| Term 1 | The UK and Wider World | |
|---|
| This unit starts with students with a reflection on what students learnt in their geography lessons in primary school. We then establish the human and physical context for the United Kingdom and the difference between human and physical factors. Students are introduced to the key theme of relief and this is developed throughout the unit. |
| Assessment: Students explore the Aberfan disaster in South Wales and seek to understand who or what was to blame, at different scales. | Key Words and Terms |
| |
| Term 2 | Is Bristol an important place? | |
|---|
| In this unit, we start with understanding the location of Bristol and how this gave rise to important local, regional and global connections. Students question the significance of Bristol harbourside in the development of the city and begin to use OS maps to build up a picture of Bristol. |
| Assessment: Students will undertake a short OS map quiz. | Key Words and Terms |
| |
| Term 4 | Weather, climate and climate change | |
|---|
| Weather and climate are becoming increasing complicated and controversial issues. There is debate over whether of not climate change is real for instance. Today's students need to know and understand the weather and climate on this planet so they can make informed decisions as adults. The unit focuses on understanding the key principles behind weather, climate and rain, so that students can then begin to understand the likely effects of climate change. |
| Assessment: Students will complete a short test. | Key Words and Terms |
| |
| Term 3 | Diverse Africa | |
|---|
| Diversity is a key concept in geography. Studying the continent of Africa allows us to understand diversity at a range of different scales; within the continent, at a national scale within countries, at regional levels within countries and at a local level, too. We will explore the reasons behind the diversity of Africa and its nations; human and physical. We will also explore the impact of past and present connections to nations within Africa and how stories of Africa aren't always represented fairly. |
| Assessment: Students will complete a presentation on two contrasting nations within Africa to help show diversity. | Key Words and Terms |
| |
| Term 5 | Powerful Russia | |
|---|
| Students will develop an understanding of how Russia is a globally significant place and home to a diverse range of landscapes and environments. In the first few lessons, students will explore Russia’s varied physical regions, as defined by their landforms, climate, vegetation and soils. They will analyse enormous spatial variations, from hot desert to icy tundra, not forgetting the marine environment of the Arctic Ocean - large parts of which Russia claims ownership over. Students will learn about the role that geological, climatic, ecological and human processes have all played in Russia's history and the different timescales for the changes that these processes bring to places. For instance, not only will students be made aware of tectonic movements taking place hundreds of millions of years ago, they will also examine how contemporary climate change may be affecting Russian ecosystems. |
| Assessment: A long answer question explaining how and why Russia is a powerful place | Key Words and Terms |
| |
| Term 6 | Fieldwork - Chepstow Castle | |
|---|
| Students will visit Chepstow castle where they will being to understand the early connections between humans and their physical environment. What is it that made Chepstow castle a good settlement site? Students will start to put the theory they have learnt into practice by investigating the physical environment. They will conduct annotated sketch maps of the area and compare these to OS maps to check the physical geography in and around the area. They will also look at the human connections that Chepstow has with other settlements in the area. Students will gather a range of evidence to support their analysis, draw conclusions and evaluate their investigation. |
| Assessment: Students will be assessed on a longer written piece of writing that looks at their ability to analyse, draw conclusions and evaluate an investigation. | Key Words and Terms |
| |
