Geography

Why study Geography?

Pupils will travel the world from their classroom, exploring unique and important places across all continents. Pupils can only have an awareness of where they are in the world if they have comprehensive knowledge and a deep understanding of the world. We use concepts of space and place as examples of the ‘lenses’ through which geographers view the world in order to understand how the world works. Where do they sit compared to other people? How does their experience, their status, and their identity compare with the rest of the world? Geography helps pupils understand how the world works and gives learners a solid grounding before they go to visit places. Geography teaches the pupils to investigate how other cultures work and how the world can be dangerous as well as beautiful place to live. Geography teaches pupils to be aware that the world is constantly changing and that being factual and precise can be as important as being imaginative. Geography will help pupils understand their place in the world and understand how local actions can have global effects. It is our aim to embed, enrich and develop an extensive geographical knowledge. Moreover, ‘facts’ are not always as clear cut as it might seem; pupils will be encouraged to contest ‘factual’ knowledge as it is liable to change over time.

There are three guiding elements which are brought to life in the geography curriculum:

Educational excellence: Geographical expertise is built on substantive geographical knowledge. Drawing from the breadth of concepts (place, space, scale, interdependence, physical and human processes, environmental impact, sustainable development, cultural awareness, cultural diversity) gives pupils the knowledge they need to appreciate the whole domain of geography. They understand how common concepts draw different aspects of the subject together.

Character development: Geography teachers provide enrichment opportunities both inside and outside of school, ensuring outdoor learning helps to put theory into practice and to foster a love of geography. They help to build their own identity and develop their sense of place.

Service to communities: Geography teachers develop key contextual knowledge of geographically significant places, which includes the defining of human and physical characteristics and how these help shape understanding of key processes.

How will I study Geography?

Pupils will:

• build their own identity and develop their sense of place
• be inspired by the unique situation in Blackburn, Lancashire where some of the greatest physical landforms in the National parks like the Yorkshire Dales and the Pennines meet great industrial cities like Preston, Manchester, and Liverpool
• recognise the similarities and differences between the world around them and contrasting environments
• understand important processes and changes in the world around them, including those affecting the land, bodies of water and the air, people, and wildlife and their impact
• learn about the orientation of the world, including references such as the continents and oceans that they can navigate from
• deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments
• be competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered; interpret a range of sources of geographical information; communicate geographical information in a variety of ways
• engage in live fieldwork including data collection, analysis and presentation developing an appreciation of the interplay between locational knowledge and human and physical processes

What will I study at Key Stage 3?

In year 7, pupils will focus on studying places at a variety of different scales, by looking at the human and physical processes that shape and change them. Geographical skills are developed to enhance and deepen geographical thinking.
Topics covered in year 7:

• Geographical skills
• Tropical rainforests
• Development in Africa
• Coasts and coastal management
• Weather and climate

In year 8, the curriculum builds on the strong foundation of year 7 and provides pupils with the opportunity to become more confident in analysing information from a variety of sources to form conclusions about a range of issues and processes that affect people, the environment, and the natural landscape at a variety of scales and across a range of places. Students become increasingly confident in making cross-curricular links.
Topics covered in year 8:

• Climate Change
• Human and Physical processes
• Glacial landscapes
• Location
• Place
• Rivers
• Population – Migration
• Cold environments
• Tectonic hazards

In year 9, pupils gradually develop deeper contextual knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts, recalling and revisiting them meaningfully and regularly. Through enquiry, they confidently interpret a wide range of geographical information enabling them to conceptualise their classroom learning. With and increasingly interconnected web of knowledge Pupils can demonstrate a more mature awareness of issues and differing attitudes and values within which they arise.
Topics covered in year 9:

• China (location, place and human processes)
• Regeneration in Manchester
• Tropical storms
• Globalisation
• Resource Management

What will I study at Key Stage 4?

In years 10 and 11, pupils begin with exploring themes in the human environment; processes, systems and outcomes and how this change both spatially and temporally. Pupils will develop an understanding of the factors that produce a diverse variety of human environments including; the dynamic nature of these environments that change over time and place; the need for sustainable management; and the areas of current and future challenge and opportunity for these environments (at various stages of development HIC, NEE, LIC).

Pupils move onto explore the dynamic nature of physical processes and systems, and human interaction with them in a variety of places and at a range of scales. Pupils develop an understanding of geomorphological & biological processes and features in different environments and the need for sustainable management. Pupils will also undertake a geographical physical enquiry, investigating changes along a river.

Topics covered in years 10 and 11:

• The changing economic world
• Urban issues and challenges
• Resource management
• Rivers
• Coasts
• The living world
• The challenge of natural hazards
• Issue evaluation
• Fieldwork

Assessment

Internal assessments take place task place at regular intervals throughout both KS3 and KS4. Broadly, there are two types of assessment; fluency composite task and a composite test.

Composite fluency tasks are completed at the end of a topic and are used to check whether students are reaching curriculum related expectations.

Composite tests are used to assess the cumulative coverage of the curriculum and check whether learning is sticking over time and if students are reaching curriculum related expectations.

External Examinations

Examination Board: AQA

Enrichment

Geographical learning is further promoted through charity and enterprise events such as celebrating the BBC Children in Need. Through Geography, a range of fieldwork trips are organised throughout the year. These trips include field work visits to apply map skills knowledge and to study regeneration

Careers

The study of Geography can lead to future careers ranging from landscaping, Countryside Officer, Urban Developer to Ecologist, Conservationist and Community Cohesion Officer.

Useful resources and revision support

Seneca – Learn 2x Faster

BBC Bitesize Geography