Outline
Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future. In such a diverse and dynamic world, we need to be aware of what is around us, both the physical and human aspects.
We aim to develop the skills in our students that will help them make a difference, and to inspire awe and wonder in our fascinating world. Through the study of a varied and interesting curriculum, students are given the opportunity to work independently as well as in groups to achieve highly and become global citizens.
The KS3 curriculum is created to develop and embed skills which will support your daughter through her KS4 and KS5 studies, such as map skills, evaluating sources and sustainable decisions based on evidence.
| Year 7 | The first theme of the year is the induction topic of ‘World Tour’. Students begin by creating their own passport and preparing for their tour, before studying a wide range of countries. This includes their topography and physical features, tourist attractions and socioeconomic landscapes. We cover a huge variety of different countries, ranging from Antarctica to Brazil to Afghanistan – all countries with very different strengths and challenges. Students begin to explore the amazing world around them from the comfort of their classroom! Students then move on to a unit of work on ‘Geographical Skills’, which will develop their map skills and improve their geographical knowledge and awareness on a range of scales. These are essential skills necessary for Geography. We then move onto the topic of ‘Weather and Climate’, which will introduce students to the how we measure the weather, why climate varies around the world and why it is important that we predict future changes in the weather and climate. Students also get to have a go at presenting their own weather forecast! This new found knowledge will be very useful when studying two contrasting ecosystems in the third topic, ‘Rainforests vs. Deserts.’ These study of these two ecosystems focuses on the differences in their climate, vegetation, animal life and adaptations, and their inhabitants. We also study the challenges of living in these environments and how the people living there try to ensure sustainability. Finally, we look into the impact of a changing global climate in ‘Global Warning’. This is an important theme which is revisited in many subjects and in several years at Lordswood Girls’ School, and we look at why our climate is changing, the potential dangers of this, and most importantly – how we can all help! |
| Year 8 | In Year 8 we begin by studying the hydrological cycle and ‘Resourceful Rivers’. The rivers unit looks at the journey of a river from source to mouth and the devastation that flooding can cause, but also how rivers can be managed and become a useful resource for mankind. ‘Planet People’ is the second topic in Year 8, which delves into the study of population, settlement and migration. Students will try to understand why we are distributed around the world in the pattern we are, and why there are such differences in our quality of life. We then go on to studying urbanisation, including the wider issues of economic activities and employment, with a clear focus on the Asian powerhouse of China, and their controversial population management strategies. We then study extreme weather case studies and their causes, where we look at lots of real life case studies including effects and management. We keep these case studies as current as possible and focus on how humans and nature interact and often clash! The final topic is on glaciation and glacial landforms. This is a new unit which focuses on the unique landscapes and landforms that these huge powerful masses can create. We also sadly examine the great amount of benefits that glaciers give to the planet, and why and how we are in danger of losing lots of our ice. |
| Year 9 | Firstly we start with the topic of ‘Coastal Curse’. We begin by looking at coastal landforms and processes but then with a massive 4 billion people living on coastlines, we go on to study the delicate relationship between mankind and the sea. We focus on the Norfolk coastline which is highly susceptible to erosion, and what the effects have been for the residents there. The second topic, ‘Money makes the world go round’ is exploring the theme of multinational companies and what impact they have had on globalisation. We use Nike as a case study for employment and globalisation, and we aim to inspire pupils to develop their awareness of sustainability. The next topic is ‘Tectonic Terrors’ and we aim to understand how natural phenomenon such as volcanoes and earthquakes occur, what effects they have, and what we can do to try and mitigate or resolve the issues they cause. The final topic for Year 9 is Geographical Skills, where we practice and embed skills necessary for GCSE and for further study in other subject areas and wider life – such as map skills, graphical skills and interpretation of resources. |
Assessment (including homework)
| All years | Each topic will have an end of topic assessment to consolidate all the themes covered during the programme of study, as well as an end of year examination. The assessments aim to challenge your daughter in using different skills and demonstrating her learning and understanding. Our KS3 assessment are ‘GCSE style’ to ensure students are used to these type of examinations from an early age. The department aims to set homework tasks that last no longer than 20 minutes and help students reflect and develop on the content covered in lessons. |
How to support your daughter
Try to ask questions about homework and encourage your daughter to proofread her written work. Also try to assist your daughter in understanding assessment marking criteria.
There are lots of websites available for support with work in lessons and with homework, such as ‘coolgeography’ and ‘bbc bitesize’.
Your daughter should also keep an eye out for current geographical issues in the media and try to apply them in lessons.