Geography - Wilmington Academy

KS3: MYP Geography (Individuals and Societies)

What does it involve at Key Stage 3?

Geography at Key Stage Three, focuses on developing the students’ knowledge of the world in which they live. Students follow the MYP program, and explore some of the key geographical issues facing our world through the study of a variety of countries – from climate change, over population and migration to coastal recession. Students develop knowledge throughout the KS3 program on map skills, fieldwork and interpretation of data, with spending time ‘out in the field’, which is key to our studies.

Intent

Our aim is to provide students with a curriculum that is engaging, but also develops students as world citizens. As outlined by Michael Palin ‘So many of the world’s current issues – at a global scale and locally – boil down to geography, and need the geographers of the future to help us understand them’. It is therefore our aim, to not only develop students’ love for the subject, but also their ability to solve the world’s current issues.

Our curriculum is constantly reviewed to not only ensure that the needs of all students are met, but to ensure that students are educated about the most recent geographical issues.

Intent

Students in Year 7 follow the MYP Curriculum, where students are encouraged to consider their role within society, as well as exploring viewpoints and attitudes of others.

Students gain the opportunity to travel the world with geography in Year 7 exploring local geography and the geography of the UK, as well as more exotic locations, such as Peru, Singapore and Greece.

The department focuses on a number of world issues, from climate change, migration, the economy and our use of resources, as well as the more ‘traditional’ geography, from glaciation, to tectonics and weather hazards.

Schedule of Learning:

Module 1: Geography of the UK
Module 2: How sustainable is our school?
Module 3: Fantastic Places
Module 4: Wild Weather and climate
Module 5: Brazil – Favelas and development
Module 6: Extreme Environments

Intent

Students in Year 8 follow the MYP Curriculum, where students are encouraged to consider their role within society, as well as exploring viewpoints and attitudes of others.

Students gain the opportunity to travel the world with geography in Year 8 exploring the impacts of tectonic hazards around the world, Australia, River landscapes and a study of polar regions.

Schedule of Learning:

Module 1: Tectonic Hazards – Earthquakes
Module 2: Resource Pressure
Module 3: Africa – Water War!
Module 4: Rivers
Module 5: Urbanisation – Changes in London
Module 6: Tourism

Intent

Students in Year 9 follow the MYP Curriculum, where students are encouraged to consider their role within society, as well as exploring viewpoints and attitudes of others.

Students gain the opportunity to travel the world with geography in Year 9 exploring the impacts of tectonic hazards around the world, Australia, River landscapes and a study of polar regions.

Schedule of Learning:

Module 1: Tropical Storms
Module 2: Rural and Urban challenges
Module 3: Climate Change
Module 4: Uneven Development
Module 5: India and Mumbai
Module 6: Coasts

Implementation

MYP Geography provides students with the opportunity to develop a breadth of Geographical knowledge that challenges them academically. They are encouraged to consider how our world is ever changing and how this can impact us both globally and locally. The curriculum allows students to develop critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, linking to real world problems and the challenges that our world faces.

Impact

Assessment practices in the MYP aim to ensure students have a breadth of geographical knowledge, focusing on both human and physical geography. Students work will be underpinned by geographical skills, as well as develop literacy and numeracy skills, thus helping them to be successful in other disciplines.

Students will be assessed under four different criteria:

Criterion A: Knowledge and Understanding
Criterion B: Investigation
Criterion C: Communication
Criterion D: Critical thinking

Each criterion is divided into a number of achievement levels. The different levels within each criterion demonstrate the students’ achievement. At the lowest levels, the students’ achievement will be minimal. As the numerical score increases, the students’ achievement level increases.

The criterion will be assessed and reported upon twice a year ( module 3 and 6). A final grade will be provided at the end of the year, during module 6. Further guidance on MYP assessments can be found here:

For more information, please read our assessment recording and reporting cycle.

Additional Resources

KS4: GCSE Geography (EBacc)

Intent

Students in Year 10 follow the AQA Geography specification, which enables students to develop knowledge of key human and physical geography, underpinned through local and global case studies and fieldwork.

Student on this course and provided with fundamental skills and knowledge to help them succeed within Post 16 courses and beyond.

Year 10
Year 11

Schedule of Learning

Students begin to study for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 of their GCSE. Within this year, students will focus on the following topics.

