What will students study in Geography this year?

In Year 7 students will develop the geographical skills important for geographical study, including map and data handling as well as descriptive and analytical writing.  Students in Year 7 will begin by looking at My World and Map Skills to ensure they all have the global and local locational knowledge and skills to progress through KS3 Geography. Students then investigate Weather and Climate, looking at different factors and processes, causes and effects of climate change, and complete a microclimate investigation on the school grounds. Urbanisation follows and students will explore the history of settlement and contemporary challenges facing urban areas.

This unit further develops fieldwork and report writing skills, looking at urban drainage and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) around the school site. The students then explore our Oceans, looking at their formation and structure, as well as the effects of plastics, pollution and climate change on them. Year 7 concludes with a look at world Development and Economic Activity and trade. They will investigate how gender equality can increase development, as well as Aid, Fair Trade and sustainable development. Climate change and sustainability are recurring themes across all units of work at KS3.

In Year 8 students continue to build on their geographical skills, including descriptive and analytical writing and the presentation of geographical information. Students in Year 8 begin by looking at Africa; critical thinking is encouraged through looking at the reliability of maps and the danger of stereotypes and ‘One Story’ when looking at individual case studies of our second largest continent.

Students move on to look at world Population and factors that affect population, with links back to the role Development plays. Students will then study Hazards and Rocks, looking at the structure of the Earth and rock formation, and the causes and effects of volcanoes and earthquakes. Rivers and Glaciation follows and students investigate the processes involved in shaping our Earth through water and ice on the land. The final unit is Energy and Natural Resources, with links to sustainable energy and a look at the Middle East.

In Year 9, students study Environmental Regions. where they investigate the characteristics, adaptations, opportunities and challenges of tropical rainforests, cold environments and hot deserts. Students then take a closer look at Asia, through the study of its different climate biomes, and the Monsoon season and flooding in India. The new year brings a new unit: Coastal Landscapes and Management. Students explore coastal processes and features before investigating a range of engineering and management approaches. The final unit in Year 9 is River Landscapes, looking at processes and features from the source to the mouth of a river. These units complete our compulsory geographical education.

What are the major assessments this year?

Short pre-unit assessments are set on MSForms to inform teacher planning of each unit’s lessons. Students will also complete a short, mid-topic writing assessment and an end of unit assessment for each topic over the course of the two years. Cumulative End of Term Assessments allow students opportunities to develop and revisit key geographical knowledge, understanding and skills.

What do assessments test?

Assessments test application of knowledge, understanding, evaluation and skills through a variety of multiple choice, short sentence answers and longer paragraph answers.

What are the expectations of my daughter in Geography?

Students will be expected to bring her class workbook and equipment to each lesson. Geography requires a pen, pencil, ruler, protractor, highlighters and a calculator. They will be expected to come to each lesson with an open and questioning mind and to become involved in class discussions. Homework will be submitted on the due date. Students will have access to the lesson PowerPoints and other resources on SharePoint and the expectation is that they will complete any missed lessons in their own time.

What should my daughter do if she feels she is struggling in Geography?

Students should talk to the subject teacher first as it could be a simple matter of misunderstanding a task or a topic. She should try and be specific about what she finds particularly challenging and the support offered may differ depending on the nature of the challenge. Lesson PowerPoint slides will be shared with students via SharePoint to enable them to complete any missed lessons or tasks. They can also be used for revisiting lessons and revision.

How can I best support my daughter in Geography?

The best way to support students is by talking to them about what they are studying in Geography and about how they are getting on.  Students should be encouraged to complete homework in a timely manner and parents can encourage students to follow news, current affairs and watch documentaries of interest to them.

Whom should I contact for further advice or information?

If you have any queries regarding this subject please feel free to contact the Head of Geography at sstangroom@carshaltongirls,org,uk.

TERM	7	8	9
AUTUMN 1	My World Map Skills	Africa	Environmental Regions
AUTUMN 2	Weather & Climate	Population	Asia
SPRING 1	Urbanisation	Population Hazards & Rocks	Coastal Processes & Features
SPRING 2	Urbanisation	Hazards & Rocks	Coastal Processes & Features
SUMMER 1	Oceans	Rivers & Glaciation	Coastal Management
SUMMER 2	Development & Economic Activity Africa	Energy & Natural Resources	River Processes & Features