Geography

Curriculum Allocation

Two 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1:

Topic 1: The Future of our Planet. 

In this topic we look at some of the big environmental challenges facing our planet as we balance population growth and demand for finite resources. In particular we look at Climate Change and learn about

• Why climate change is controversial
• What the evidence is for recent climate change
• Consider the causes of recent climate change
• Study the effects of climate change that are already with and those projected for the future
• What global actions are being taken to try to stop climate change e.g. COP26
• How new technologies may help us to sustainably meet our demand for resources in the future
• Plastic pollution and the danger is poses to marine ecosystems (homework)

Topic 2: Population

Population is something that was an important factor in considering the Future of the Planet in the previous topic. Here we delve deeper into how geographer's study population, known as demography.

In studying population we look at how population changes and what is the prediction for future world population growth. We look at how population is distributed on the Earth's surface and also how population growth rates vary geographically. We look at the link between population and development, a concept we study in greater depth in the following topic. We study how some countries, most famously China, bring in policies to try to influence the birth rate of their country if they are worried population is growing too quickly or too slowly.

Another important aspect of population study in Geography is to consider Migration. Why does it happen? Where is it happening? What are the effects? We take an in-depth look at the issue on the Mexico-USA border. Finally we consider a form of migration called rural-urban migration which is leading to urbanisation. Urbanisation is when the percentage of people within a country who live in towns and cities is increasing. Since 2007 more than 50% of the world's population is urban and we look at the rise of the megacity.

Topic 3: Development

Development Geography is about how countries are making progress towards people having a better quality of life. We look at the different ways that this can be measured and consider

• Measuring Development
• Economic Development
• Social Development
• Environmental Development

Assessment

Assessment is based on Topics 1-3, bringing together all the concepts, keywords and skills practiced in lessons.  

Curriculum Period 2:

Topic 4: Asia.

This unit brings together a number of the themes we have studied this year and in Year 7 to look at the regional geography of the world's largest continent, Asia. We will look at its physical geography (climate, monsoons, typhoons, mountains, tectonics) and human geography (countries, population, development, economy).

Lesson 1: Diverse and Dynamic Asia.

Lesson 2: Asia's Climate.

Lesson 3: How Do Floods Threaten Lives in Asia?

Lesson 4: Tropical Storms.

Lesson 5: Typhoon Haiyan.

Lesson 6: Mountain biomes

Lesson 7: Mount Everest

Lesson 8: Japan Tsunami

Lesson 9: Asia's Diverse and Dynamic Population

Lesson 10: China's geography and rise

Lesson 11: How much influence does China have on Asia?

Lesson 12: Asia's economic importance

Topic 5: Rivers.

In this topic we look at rivers as one of the most important factors in shaping landscapes around the globe. They are also vital to human societies, with almost all major cities being located on a river. We look at the key physical processes of erosion, transport and deposition and the landforms these processes create. We look at how humans use rivers and we can manage the biggest challenge of living with rivers, flooding.

Assessment

Assessment will be based predominantly on Curriculum Period 2, with some questions re-capping Curriculum Period 1. The Curriculum Period 1 areas re-capped will based on questions students performed least well on. 

Curriculum Period 3:

Rivers Field-work project

In this unit we will also undertake fieldwork to learn about how rivers change the landscape and complete a project based on it. 

Subject advice and guidance

If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s teacher via email:

james.best@endon.set.org (Head of geography)

russell.cartlidge@endon.set.org

andrew.skelding@endon.set.org

aiden.jenkins@endon.set.org

Curriculum Allocation

Geography is taught for two 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1:

Curriculum content

Topic 1: Tectonics

• Introduction to tectonics.
• What are earthquakes and how do they form. 
• How do you plan, prepare and protect against earthquakes. 
• How do countries at different levels of development cope with tectonic events. 
• What do we know about volcanoes. 
• How do we respond to volcanic eruptions and DME. 