Module 1 – Paper 1 (Natural Hazards)
Tectonic Hazards: Key processes at the plate boundaries, case studies of both rich and poor countries, focusing on the causes, effects and responses to earthquakes.
Weather Hazards: Students focus on developing knowledge on where tropical storms form. Case studies of both rich and poor countries are focused upon, exploring the causes, effects and responses to tropical storms.
Climate Change: Students develop knowledge on what is causing climate change, what the impacts are and how we can reduce the effects of climate change on both a personal level as well as on a large scale.
Module 2
Urban Issues and Challenges: Students explore the reasons why urban areas are growing. Students focus on Mumbai, a slum within India, the causes of growth, the effects of growth and also how it can be managed. Students also explore London, focusing on why it has grown, the impacts of this growth and how this can be managed sustainably.
Module 3
Resource Management and Food: Students explore how resources are distributed around the world, which is underpinned by the idea that it is not equal. Students then focus on food, exploring how some countries suffer from obesity, and how some suffer from malnutrition. A key focus is on how to ensure that everyone in the world has access to enough food.
Module 4
Living World: Students explore tropical rainforests, with a focus on Malaysia. Students focus on the causes, effects and responses to deforestation. Within this topic, students also study a hot desert, focusing on their uses, the impacts of using deserts and also opportunities and challenges for development.
Module 5
Coasts and Fieldwork: Students develop an awareness of key processes that take place at the coastline. Students also explore how these key processes can be managed. Students explore the effects of these processes and management systems on people and the environment. Students will also work towards their Paper 3 exam during this topic, where they will complete fieldwork in Herne Bay.
Module 6
Coasts and Fieldwork: Students develop an awareness of key processes that take place at the coastline. Students also explore how these key processes can be managed. Students explore the effects of these processes and management systems on people and the environment. Students will also work towards their Paper 3 exam during this topic, where they will complete fieldwork in Herne Bay.

Schedule of Learning

Module 1
Changing Economic World: Students explore the reasons why urban areas are growing. Students focus on Mumbai, a slum within India, the causes of growth, the effects of growth and also how it can be managed. Students also explore London, focusing on why it has grown, the impacts of this growth and how this can be managed sustainably.
Module 2
Rivers: Students develop an awareness of key processes that occur along rivers, working through each course of the river. Students also explore how these key processes can be managed. Students explore the effects of these processes and management systems on people and the environment. Students are given opportunities to conduct fieldwork with the department, to see this topic in action.
Modules 3 – 6
Bespoke Revision based on Question Level Analysis of students’ Mock results and previous assessments. These sessions are designed to fill common knowledge gaps and develop exam skills whilst recapping key content.

Implementation

GCSE Geography provides students with the opportunity to develop a breadth of Geographical knowledge, exploring both local and global case studies. Students focus on how the world we live in is affected by natural and human processes and the consequences of this. Students also develop knowledge on key geographical processes such as River and Coastal landscapes. A key focus is fieldwork, with students given the opportunity to undertake both human and physical fieldwork in contrasting locations.

Impact

Assessment at GCSE is balanced between summative and formative assessment. Students are assessed at the end of each topic, given past exam papers to test knowledge, build their confidence and practice exam techniques taught in class. Students are assessed under the following Assessment objectives:

AO1: Demonstrate knowledge of locations, places, processes, environments and different scales (15%).
AO2: Demonstrate geographic understanding of: concepts and how they are used in relation to places, environments and processes; the interrelationships between places, environments and processes (25%)
AO3: Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues to make judgements (35%, including 10% applied to fieldwork context)
AO4: Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings (25%, including 5% used to respond to fieldwork data and context(s)

Assessment

Students will now sit all units in the three Geography papers (apart from some optional sections):

Paper 1- Living with the Physical Environment – 1hr 30 minutes- 88 marks
Paper 2- Challenges in the human environment – 1 hr 30 minutes – 88 marks
Paper 3- Geographical Applications- 1hr 15 minutes- 76 marks

Students will receive reports in Year 11 during Module 1,2,3,4 and 5, where attitude to learning, a current working grade and a predicted grade will be provided. Both current working grade and predicted grades will be based on end of topic tests and how well the students have performed in these.

For more information, please read our assessment recording and reporting cycle.