Geography

The Geography Department at The Wilnecote School aims to inspire students whilst developing a curious enquiry approach to the world in which they live. We do this by exploring a range of places and topics such as maps and the UK at a national and local scale to climate and ecosystems at a global scale. Lessons contain a rich variety of sources which include maps, photographs, written text, video clips and practical fieldwork. Students delve into the issue of sustainability and the need to preserve the planet for future generations whilst developing it to suit the needs of the present. Students are also taught to recognise the complex relationship that exist between the human and physical environments.

A variety of skills are practised in lessons and cross curricular links are made with lessons such as Science, Maths, English and ICT to enable students to further deepen their understanding.

Key Stage 3 Geography

Students receive one lesson of Geography a week.

They will study the following topics in each year:

 AUTUMN TERMSPRING TERMSUMMER TERM
YEAR 7Maps and the UKWicked WeatherYou are what you eat
YEAR 8Changing NumbersRapid RiversFragile world: Climate and ecosystem
YEAR 9Moving GroundUrban GeographyCoastal landscapes in the UK (Introduction to GCSE)

The KS3 programme of study is designed to ensure that students have the skills and understanding to access the GCSE syllabus at KS4.

Fieldwork

Each year, there is the opportunity for students to take part in fieldwork. This is invaluable as it not only allows the students to put their prior learning into practise but relate their theoretical lessons to the real world. Students currently participate in the following fieldwork:

YEAR 7Castle Visit
YEAR 8Visit to the Botanical Gardens, Birmingham (Climate and ecosystems topic)
YEAR 9Holocaust Centre

How are the students assessed?

In KS3, at the end of each topic, students will usually sit a timed examination consisting of questions based on the content and skills that they have learnt. Other forms of assessment include extended written answers/investigations and presentations. 

GCSE Geography

The GCSE Geography course that is followed in the AQA Geography Specification (8035).

At KS4, students receive five lessons of Geography a fortnight.

Students commence this course at the start of the summer term in Year 9. They continue to study it in Year 10, through to the end of Year 11.

The GCSE qualification assists students in becoming a Geography specialist. It is ideal for anyone who has an interest in Geography and would like to pursue the subject at A-Level or as a career. It also enables the students to develop many skills such as cartographic, statistical, fieldwork, analytical, evaluative, presentation, problem solving, decision making, ICT and report writing which are useful in other cross curricular subjects and future employment opportunities.

Students will study the following topics as part of the course:
 AUTUMN TERMSPRING TERMSUMMER TERM
YEAR 9--Coastal landscapes in the UK
YEAR 10The living world (ecosystems, tropical rainforests, hot deserts) (1) Urban issues and challenges (2)Physical landscapes in the UK (river landscapes in the UK) (1)
Fieldwork and Issue evaluation (3)
Geographical skills (1,2,3)
YEAR 11The challenge of resource management (food and water) (1)The challenge of natural hazards (tectonics, weather and climate change) (1The changing economic world (2)

Fieldwork

Students that choose to study the GCSE Geography course take part in two compulsory fieldwork visits. One will be based in an urban setting and the other, a physical setting. This year students will be visiting Birmingham City Centre and Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire.

How are the students assessed?

Students will sit three examination papers at the end of Year 11 when the course concludes:

 

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment (1 hour 30 minutes) worth 35% of the GCSE course

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment (1 hour 30 minutes) worth 35% of the GCSE course

Paper 3: Geographical applications (1 hour 15 minutes) worth 30% of the GCSE course

 

EXAM BOARD

AQA Geography (8035)

www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035

USEFUL WEBSITES AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT

Students are encouraged to develop their general knowledge of current affairs and the world around them.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH THEIR GEOGRAPHY GCSE

BBC Bitesize: (www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/)

S-Cool: (www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography)

The Met Office: (www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/who/how/case-studies)

Cool Geography (www.coolgeography.co.uk)

Mrs Humanities (geog-on.weebky.com)

CONTACT US

Mrs Gibson

Mrs Critchlow