Geography

Welcome to the Geography Department

Geography at Richmond Park Academy is an exciting and engaging subject which allows students to understand issues at both a local and global level. We believe that it is important for students to explore both physical and human geography enabling them to become informed and responsible citizens in our ever changing world.

Students can expect to look at current and contemporary issues such as Hurricane Katrina, flooding in the UK, the earthquake in Haiti, the Japanese Tsunami, tourism in Antarctica and Thailand and the Beijing and London Olympics.

We believe that fieldwork is an integral part of studying geography and therefore, we are planning some new trips this year. The aim of these trips is to allow pupils to experience learning outside of the classroom and gain an insight into geography in the real world.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3, students in Year 7 have one lesson a week and Years 8 and 9 have two one hour lessons of geography a week. The students study the following units:

Year 7:

Introduction to geography, map and atlas skills:

The aim of the first unit is to teach the students the three main types of geography; human, physical and environmental. They then learn and practise a variety of map skills such as four and six figure grid references, direction and scale and map symbols. They practice these skills using real Ordnance Survey maps.

Antarctica:

This unit focuses on what is actually like in Antarctica from the animals that live there and how food chains can be affected to the various people who have attempted exploration. Students will draw line graphs to see how the climate changes throughout the year and imagine what it would have been like to have been a tourist aboard the sinking cruiser in 2007.

Rivers:

This unit starts with students learning about the hydrological cycle and how it transports water around the earth. We then look at the physical geography of a river e.g. the processes and how it helps create formations like waterfalls and meanders. The unit also comprises of how humans use rivers and the threats that these can sometimes pose if they flood.

The European Union and Italy:

Students learn about when the EU started and who the member countries are. We then study Italy, its culture and its geography including where industry is located, where the population lives, tourism and its climate.

Year 8:

• Earthquakes and volcanoes
• Paradise Lost
• Weather and climate
• Brazil and Rainforests
• Geography of Sport
• Biomes and their management

Year 9:

• Development, globalisation and the fashion industry
• Japan
• Coastal Changes
• Food and Water
• Changing Populations
• Geographical Investigation

The students are assessed after every unit and are given a grade which is based on the National Curriculum Level Descriptors. Students are set one homework per week which should take Year 7 at least 20 minutes and Year 8 and 9 at least 30 minutes.

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4 the students take AQA specification B for their GCSE.

Year 10:

The students study three units

• Managing Places in the 21st Century – The Urban and Coastal Environment (Exam 37.5%)
• Hostile World – Living with Natural Hazards and Investigating the Shrinking World - Global Tourism (Exam 37.5%)
• Unit 3: Local Investigation including fieldwork (15%) and the geographical issue investigation (10%)

Year 11:

The students study four units

• Unit 1: Managing Places in the 21st Century – The Urban Environment (Exam 25%)
• Unit 2: Hostile World – Living with Natural Hazards (Exam 25%)
• Unit 3: Investigating the Shrinking World – Global Tourism (Exam 25%)
• Unit 4: Local Investigation including fieldwork (15%) and the geographical issue investigation (10%)

Students at Key Stage 4 have three one hour lessons a week and will receive at least one hour of homework every week. The students are regularly assessed through practice GSCE questions and mock papers.