Curriculum – Geography

Curriculum – Geography

Geography

The Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Geography at Southend High School for Girls inspires students to be curious and fascinated with the world.  It enables students to understand interactions between physical and human environments to develop knowledge on place, people and resources, both nationally and globally.  The subject provides a balance of human and physical geography topics throughout each Key Stage to embed and utilise the core concepts of the National Curriculum.  Through a spiral curriculum, students are led to both consolidate and progress their knowledge of the world to become well-rounded learners.  Through scholarly endeavour, students utilise and practise a variety of skills including numeracy, literacy, analytical and communication skills.  Students are active participants in using an inquisitive approach both in the field and classroom to collate, analyse and present complex data to better understand the world we live in.  Students regularly develop and practise geographical skills to interpret maps, diagrams, photographs and GIS.  Students are exposed to unfamiliar environments through residential and day trips to complete field work both locally, in and around Southend on Sea and Essex, and further afield such as the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales and the Holderness Coast, Europe’s fastest eroding coastline. Geography should enable students to be independent thinkers who question attitudes and alternative futures for our Earth.

What does it feel like to be a student in the Geography Department?

In years 7, 8 and 9 students are kept intrigued and challenged in developing an understanding of how physical and human environments interact, within familiar and unfamiliar places within the UK and beyond.  They should develop knowledge of places, people, and interactions through named examples.  Students will thrive in developing their communication skills through literacy and oracy, working on describe and explain as well as building confidence in presentation skills.  They will establish research skills to independently investigate ecosystem interactions, cities and more.  Students will build inquiry skills to interpret maps, diagrams and photographs.

By the end of year 11, after five years of studying Geography, students are confident in their knowledge of how physical and human environments interact.  They are more informed of UK geography including the role of people and physical landscape features.  Students have applied factual knowledge to local and global examples both in theory and through fieldwork.  Students have developed their communication skills through literacy and oracy, working on justification and evaluation as well as being much more confident in their presentation skills.  Students can interrogate a variety of media resources including photographs, maps, diagrams and GIS.

By the end of year 13, after seven years of studying Geography, students have embedded their knowledge of how physical and human environments interact through comprehensive and broad factual knowledge.  They have developed independent thinking and natural curiosity about people, place, and resources, both locally, nationally and globally.  Their inquisitive approach to their studies has them questioning players attitudes and alternative futures for their planet whilst thinking about sustainability and their role on the planet.  Students have proven themselves to be well-rounded learners rooted in well-established skills in literacy, oracy, numeracy, analysing and evaluative in a variety of medium, for example, written work, photographs, diagrams and GIS.

Journey

Geography Curriculum

At Southend High School for Girls we teach a curriculum that is ambitious and takes students on a learning journey beyond the National Curriculum for Geography. The SHSG Geography curriculum is what we believe will expose and challenge students to a cultural capital in Geography that is the best that has been thought and said in this subject.

The Geography curriculum is planned and delivered using the intellectual framework of the classical education model, the Trivium:

  • Grammar (Knowledge and skills) knowledge, learning by heart, subject terminology, cultural capital
  • Dialectic (Enquiry and exploration) debate, question, challenge, analyse, evaluate
  • Rhetoric (Communication) essays, speeches, performances, presentations

Year 7 – 9

Pre-requisite or helpful knowledge from Year 6 Geography ready to study in Year 7 if applicable
No pre-requisites required but it would be helpful to know the continents and oceans of the world.

The topics below have been chosen as they reflect the ambitions of the National Curriculum, and as a Grammar school, also challenge students beyond the National Curriculum. They have been carefully sequenced in this order to build a student’s learning journey to achieve the aims of our Geography intent. Along the way students are assessed and topics will be revisited in assessments to keep each stage of this learning journey alive.

Year 7

Term 1

Topic 1

  • UK Rural & Urban Geography

Assessment

  • Decision-making justification piece of extended writing on early settlements.
  • Creative poetry to consolidate understanding of rural/urban landscapes.
  • Presentation skills; creating and presenting content on the UK.
  • Map skills assessment with focus on OS maps.

Term 2

Topic 2

  • Africa with focus on Ethiopia

Assessment

  • Map skills; latitude and longitude.
  • Creative project work on Ethiopia; requires extended writing, research skills, data presentation and analysis and creative artwork.

Term 3

Topic 3

  • Biodiversity

Assessment

  • Research fact-files.
  • Skills check on climate graphs.
  • Creative piece on types of rainfall comic strip
  • End of year examination

Year 8

Term 1

Topic 1

  • Mountains & Hazards

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work
  • Creative piece writing a newspaper article on seamounts.
  • Creative piece on the rock cycle comic strip.
  • End of unit assessment test on knowledge and skills.

Topic 2

  • Glaciation

Assessment

  • Skills check on climate graphs.
  • Quizzes on knowledge consolidation.
  • Skills check on OS maps.
  • End of unit assessment test on knowledge and skills.

