Geography
Curriculum Intent
At Peacehaven Community School, our Geography curriculum embodies our vision by cultivating independent, inquisitive, and critical thinkers. We empower students to become active global citizens, ready to contribute positively to our ever-changing world. Our curriculum is meticulously designed to spark students' curiosity about the world, instilling a deep-rooted respect and love for nature, and an unwavering commitment to protect our planet.
Our curriculum not only fosters a deep understanding of the Earth's processes and human societies but also highlights the diverse career opportunities available within the field of geography. By instilling a love for learning and nurturing students' curiosity, we pave the way for their success in various careers, such as environmental management and sustainable development.
Through our curriculum, students develop the skills necessary to collect, analyse, and communicate geographical information effectively, driving our values of contribute and achieve. Moreover, they learn to value cultural diversity and bridge divides, promoting unity across communities. We strive to offer the best possible learning experience, preparing students for a future where they can actively engage in creating a more sustainable, harmonious world. Our commitment to high expectations and nurturing a love for learning reflects our dedication to the school's values and vision.
Basil Loggenberg - Head of Geography - basil.loggenberg@swale.at
KS3
Students will study geography for 2 lessons a week in Years 7, 8 & 9.
We will begin with important introductory knowledge and skills in Year 7, before building on these in more in depth topics throughout Year 8 & 9 to prepare for the GCSE content.
Year 7
In terms 1 & 2 students will start with a topic called ‘Introducing Geography’ which covers the basics of continents, countries and capitals across the world, UK geography and atlas skills. Students will then move on to a topic called ‘Population Explosion!’ where they will learn about the world’s growing population, how it affects different places and how countries try to manage this. In terms 3 & 4 students will learn about ‘Brilliant Biomes’ which focuses on the issues and characteristics of major world environments such as the tropical rainforest, hot deserts and the tundra. Term 4 has a focus on ‘Map Skills’ where students will learn to use grid references, direction, scale, map symbols and contour lines to accurately read a range of maps. In terms 5 & 6 students will finish Year 7 by learning about ‘Wild Weather’ which covers how to measure the weather, why the UK has such changeable weather and extreme weather events. Students will also complete an on-site piece of fieldwork about local weather and learn how to analyse data and write their own conclusions. Medium Term Plans |
Year 8
In terms 1 & 2 students will study ‘Crashing Coasts’, focusing on coastal processes (such as erosion, transportation and deposition), how they shape the coastline and how humans try to manage them. There is also an opportunity for a field trip in this term. Students will then learn about ‘Global Development’, which explores how unequal the world is, the newly emerging economies and a focus on China’s recent growth. In terms 3 & 4 students will move on to a topic named ‘Terrific Tectonics’ which covers what happens at plate boundaries, how earthquakes and volcanoes are created and the impacts of these disasters in countries around the world. Term 4 focuses on ‘Crowded Cities’ which describes the process of urbanisation, how life is changing in megacities such as Rio de Janeiro and Mumbai, and how cities can be made more sustainable. In terms 5 & 6 students will finish Year 8 by learning about ‘Energy & Climate Change’ which discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different types of energy, the causes and impacts of climate change and how we can aim for a greener energy future. Medium Term Plans |
Year 9
In terms 1 & 2 students will start Year 9 by learning about ‘UK Landscapes’ to help them learn more about the physical processes that shape our country in which we live, with a focus on fluvial (river) processes and glaciation. Students then move on to a topic named ‘Aspirational Africa’ which explores the geography, historical background and culture of the continent of Africa and how it is set to change in the 21st Century. In terms 3 & 4 students will learn about ‘Extreme Hazards’ which focuses particularly on tropical storms and the impacts they can have on populations that live in these hazard zones. Students will then move on to study ‘Sustainable Futures’ where they will link together lots of their previous knowledge throughout KS3 to discuss contemporary issues regarding pollution, climate change and overpopulation to consider how we can move towards a more sustainable future. In terms 5 & 6 students will finish Year 9 by learning about ‘Tourism’ where we will study the impacts of mass tourism on destinations, how ecotourism can be made more sustainable and possibly even start thinking about planning their own travels for the future after leaving PCS! Medium Term Plans |
KS4
Students will study geography for 3 lessons a week in Years 10 & 11 if they pick it as a GCSE option.
Exam Board is AQA, specification can be found here:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035
We largely focus on Paper 1 topics (Living with the Physical Environment) in Year 10 and then Paper 2 (Challenges in the Human Environment) in Year 11, before preparing for Paper 3 (Geographical Applications) just before the final exams.
Year 10
In terms 3 & 4 students will study ‘The Living World’ which includes ecosystems, tropical rainforests and hot deserts.
In terms 5 & 6 students will move on to study ‘Physical Landscapes of the UK’ which includes coastal landscapes and river landscapes. This will also involve fieldwork to a local coastline to study the impact of coastal processes.
Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Y10 - Physical Landscapes
Year 11
In terms 3 & 4 students will study ‘The Changing Economic World’ which explores the ideas of the development gap, a study of Nigeria as an NEE (newly emerging economy) and the UK’s changing economy.
In term 5 students will finish with the ‘Challenge of Resource Management’ which looks at resource inequalities, the UK’s resources and a focus on water management. There will also be time given for revision and preparation for Paper 3 including the issue evaluation pre-release booklet, fieldwork recap and geographical skills that have been embedded throughout the year.
Medium Term Plans
Term 3
Y11 - Changing Economic World
Homework
Students in KS3 will receive homework tasks fortnightly, with a mixture of tasks to reinforce learning in lessons taking around 30 minutes to complete.
Students in KS4 will receive homework tasks weekly, with a mixture of tasks to reinforce learning in lessons taking around 30 minutes to complete.
Additional Resources
This is the main KS4 class textbook we use:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GCSE-Geography-AQA-Student-Book/dp/0198366612/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=aqa+gcse+textbook+geography&qid=1625225002&s=books&sr=1-3
This is a useful KS4 geography revision guide:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grade-GCSE-Geography-Revision-Guide/dp/1782946101/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&keywords=aqa+gcse+textbook+geography&qid=1625225036&s=books&sr=1-18
The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exist across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together
BARACK OBAMA