Geography

Curriculum

At KS3 (Year 7, 8 & 9), Geography aims to give students a solid foundation in a range of geographical topics that will build on the necessary skills and knowledge for study at GCSE and A levels. 

The GCSE course encourages pupils to think like geographers through the study of geographical themes, applied within the context of the UK and the wider world, and for the rest of their lives. Pupils will study in-depth the diverse and dynamic geography of the UK, gaining an appreciation of the changes to the country’s geography and the processes which drive  them. This includes the study of natural landscapes which defines the UK, the people, and the environmental challenges which it faces.  

Geographical skills are embedded throughout the course. Students develop critical thinking skills as they learn how to conduct research, answer enquiry based questions and how to formulate a valid argument through their study. 

KS3 - Year 7, 8 & 9

Please choose a year group to read more.

Year 7

The following modules are studied in Year 7:

  • What is Geography?
  • Understanding the difference between Human and Physical Geography
  • Identify the world's oceans, continents and countries
  • Understanding compass direction
  • Identifying map symbols
  • 4 and 6 figure grid references
  • Contour Lines
  • Map Scale
  • Consolidating data in geographical form
  • Conducting geographical enquiries
  • Create your own island
  • What is weather and climate?
  • How do we measure weather?
  • How can weather be recorded and presented?
  • What are clouds and why does it rain?

Year 8

The following modules are studied in Year 8:

  • What is the structure of the earth? What is plate tectonics?
  • What are convection currents? What are plate boundaries?
  • Hazardous locations. Earthquake case study
  • What are volcanoes? Different types of volcanoes.
  • What are super volcanoes? Why do people live near volcanoes?
  • What are the management strategies used with volcanoes and earthquakes?
  • Mount St Helens Case Study
  • What happens when land meets sea? What shapes our coastline?
  • What forms of erosion takes place on the coast? What landforms are created by forces of erosion?
  • How does transportation change the coastline? How does deposition change the coastline?
  • How has life on the Holderness coast changed? What defences can be used to protect the coast?
  • A rivers journey
  • How erosion creates new river landforms?
  • How transportation creates new landforms?
  • How does deposition create new landforms?
  • How are rivers important to people?
  • How do rivers create problems?
  • What is development? How is money spread around the world?
  • What other ways can be used to measure development? How can development changeover time?
  • What is the global development map missing? Why do people live in poverty?
  • Development graph Japan Population Case Study
  • Chinas one child policy and review
  • How are populations changing? Where does everyone live and why?
  • How can we describe the structure of a population? Can we control population size?
  • Why do people migrate? Where do people migrate to?
  • What is urbanisation? Southampton urbanisation change case study
  • One planet, many people, how are populations changing?
  • How is Asia being transformed? How does India rely on the monsoon climate?
  • How do floods threaten the lives of Asia? How does life adapt to mountain biomes?
  • Why is the population of Asia diverse and dynamic? Where are the coldest and warmest places in Asia?
  • How is urbanisation changing lives in Karnataka, India?
  • Is China helping to create an interdependent world?

Year 9

The following modules are studied in Year 9:

  • What is the physical geography of Africa?
  • What is the human geography of Africa?
  • What is Africa's colonial history?
  • What are Africa's major cities?
  • What are the challenges of a hot desert?
  • What are the opportunities of a hot desert?
  • Has the world always had the same climate? When was the last ice and when did it get warmer?
  • What and where are the world's glaciers?
  • How do glaciers change landscapes? Where are the cold environments?
  • Svalbard Case Study: Where is Svalbard?
  • Svalbard case study: What are the opportunities of Svalbard? What are the challenges of Svalbard?
  • Why are cold environments under threat?
  • "Is the geography of Russia a curse or a benefit? What is the physical landscape of Russia?"
  • What is the Climate of Russia?
  • "What biomes exist on Russia? Where do people live in Russia?"
  • "Does geography help or hinder the Russian economy? What is GIS and how can I use it to investigate Russia?"
  • Why did Russia plant their flag on the seabed of the North Pole?
  • What is the future for the planet? What is climate change?
  • What is the evidence for climate change? What are the causes of climate change?
  • What are the consequence of climate change?
  • What are the consequence of climate change for the UK? Antarctica the frozen continent
  • What can we do about climate change? Review and Assessment
  • Why is the Middle East an important world region? How does the physical geography influence the region?
  • What problems does the climate of the Middle East create for the region? Why is the population of the Middle East so diverse?
  • Why is the Middle East a major economic region of the world? How has the United Arab Emirates developed?
  • Why is Yemen the poorest country in the Middle East? Why is there ongoing conflict in the Middle East?
  • Why is the Middle East an important world region?
  • "What is the physical geography of the UK? What is the relief of the UK?"
  • How are coastal landforms created by erosion?
  • "How are coastal landforms created by deposition? What are the major rivers and its systems?"
  • "What are the rock types of the UK? What are the soils like in the UK?"
  • How has weathering impacted on UK landscapes?
KS4 - Year 10 & 11

Please choose a year group to read more.