Term 2

Topic 3

  • Globalisation

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work.
  • Skills check on graphs.
  • Discussion and presentations on culture and the media.
  • Research on globalised product poster assessment.

Topic 4

  • Development

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work.
  • Skills check on photo interpretation.
  • Quizzes on knowledge consolidation.

Term 3

Topic 4

  • Development

Assessment

  • Board game to consolidate knowledge on Sustainable Development Goals.
  • End of year examination

Topic 5

  • Weather & Climate

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work.
  • Skills check on graphs.
  • Investigation into microclimates.
  • Research and presentations on weather hazards.

Year 9

Term 1

Topic 1 

  • Environmental Challenges: Ecosystems

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work.
  • Skills check on climate graphs.
  • Decision-making practice exercise on damaging the tropical rainforest.

Topic 2

  • Environmental Challenges: Climate Change (continues into Term 2)

Assessment

  • Skills check on climate graphs.
  • Mini investigation into the consequences of climate change using local examples.
  • Debate on alternative fuels for the future.

 

Term 2

Topic 3

  • World Cities: Comparing HIC and LIC examples (continues into term 3)

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work and data interpretation.
  • Research into Mumbai’s Mystery (push & pull factors).
  • Mapping and explanation of London’s diverse population.
  • Mini assessment consolidating knowledge and skills.

Term 3

Topic 3

  • World Cities: Comparing HIC and LIC examples

Assessment

  • Skills check on atlas work and data interpretation.
  • Research into Mumbai’s Mystery (push & pull factors).
  • Mapping and explanation of London’s diverse population.
  • Mini assessment consolidating knowledge and skills
  • End of Year Examination.

 

Achieving mastery in Geography – knowing and remembering even more than what is expected in a grammar school Key Stage 3 curriculum

Our assessment practice at SHSG reflects on how successful students have been in knowing, remembering and doing more through the above topics. They are either emerging, developing or proficient in this journey throughout Key Stage 3.

To go beyond being proficient in what is expected of a Geography student in Key Stage 3 and achieve mastery in Geography, students should read widely, engage in watching Ted Talks and recommended research, and learn key language and subject specific terminology.

Recommended reading in Geography for Lower School (Years 7 – 9)

Useful websites, TED Talks and research for Lower School (Years 7 – 9)

To help practise key skills and consolidate knowledge:

Research on upcoming studies, events and competitions:

Geography-specific language to master in Lower School (Years 7 – 9)

  • All required technical terminology can be found highlighted in exercise books. Students are encouraged to create a glossary of key terms during revision.
  • Key concepts of the decision-making process and justification of a choice.
  • What is meant by ‘skills’ in Geography including ‘describe’ ‘explain’ and ‘justify’.

Pre-requisite or helpful knowledge from Key Stage 3 Geography ready to study in Year 10 if applicable

  • Sound map work skills.
  • Graph skills to include bar charts, line graphs, compound graphs and pie charts.

The topics below have been chosen as they reflect the ambitions of the Eduqas-B, and as a Grammar school, also challenge students beyond the specification. They have been carefully sequenced in this order to build a student’s learning journey to achieve the aims of our Geography intent. Along the way students are assessed and topics will be revisited in assessments to keep each stage of this learning journey alive.

Year 10 (Eduqas-B)

Term 1

Topic 1

  • Rural & Urban UK Processes & Change

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Fieldwork techniques for investigating rural/urban landscapes.
  • Presentation skills (research, create and present findings)

End of unit assessment

Term 2

Topic 2

  • Coastal Processes and management

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practice exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Fieldwork techniques for investigating coastal landscapes.

 

Fieldwork – trip to Flatford Mill in January

Term 3

Topic 3

  • Extreme Weather, Climate & Desertification

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • End of unit assessment.
  • End of Year Examination

 

Topic 4

  • Ecosystems: Hot semi-arid grassland & a local ecosystem example

Assessment

  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Fieldwork techniques for local ecosystem investigation.
  • End of unit assessment.

Year 11 (Eduqas B)

Term 1

Topic 1

  • Uneven Patterns of Development

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.

 

Topic 2

  • River Processes, Flooding & Management

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practice exam-style questions including resource-based questions.

Term 2

Topic 3

  • Water Management

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • End of unit assessment.
  • PPE

 

Topic 4

  • Review, recap and revise Ecosystems, Climate Change & Global Cities

Assessment

  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • In-class style PPE.

Term 3

Topic 4

  • Review, recap and revise Ecosystems, Climate Change & Global Cities

Assessment

  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.

Achieving Outstanding Outcomes in Geography – knowing and remembering even more than what is expected in a grammar school Key Stage 4 curriculum

Our assessment practice at SHSG reflects on how successful students have been in knowing, remembering and doing more through the above topics.

