Lower School Geography:

Here is a quick guide to the topics we work upon in each term. After each topic, in CAPITAL letters, is the main source of pupil's National Curriculum levels information (+).

Year 7. See Mr Halligan for details.

Autumn term. We study settlements. Why they are where they are and why some grow bigger but not others. Pupil's also study mapwork skills.

+ TOPIC TEST. Spring term. We take a look at the Tropical Rainforest environment before studying weather systems and forecasting.

+ HAZARDS ASSIGNMENT.

Summer term. Development is studied where two contrasting countries are studied ( Australia and Brazil).

+ END of YEAR EXAM.

Year 8. See Mr Hoad for details.

Autumn term. We study Tourism including the impact of tourism in Spain.

+ DESIGN A TOURIST BROCHURE.

Spring term. We study tectonic processes, in particular the processes of volcanic eruptions.

+ EXPLAIN AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF AN ERUPTION (Vesuvius) ON THE LOCAL PEOPLE. Presented as a nwspaper front page. Summer term. Study of world population issues.

+ END of YEAR EXAM.

Finishing with a case study of development issues.

Assignments:

So that pupils can explore a topic more thoroughly and begin the process of becoming an independant and self motivated learner, we do some work in each year as longer pieces of work.

It is VITAL that students carefully retain their instructions sheets, because they contain the following information:

* Main title or aims.

* A detailed help sheet which breaks the main topic into several smaller questions.

* A marks scheme or hints.

* A set of levels. Each paragraph gives a desciption of the project. The one which sounds the most like your work is the National Curriculum level that will be awarded.

* A layout and content checklist. Use ALL of these pieces of information to help you earn the most marks.

Year 7. Weather - Hazards. This is set at the end of the Spring term and aims to explore the causes and impact of a major natural disaster caused by extreme weather conditions.

* Currently this is based upon the bush fires in Australia in December 2001 - January 2002.

Year 8. Tourism - Designing and evaluating the impact of a tourist resort.

Volcanoes - Newspaper article on a case study eruption.

Population - Tortilla Curtain. An essay based upon video notes about how and why migrants attempt to enter U.S.A. from Mexico.

Out and about:

KEY STAGE 3.

Trips outside school are now being run as part of the Stop Day programme for the Humanities College. Geography is either contributing or can form part of the work on these trips.

For example Year 9 WW1 trip to the Somme battlefields. CRITICAL QUESTION: "What impact did the waterlogged clay soil of Flanders have upon the fighting and living conditions of the troops?"

Keep an eye on future Stop Days for the role of Geography.

KEY STAGE 4 and 5.

There are more trips if you keep going with Geography for G.C.S.E. or A'level.

GCSE courswork - North Kent coastline data collection.

AS coursework and field study - 2006 - North Wales.

Some pupils are joining the adventure trip to MALAWI. See Miss Leeke for details.

Helpful hints:

* When you are asked to do research this is your chance to show off your internet and library search skills. Are YOU able to motivate yourself, or do you panic the night before the work is due in?

* Learning vocabulary. OK, so this is a chore, but using the right words in an essay or an exam answer improves your mark alot. Worth the time, I promise!

* Questions that start 'Explain...' or 'Compare...' are more difficult BUT making a good attempt will move you up the National Curriculum levels. You need more 'WHY', 'HOW', 'WHAT NEXT'; and less 'WHAT IS IT' or 'WHERE IS IT'!

* Sentences do NOT start 'Because...'

* Clearly data and title your work and use a ruler. We don't say this just to have something to moan about, it makes your work so much easier for you and your teacher to read.

* READ! . . . anything! It is important that you gain confidence in reading, comprehending and interpreting source materials and questions.

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