Year 10

The following modules are studied in Year 10:

  • What are natural hazards?
  • "Distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes Physical processes at plate margins"
  • "The effects of earthquakes Responses to earthquakes"
  • "Living with the risk from tectonic hazards Reducing the risk from tectonic hazards"
  • "Global atmospheric circulation Where and how are tropical storms formed?"
  • "The structure and features of a tropical storm Typhoon Haiyan a tropical storm"
  • "Reducing the effects of tropical storms Weather hazards in the UK"
  • The Somerset Levels floods, 2014 part 1 and 2
  • Extreme Weather in the UK
  • "What is the evidence for climate change? What are the natural cuases of climate change?"
  • "What are the human causes of climate change? Managing the impacts of climate change"
  • "Managing the imapct of climate change Introducing a small scale ecosystem "
  • "How does change affect ecosystems? Introducing global ecosystems"
  • "Reducing the gap debt relief Reducing the gap - tourism"
  • "Environmnetal characteristics of rainforests Causes of deforestation in Malaysia "
  • "Impacts of deforestation in Malaysia Managing tropical rainforests "
  • "Sustainable management of tropical rainforests Environmnetal characteristics of hot deserts"
  • "Opportunities for development in hot deserts Challenges of development in hot deserts"
  • "Causes of desertification in hot deserts Reducing desertification in hot deserts"
  • "The UK's relief and landscapes Wave and theory characteristics"
  • "Weathering and mass movement Coastal erosion processes"
  • "Coastal erosional landforms Coastal landforms at Swanage"
  • "Managing coasts Hard Engineering Managing Coasta - Soft Engineering"
  • "Managing Coasts managed retreat Coastal management at Lyme Regis"
  • "Changes in rivers and their valleys Fluvail processes"
  • "River erosion landforms River erosion and depsoition landforms"
  • "River landforms on the River Tees Factors increasing flood risk"
  • "Managing fllods hard engineering Managing Floods - Soft Engineering"
  • Manging Floods at Banbury
  • "An increasing urban world The emergence of megacities"
  • "Introducing Rio de Janeiro Social Challenegsin Rio"
  • "Economic challenges in Rio Improving Rio's environment"
  • "Managing the growth of squatter settlements Planning for Rio urban poor"

Year 11

The following modules are studied in Year 11:

  • Introducing Rio de Janerio. Social challenges in Rio
  • "Economic challenges in Rio Improving Rio's environment"
  • Managing the growth of squatter settlements. Review
  • "Where do people live in the UK? Where is Bristol?"
  • "How can urban change create social opportunities? How can urban change create economic opportunities?"
  • "How can urban change affect the environment? Creating a clean environment in Bristol "
  • "Environmental challenges in Bristol Social inequality in Bristol"
  • "New housing for Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration"
  • "Planning for urban sustainability Sustainable living in Freiburg"
  • "Sustainable traffic management strategies "
  • "Our unequal world Measuring development"
  • "The Menographic Transition Model Changing population structures"
  • "Causes of uneven development Uneven development wealth and health"
  • "Uneven development migration Reducing the gap"
  • "Reducing the gap aid and intermediate technology Reducing the gap - fair trade"
  • "Reducing the gap debt relief Reducing the gap - tourism"
  • Exploring Nigeria. Nigeria in the wider world
  • "The impacts of transnational corporations The impacts of international aid"
  • "Managing environmental issues Quality of life in Nigeria"
  • "Managing environmental issues Quality of life in Nigeria"
  • "UK Science and business parks Environmental impacts of industry"
  • "Chaning rural landscapes in the UK Changing transport infrastucture Environmental impacts of industry"
  • "The northsouth divide The UK in the wider world"
  • "Resource Management Food Management"
  • "Water Management Energy Management"