
g) Select and use secondary sources of evidence photographs (including vertical and oblique aerial photographs), satellite images and other sources
h) Use ICT to gain access to additional information sources and to assist in handling, presenting and analysing geographical evidence ie the use of computers for the collection and analysis of geographical information.
i) Use of GIS to develop both ICT and mapwork skills and help students get a sound knowledge of space and place.
Place
During the course of Key Stage Three, pupils will study in detail their local area of Grantham, the United Kingdom, China and Ghana. They will also look at examples of places through case studies for individual topics such as Benidorm for mass tourism. For each of the countries studied, pupils will be taught:
a) About the physical and human features that give rise to the country’s distinctive characteristics and regional variety.
b) About the characteristics of different regions.
c) About the way in which the country may be judged to be more or less developed.
d) How the country is set within a global context and how interdependent it is with other countries.
Concepts
The pupils will study different concepts throughout the Key Stage and will develop these by focusing on topics. At the end of the Key Stage three the students will have developed each concept from local to global studies. Current affairs mean that the curriculum may be altered to raise awareness of specific issues.
Current concepts and themes
2012-2013
| Dangerous world | Water world | Diverse world | Shrinking world | My world | Threatened world | SKILLS | |
| YEAR 7 | Earthquakes and volcanoes | Local weather And river flooding | British Isles: identity and diversity | World sport (football Olympics) | Local Area | Local development issues in the British Isles and conservation | General Mapwork skills GIS |
| YEAR 8 | Crime | coasts | Europe: overview and comparing countries | Ecosystems: small scale to large scale | Inside towns and cities | Environmental concerns (ecosystems threatened) | Higher order mapwork GIS |
| YEAR 9 | Global Hazards | Coastal flooding/surge storms | China: a new superpower | Tourism | My footprint on the world global issues (whose responsible for sustainability) | Global issues Development, fair trade, global warming. | GIS |
| |
NEW GCSE GEOGRAPHY SYLLABUS
At Key Stage 4 (YEAR 10 & YEAR 11) the exam board is AQA specification A.
Physical Geography taught in year 10.
Section A
- The restless earth (1)
- Rocks, resources and scenery (2)
Section B
- Water on the land (3)
Human Geography is taught in year 11
Section A
- Changing urban environments (4)
- Changing rural environments (5)
Section B
- Tourism (6)
Controlled assessment
Local fieldwork investigation (marked out of 60) word limit is 2,500 words (6 hours high control write up time) (20 hours in total to be spent on the CAU) from titles from AQA. It is advised that the fieldwork is done after the exam in year 10 and the controlled assessment continues into the first three weeks of year 11.
Local fieldwork investigation (marked out of 60) word limit is 2,500 words (6 hours high control write up time) (20 hours in total to be spent on the CAU) from titles from AQA. It is advised that the fieldwork is done after the exam in year 10 and the controlled assessment continues into the first three weeks of year 11.
KEY STAGE FIVE
AS outline
At AS, all candidates will study core human and physical geography. In each area of study candidates will consider the values and attitudes of decision makers, consider their own values and attitudes to the issues being studied and support their learning of ideas through the study of specific case studies. Candidates will also develop a variety of geographical skills, which will broaden and deepen existing knowledge and be employed with a greater degree of independence.
The AS specification has 2 units:
Unit 1: Physical and Human Geography
Topic list
- Rivers, floods and management
- Cold environments, coastal environments and hot desert environments and their margins
- Global population change
- Food supply issues, energy issues and health issues.
Assessment
| Externally assessed | |
| Written Paper: | 2 hours |
| Weighting: | 70% of total AS / 35% A Level marks |
Structured short and extended questions.
Unit 2: Applied Geography
Topic list
- Basic, investigative, ICT, graphical, cartographical and statistical skills
- Research skills and the assessment of AS fieldwork
Assessment
| Externally assessed | |
| Written Paper: | 1 hour |
| Weighting: | 30% of total AS / 15% A Level marks |
Structured skills and generic research/fieldwork questions.
A2 outline
At A2, candidates will continue to study a combination of human and physical geography. Candidates are required to choose whether to undertake preparatory investigative work in the field in order to be able to produce a fieldwork investigation, or undertake an issue evaluation exercise to extend the content within the specialised context of issue evaluation.
The A2 specification has 2 units:
Unit 3: Contemporary Geographical Issues
Topic list
- Plate tectonics and associated hazards
- Weather and climate and associated hazards
- Challenges facing ecosystems
- World cities – evolution or revolution?
- Development and globalisation
- Contemporary conflicts and challenges.
Assessment
| Externally assessed | |
| Written Paper: | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Weighting: | 30% of total A Level marks |
Structured short and extended questions and an essay.
Unit 4B: Geographical Issue Evaluation
Assessment
| Written Paper: | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Weighting: | 20% of total A Level marks |
Structured short and extended questions based on an advance information leaflet issued by AQA.
FIELDWORK INFORMATION
Fieldwork is promoted within the department as an important part of the subject.
Key stage three pupils.
In year 7 pupils carry out a river study and travel to Stibbington field centre to conduct fieldwork on a cross section of a tributary of the Nene. They also carry out local fieldwork on settlement in Grantham.
In year 9 pupils will carry out mapping work and information on the impact of tourism at Rutland water.
Key stage four pupils
Key stage four pupils currently undertake either urban or coastal fieldwork as part of their GCSE project. This year the fieldwork was carried out in Lincoln where primary data was collected on land use in an urban area.
Key stage Five pupils
Sixth form students this year have carried out fieldwork on the river Witham at its source and other parts of the river. Fieldwork is also carried out in Nottingham city centre looking at many different aspects of Geography particularly environmental quality and settlement changes. Students then spend a further day processing the data and producing two fieldwork projects. The fieldwork helps acquire the necessary skills needed for the January exam on Geographical skills.
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