Topic 2: Extreme Environments: Hot Deserts and the Middle East

• What is the definition of a desert?
• Where can deserts be found and why do they occur?
• How do flora, fauna and humans, adapt to the extreme climate?
• How sustainable is building cities in deserts? (Example: Las Vegas)

The Middle East

• Why is the Middle East an important world region?
• Population and Economy in the Middle East
• How sustainable is development in the Middle East? (Example: Dubai)
• Geopolitics - Why is there ongoing conflict in the Middle East?

Assessment

The first assessment based on Topics 1-2 bringing together knowledge and skills learnt in lessons. 

Curriculum Period 2:

Curriculum content

Topic 3: Extreme Environments: Glaciation

• What are glaciers and where are they found?
• Landforms of Glacial Erosion and glacial deposition
• Human Uses of Glacial Landscapes
• Decision-Making Exercise: Tourism in a Glaciated Landscape
• What do glaciologists do and why is their research important?
• Living in a glacial environment (Example: Greenland)

Topic 4: Africa

• Where is Africa? Overview of human and physical geography
• Why is Africa such an important and varied continent?
• What are the physical and human features of East Africa?
• What is the savanna like?
• What are the challenges facing East Africa?

Assessment

Assessment 2 will focus mainly on Topics 3-4 and have some questions based on Topics 1-2.

Curriculum Period 3:

Curriculum content

Topic 5: Coasts

• What are the physical processes at work shaping coastal landscapes?
• How do these processes create distinctive landforms?
• How does coastal retreat and coastal flooding affect people in the UK?
• How can we manage the coast sustainably?

Subject advice and guidance

If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s teacher via email:

james.best@endon.set.org (Head of geography)

russel.cartlidge@endon.set.org

andrew.skelding@endon.set.org

aiden.jenkins@endon.set.org

Specification/Exam Board

AQA Geography

Subject content

Living with the physical environment

3.1.1 Section A: The challenge of natural hazards

3.1.2 Section B: The living world

3.1.3 Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK

Challenges in the human environment

3.2.1 Section A: Urban issues and challenges

3.2.2 Section B: The changing economic world

3.2.3 Section C: The challenge of resource management

Geographical applications

3.3.1 Section A: Issue evaluation

3.3.2 Section B: Fieldwork

Geographical skills

3.4 Geographical skills

Curriculum Allocation

GCSE Geography is taught for three 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1:

Curriculum content

Unit 1. Section A: The challenge of natural hazards

Natural Hazards:

• Definition of a natural hazard.
• Types of natural hazard.
• Factors affecting hazard risk.

Tectonic Hazards:

• Plate tectonics theory.
• Global distribution of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and their relationship to plate margins.
• Physical processes taking place at different types of plate margin (constructive, destructive and conservative) that lead to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
• Primary and secondary effects of a tectonic hazard.
• Immediate and long-term responses to a tectonic hazard.
• Use named examples to show how the effects and responses to a tectonic hazard vary between two areas of contrasting levels of wealth.
• Reasons why people continue to live in areas at risk from a tectonic hazard.
• How monitoring, prediction, protection and planning can reduce the risks from a tectonic hazard.

Weather Hazards:

• General atmospheric circulation model: pressure belts and surface winds.
• Global distribution of tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons).
• An understanding of the relationship between tropical storms and general atmospheric circulation.
• Causes of tropical storms and the sequence of their formation and development.
• The structure and features of a tropical storm.
• How climate change might affect the distribution, frequency and intensity of tropical storms.
• Primary and secondary effects of tropical storms.
• Immediate and long-term responses to tropical storms.
• Use a named example of a tropical storm to show its effects and responses.
• How monitoring, prediction, protection and planning can reduce the effects of tropical storms.
• An overview of types of weather hazard experienced in the UK.
• An example of a recent extreme weather event in the UK to illustrate:
• causes
• social, economic and environmental impacts
• how management strategies can reduce risk.
• Evidence that weather is becoming more extreme in the UK.