To go beyond what is expected of a Geography student in Key Stage 4 and achieve outstanding outcomes  in Geography, students should read widely, engage in watching Ted Talks and recommended research, and learn key language and subject specific terminology.

Recommended reading in Geography for Middle School (Years 10-11)

Useful websites, TED Talks and research for Lower School (Years 10 – 11)

To help practise key skills and consolidate knowledge:

Research on upcoming studies, events and competitions:

Geography-specific language to master in Middle School (Years 10 – 11)

  • All required technical terminology can be found highlighted in exercise books. Students are encouraged to create a glossary of key terms during revision.
  • Key concepts of the decision-making process and justification of a choice.
  • What is meant by ‘skills’ in Geography including ‘describe’ and ‘explain’

Pre-requisite or helpful knowledge from Key Stage 4 Geography ready to study in Year 13 if applicable

  • GCSE level knowledge of Coasts units
  • Sound map and graphical skills

The topics below have been chosen as they reflect the ambitions of the Edexcel specification, and as a Grammar school, also challenge students beyond the specification. They have been carefully sequenced in this order to build a student’s learning journey to achieve the aims of our Geography intent. Along the way students are assessed and topics will be revisited in assessments to keep each stage of this learning journey alive.

Year 12

Term 1

Topic 1 (Physical)

  • Coastal Landscapes & Change

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • Presentation (research, write up and present)
  • Fieldwork techniques
  • End of unit assessment.

Topic 2 (Human)

  • Globalisation

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.
  • End of unit assessment.

Field trips:  Newham and London

Ongoing: Mock Coursework

Term 2

Topic 1 (Physical continued)

  • Coastal Landscapes & Change

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • Presentation (research, write up and present)
  • Fieldwork techniques.
  • End of unit assessment

Topic 2 (Human Continued)

  • Globalisation

Assessment

  • Practise exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.
  • End of unit assessment

Topic 3 (Physical)

  • Tectonic Processes & Hazards

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • End of unit assessment

Topic 4 (Human)

  • Shaping Places: Diverse Places

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.

Field trips: Tenby, Wales

Term 3

Topic 3 (Physical continued)

  • Tectonic Processes & Hazards

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • End of unit assessment
  • PPE

Topic 4 (Human continued)

  • Shaping Places: Diverse Places

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.
  • PEE

Ongoing: Coursework (NEA)

Year 13

Term 1

Topic 1 (Physical)

  • The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practice exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • End of unit assessment

Topic 2 (Human)

  • Superpowers

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.

Topic 3: Preparation for Paper 3

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.

Term 2

Topic 3: Preparation for Paper 3 continues

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • PPE1

Topic 4 (Physical)

  • The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practice exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • PPE

Topic 5 (Human)

  • Health, Human Rights & Intervention

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.
  • PPE

Term 3

Topic 4 (Physical continued)

  • The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security

Assessment

  • Graphical skills checks.
  • Practise exam-style questions including resource-based questions.
  • Research skills for case study content.
  • End of unit assessment

Topic 5 (Human continued)

  • Health, Human Rights & Intervention

Assessment

  • Practice exam-style questions.
  • Research skills.

Public Examinations

Achieving outstanding outcomes in Geography – knowing and remembering even more than what is expected in a grammar school Key Stage 5 curriculum

Our assessment practice at SHSG reflects on how successful students have been in knowing, remembering and doing more through the above topics.

To go beyond what is expected of a Geography student in Key Stage 5 and achieve outstanding outcomes  in Geography, students should read widely, engage in watching Ted Talks and recommended research, and learn key language and subject specific terminology.

Recommended reading in Geography for Upper School (Years 12 – 13)

News channels & Websites

  • BBC
  • The Guardian
  • The Independent
  • Aljazeera

Geography Affiliates

  • Geography Review
  • Geographical Association
  • Royal Geographic Society
  • National Geographic

Books

    • Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall – helps your understanding of how physical geography impacts on political reality and really helps to understand how decisions of world leaders have been shaped by geography- a good introduction to Geopolitics
    • Six Degrees by Mark Lynas – a scary walkthrough of the impacts of Climate Change as world temperatures increase by 1 degree through to 6 degrees.
    • Divided by Tim Marshall – his follow-up to Prisoners of Geography – explains how & why the world is becoming more divided and how countries are putting up barriers. Very relevant to events in Europe (Brexit), the US (Trump) and the Coronavirus situation.
    • Supercontinent: 10 Billion Years In The Life Of Our Planet by Ted Nield – a very readable account of the evidence for plate movement and the development of our understanding of tectonics today.

Geography-specific language to master in Upper School (Years 12 – 13)

  • All required technical terminology can be found notes from class and glossary in each Year 1 and Year 2 textbooks. Students are encouraged to create a glossary of key terms during revision.
  • Evaluative language to make judgements/opinions on topics.