– KS3 Geography

Curriculum

Intent:

Geography at Rainford will teach young people about the world and the impact that they have on the environment.  Students will develop an understanding of the interactions between people and their varied environments, understanding how physical and human geography are interconnected.

As a keystone of the curriculum, we will develop critical and discerning students who appreciate their role as global citizens, making positive contributions and a difference in the world, underpinned by the key principles of sustainability and social and economic equality both locally and internationally.

We also aim to develop transferable, geographical skills that can be used across the curriculum in support of its facilitating and enabling profile for academic study, as well as developing critical and resilient learners with greater interdependence and self-motivation.

Implementation:

Development of an engaging and contemporary curriculum will enable students to develop a broad geographical knowledge on a range of key principles in geography as well as the challenges posed by key global issues for the 21st century.  This will also include opportunities to cover content that is reactive to current affairs and geographical events that occur that are relevant to the curriculum.

In addition to developing an engaging curriculum, the Geography team will use a range of innovative and imaginative teaching and learning strategies to stimulate students and foster enthusiasm and passion for the subject.  The department will use knowledge organisers, regular reading homeworks and extension tasks and activities to engage students and develop knowledge and understanding.

Through access to practical opportunities to learning, we will enable students to develop original lines of enquiry and provide opportunities for all students to experience an enriched and immersive curriculum through project work and fieldwork opportunities.

A 7-year assessment journey will enable students to develop the knowledge and skills required for success in terminal examinations at GCSE and A-Level.  In addition to formal examinations, we will use a range of day-to-day and periodic assessments to embed understanding and develop the application of subject specific skills.  Transitional assessments from each year group will reflect content delivered and co-ordinated with clear progression and continuity throughout the Key Stages.

Impact:

We want to ensure that students make outstanding progress relative to their starting points and are able to attain strongly in their KS4 and KS5 examinations.  Moreover, students work will be high quality reflecting their application of skills and knowledge.

Students should leave the Geography department at Rainford with an understanding of their roles and responsibilities as global citizens and a willingness to contribute to the wider community.  In addition, students should be equipped with a range of transferable skills for academic study but also provides them with a competitive edge in the employment market and future careers.

Possible careers and opportunities

‘Geography is the subject that holds the key for our future’.  This quote encapsulates the importance of Geography in the 21st century.  Students will gain a detailed understanding of the interactions between people and the environment and the impact on the planet.  More importantly, students will gain an understanding of sustainable development for an equitable future for the planet.  As a facilitating subject, Geography provides students with a range of skills for both academic study and employment.  These include literacy, numeracy, problem solving, decision-making, presentation and analytical skills.  All skills that are well suited for a host of careers including international development, environmental management, urban planning, hazard management, sustainable development, journalism, finance and accountancy and police and civil service.

 

 

Facilities

4 dedicated Geography rooms in the new block between East Block and the Sixth Form College

 

Support

As a department we offer various levels of support to pupils including 1-to-1 intervention, after-school revision classes and holiday sessions to prepare pupils for their GCSE and A Level examinations. In addition, all key information resources and Knowledge Organisers are available via Google Classroom to support your child’s learning.

Extra-Curricular

Various opportunities are available for students to pursue their interests within Geography.  These include fieldwork opportunities both within the school grounds and visits to Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Morecambe Bay and Liverpool ONE for examination classes.  We will also establishing an Eco-schools group with an aim to empower the student body to create a more sustainable school and college.

Year 7 Curriculum:

Autumn term

 

  • Map skills – Essential skills which will underpin their geographical education at Rainford including atlas work, directions, 4 and 6 figure grid referencing, relief and height, scale and distance etc.
  • Geomorphology – Develop an understanding of key processes in the physical environment including weathering, erosion and mass movement and how they shape the landscape creating distinctive landforms.

 

Spring term

  • Africa – Thematic approach to the African continent investigating the diversity of climates, environments and cultures at a variety of locations.

Summer term

  • Extreme weather – An investigation into the weather and climate of the British Isles and its effect on people and the environment. Students will also have the opportunity for research and presentation work on a number of extreme weather events both in the UK and around the world as well as the increasing threat of climate change (climate destabilisation).
  • Contested Planet – An opportunity to investigate the threats to the sustainability of the planet including the plastic pollution, palm oil plantations and ecological footprint as well as the strategies that can be employed to create a more sustainable future.

 Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Geography Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights twice a year. In addition, student will be assessed through a range of assessments aimed at developing the academic skills needed for KS4 and KS5, presentations and project work.

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Google Classroom.  Further useful resources can be found on Google Classroom.

Year 8 Curriculum:

Autumn term

  • Globalisation – Students will develop a greater understanding of the interconnected nature of a globalised world including the driving forces of globalisation, the positive and negative consequences of globalisation for both the developed and developing world and strategies to tackle globalisation and create a more sustainable world.

Spring term

  • Superpower Geographies – Students will investigate global geopolitical issues including the historical and current superpower nations and their influence around the world. In addition, students will investigate the emerging superpower nations (BRICs) and their impact on international relations as well as contemporary issues such as BREXIT.

Summer term

  • Fantastic Places – A thematic approach is used to investigate a range of fantastic places on planet Earth including Svalbard and the Northern Lights, Death Valley and the mystery of the moving rocks. Investigations will also look at the issues and challenges that affect some of the Wonders of the World such the Great Barrier Reef, Yellowstone National Park and Stonehenge.

Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Geography Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights twice a year. . In addition, student will be assessed through a range of assessments aimed at developing the academic skills needed for KS4 and KS5, presentations and project work.

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Google Classroom.  Further useful resources can be found on Google Classroom.

Year 9 Curriculum:

Autumn term

  • Dark Tourism – student will investigate the growth of dark tourism through a range of sites including Auschwitz, Ground Zero (9/11) and the Chernobyl Disaster and the ethical and moral issues surrounding tourism at these sites.
  • Human Rights – Students will develop an understanding of how human rights vary around the planet and the key human right issues in the 21st century including the Rights of the Child, Gender Inequalities, LGBTQ issues, Conflict and Refugees and interventions used to improve human rights standards.

 

Spring term 

  • Completion of Human Rights Module – Students will develop an understanding of how human rights vary around the planet and the key human right issues in the 21st century including the Rights of the Child, Gender Inequalities, LGBTQ issues, Conflict and Refugees and interventions used to improve human rights standards.
  • GCSE Geography – Urban Issues and Challenges – Students will study the factors that drive urban growth and investigate the issues and challenges of urban development in both developed and developing countries, specifically, Rio de Janerio and Liverpool.

 

Summer term

  • GCSE Geography – Urban Issues and Challenges – Students will study the factors that drive urban growth and investigate the issues and challenges of urban development in both developed and developing countries, specifically, Rio de Janerio and Liverpool.
  • GCSE Geography – Resource Management – Students will investigate the issues related to resource exploitation in food, water and energy. Students then will further investigate one of these resources in more detail, specifically issues to water availability and scarcity and strategies for water management and security.

 

Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Geography Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights twice a year. In addition, student will be assessed through a range of assessments aimed at developing the academic skills needed for KS4 and KS5, presentations and project work.

 

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Google Classroom.  Further useful resources can be found on Google Classroom.