Climate Change:

• Evidence for climate change from the beginning of the Quaternary period to the present day.
• Possible causes of climate change:
• natural factors – orbital changes, volcanic activity and solar output
• human factors – use of fossil fuels, agriculture and deforestation.
• Overview of the effects of climate change on people and the environment.
• Managing climate change:
• mitigation – alternative energy production, carbon capture, planting trees, international agreements
• adaptation – change in agricultural systems, managing water supply, reducing risk from rising sea levels.

 

Section B: The living world

Ecosystems

• An example of a small scale UK ecosystem to illustrate the concept of interrelationships within a natural system, an understanding of producers, consumers, decomposers, food chain, food web and nutrient cycling.
• The balance between components. The impact on the ecosystem of changing one component.
• An overview of the distribution and characteristics of large scale natural global ecosystems.

Tropical rainforests

• The physical characteristics of a tropical rainforest.
• The interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people.
• How plants and animals adapt to the physical conditions.
• Issues related to biodiversity.
• Changing rates of deforestation.
• A case study of a tropical rainforest to illustrate:
• causes of deforestation – subsistence and commercial farming, logging, road building, mineral extraction, energy development, settlement, population growth
• impacts of deforestation – economic development, soil erosion, contribution to climate change.
• Value of tropical rainforests to people and the environment.
• Strategies used to manage the rainforest sustainably – selective logging and replanting, conservation and education, ecotourism and international agreements about the use of tropical hardwoods, debt reduction.

Hot deserts

• The physical characteristics of a hot desert.
• The interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people.
• How plants and animals adapt to the physical conditions.
• Issues related to biodiversity.
• A case study of a hot desert to illustrate:
• development opportunities in hot desert environments: mineral extraction, energy, farming, tourism
• challenges of developing hot desert environments: extreme temperatures, water supply, inaccessibility.
• Causes of desertification – climate change, population growth, removal of fuel wood, overgrazing, over-cultivation and soil erosion.
• Strategies used to reduce the risk of desertification – water and soil management, tree planting and use of appropriate technology.

Assessment

The first assessment will cover Unit 1: Section A and B topics.

Curriculum Period 2:

Curriculum content

Unit 2. Section A- Urban issues and challenges. 

• The global pattern of urban change.
• Urban trends in different parts of the world including HICs and LICs.
• Factors affecting the rate of urbanisation – migration (push–pull theory), natural increase.
• The emergence of megacities.

Lagos case study:

• the location and importance of the city, regionally, nationally and internationally
• causes of growth: natural increase and migration
• how urban growth has created opportunities:
  • social: access to services – health and education; access to resources – water supply, energy
  • economic: how urban industrial areas can be a stimulus for economic development
• how urban growth has created challenges:
  • managing urban growth – slums, squatter settlements
  • providing clean water, sanitation systems and energy
  • providing access to services – health and education
  • reducing unemployment and crime
  • managing environmental issues – waste disposal, air and water pollution, traffic congestion.
• An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor.

• Overview of the distribution of population and the major cities in the UK

Manchester case study:

• the location and importance of the city in the UK and the wider world
• impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the city
• how urban change has created opportunities:
  • social and economic: cultural mix, recreation and entertainment, employment, integrated transport systems
  • environmental: urban greening
• how urban change has created challenges:
  • social and economic: urban deprivation, inequalities in housing, education, health and employment
  • environmental: dereliction, building on brownfield and greenfield sites, waste disposal
  • the impact of urban sprawl on the rural–urban fringe, and the growth of commuter settlements.

Salford Quays regeneration:

• reasons why the area needed regeneration
• the main features of the project.

Features of sustainable urban living:

• water and energy conservation
• waste recycling
• creating green space.
• How urban transport strategies are used to reduce traffic congestion.

• Unit 1. Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK

• An overview of the location of major upland/lowland areas and river systems.

Glaciers:

Maximum extent of ice cover across the UK during the last ice age.

Glacial processes:

• freeze-thaw weathering
• erosion – abrasion and plucking
• movement and transportation – rotational slip and bulldozing
• deposition – why glaciers deposit sediment (till and outwash).

Glacial landforms:

Characteristics and formation of landforms resulting from erosion – corries, arêtes, pyramidal peaks, truncated spurs, glacial troughs, ribbon lakes and hanging valleys.

Characteristics and formation of landforms resulting from transportation and deposition – erratics, drumlins, types of moraine.

An example of an upland area in the UK affected by glaciation to identify its major landforms of erosion and deposition.

Economic opportunities:

An overview of economic activities in glaciated upland areas – tourism, farming, forestry and quarrying.

Conflicts between different land uses, and between development and conservation.

An example of a glaciated upland area in the UK used for tourism to show:

• the attractions for tourists
• social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism
• strategies used to manage the impact of tourism.

Coastal landscapes in the UK

Wave types and characteristics. Coastal processes:

• weathering processes – mechanical, chemical
• mass movement – sliding, slumping and rock falls
• erosion – hydraulic power, abrasion and attrition
• transportation – longshore drift
• deposition – why sediment is deposited in coastal areas.

• How geological structure and rock type influence coastal forms.
• Characteristics and formation of landforms resulting from erosion – headlands and bays, cliffs and wave cut platforms, caves, arches and stacks.
• Characteristics and formation of landforms resulting from deposition – beaches, sand dunes, spits and bars.
• An example of a section of coastline in the UK to identify its major landforms of erosion and deposition.

The costs and benefits of the following management strategies:

• hard engineering – sea walls, rock armour, gabions and groynes
• soft engineering – beach nourishment and reprofiling, dune regeneration
• managed retreat – coastal realignment.

An example of a coastal management scheme in the UK to show:

• the reasons for management
• the management strategy
• the resulting effects and conflicts.

Assessment

Assessment 2 will cover predominantly the topics taught in Curriculum Period 2 and the weakest areas of assessment 1.

Curriculum Period 3:

Curriculum content

Unit 3. Urban and Coastal Fieldwork

Students need to undertake two geographical enquiries, each of which must include the use of primary data, collected as part of a fieldwork exercise. There should be a clear link between the subject content and geographical enquiries, and the enquiries can be based on any part of the content addressed in units 3.1 and 3.2.

Fieldwork must take place outside the classroom and school grounds on at least two occasions.

The two enquiries must be carried out in contrasting environments and show an understanding of both physical and human geography. In at least one of the enquiries students are expected to show an understanding about the interaction between physical and human geography.

Students’ understanding of the enquiry process will be assessed in the following two ways:

1. questions based on the use of fieldwork materials from an unfamiliar context
2. questions based on students’ individual enquiry work. For these questions students will have to identify the titles of their individual enquiries.

Students will be expected to:

1. apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate information and issues related to geographical enquiry.
2. select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings in relation to geographical enquiry.

• The factors that need to be considered when selecting suitable questions/hypotheses for geographical enquiry.
• The geographical theory/concept underpinning the enquiry.
• Appropriate sources of primary and secondary evidence, including locations for fieldwork.
• The potential risks of both human and physical fieldwork and how these risks might be reduced.
• Difference between primary and secondary data.
• Identification and selection of appropriate physical and human data.
• Measuring and recording data using different sampling methods.
• Description and justification of data collection methods.
• Appreciation that a range of visual, graphical and cartographic methods is available.
• Selection and accurate use of appropriate presentation methods.
• Description, explanation and adaptation of presentation methods
• Description, analysis and explanation of the results of fieldwork data.
• Establish links between data sets.
• Use appropriate statistical techniques.
• Identification of anomalies in fieldwork data.
• Draw evidenced conclusions in relation to original aims of the enquiry.
• Identification of problems of data collection methods.
• Identification of limitations of data collected.
• Suggestions for other data that might be useful.
• Extent to which conclusions were reliable.

Revision resources

We provide booklets of knowledge organisers for all the units covered through Year 10. Pupils should use these to revise for recall tests throughout the year and for the three formal assessments.

There are four revision guides which have been published for this course by Pearson, Hodder, OUP and CGP. Whichever publisher, it is important that pupils use a revision guide specifically for AQA GCSE Geography. 

Subject advice and guidance

If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s teacher via email:

james.best@endon.set.org

russell.cartlidge@endon.set.org

Specification/Exam Board - AQA

Curriculum Allocation

GCSE Geography is taught for three 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1:

Curriculum content

Unit 3. Coastal Field work

Students will be expected to:

1. apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate information and issues related to geographical enquiry.
2. select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings in relation to geographical enquiry.

Unit 2. Section B: The changing economic world. 

• Different ways of classifying parts of the world according to their level of economic development and quality of life.
• Different economic and social measures of development: gross national income (GNI) per head, birth and death rates, infant mortality, life expectancy, people per doctor, literacy rates, access to safe water, Human Development Index (HDI).
• Limitations of economic and social measures.
• Link between stages of the Demographic Transition Model and the level of development.
• Causes of uneven development: physical, economic and historical.
• Consequences of uneven development: disparities in wealth and health, international migration.
• An overview of the strategies used to reduce the development gap: investment, industrial development and tourism, aid, using intermediate technology, fairtrade, debt relief, microfinance loans.
• An example of how the growth of tourism in an LIC or NEE helps to reduce the development gap.

Nigeria case study:

• the location and importance of the country, regionally and globally
• the wider political, social, cultural and environmental context within which the country is placed
• the changing industrial structure. The balance between different sectors of the economy. How manufacturing industry can stimulate economic development
• the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in relation to industrial development. Advantages and disadvantages of TNC(s) to the host country
• the changing political and trading relationships with the wider world
• international aid: types of aid, impacts of aid on the receiving country
• the environmental impacts of economic development
• the effects of economic development on quality of life for the population.

Economic futures in the UK:

• causes of economic change: de-industrialisation and decline of traditional industrial base, globalisation and government policies
• moving towards a post-industrial economy: development of information technology, service industries, finance, research, science and business parks
• impacts of industry on the physical environment. An example of how modern industrial development can be more environmentally sustainable
• social and economic changes in the rural landscape in one area of population growth and one area of population decline
• improvements and new developments in road and rail infrastructure, port and airport capacity
• the north–south divide. Strategies used in an attempt to resolve regional differences
• the place of the UK in the wider world. Links through trade, culture, transport, and electronic communication. Economic and political links: the European Union (EU) and Commonwealth.

Assessment

The assessment will mainly cover topics  covered in the first curriculum period and some from Year 10.  

Curriculum Period 2:

Curriculum content

Unit 3. Urban field work

Students will be expected to:

1. apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate information and issues related to geographical enquiry.
2. select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings in relation to geographical enquiry.

Unit 2. Section C: The challenge of resource management

• The significance of food, water and energy to economic and social well-being.
• An overview of global inequalities in the supply and consumption of resources.
• An overview of resources in relation to the UK.
• the growing demand for high-value food exports from low income countries and all-year demand for seasonal food and organic produce
• larger carbon footprints due to the increasing number of ‘food miles’ travelled, and moves towards local sourcing of food
• the trend towards agribusiness.

Curriculum Period 3:

Curriculum content

Unit 3. Section A: Issue evaluation

This section contributes a critical thinking and problem-solving element to the assessment structure. The assessment will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate geographical skills and applied knowledge and understanding by looking at a particular issue(s) derived from the specification using secondary sources.

Revision lessons till exams begin.

Assessment

GCSE Exams

Revision resources

We provide booklets of knowledge organisers for all the units covered through Year 10. Pupils should use these to revise for recall tests throughout the year and for the three formal assessments.

There are revision guides which have been published for this course by various publishers. Whichever publisher, it is important that pupils use a revision guide specifically for AQA. Periodically we do make a school order for the CGP guide via ParentPay.

Subject advice and guidance

If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s teacher via email:

r.cartlidge@endon.shaw-education.org.uk

j.best@endon.shaw-education.org.uk