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KS3 Geography

Please click on the links below to find out more about each unit.

Year Long Term Objective:  To create Geographers who take an interest in and have a desire to change the world that they live in.
Year Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1  Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
 
7 What is Geography & Africa Map Skills Restless Earth Restless Earth Development Hot deserts
 
8 Food Distribution Food Weather & Climate Extreme Weather Globalisation Tsunamis
 
9 Rainforest Biome Deforestation in Brazil Population Megacities Glaciation Energy

 

What is Geography & Africa

Overview

Challenging our misconceptions around the development of Africa.

FBV: Democracy – learning that some countries in Africa don’t have this privilege.
Cultural Capital: This is an important topic to start off the year because it helps pupils to know that the world isn’t black and white. It isn’t simply good or bad, poor or rich but it is complex and an ever changing landscape. The continent of Africa has 54 countries that are classically misunderstood or over simplified. We want to students to look at a context that is very different to Swanmore and try and understand the rapid changes and therefore opportunities that are occurring in Africa.
UN Human Rights:
Summary-of-the-UNCRC.pdf (unicef.org.uk)

2 – non discrimination

6 – life, survival, and development

14 – freedom of thought belief and religion

24 – health and health services

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

Example Key Words

Mass Tourism

Large numbers of people visit the same place at any one time.

Continent

A group of countries.

Country

A defined political region within a continent.

Physical Geography

The study of features made naturally.

Human Geography

The study of man-made features.

Websites

Map Skills

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – Maps that we analyse show that there are certain laws that must be followed in the UK and an order to our infrastructure.

Cultural Capital: Students investigate the importance of using maps to understand places around them. They will be able to interpret symbols and land use to show how the physical geography can affect people’s homes, leisure, and employment. Class discussion about the types of map projections and the significance they can have on our perception of the world. 

UN Human Rights:

31 – leisure, play and culture

Example Key Words

Grid references

A map reference indicating a location in terms of a series of vertical and horizontal grid lines

Contour lines

A line on a map joining points of equal height above or below sea level.

Spot Height

The altitude of a point, especially as shown on a map.

Scale

A way of measuring distance on a map

Compass

Shows the direction of north on a map

Websites

Restless Earth

Overview

FBV: Individual liberty – People have their freedom taken from them when a natural disaster occurs in their country. We look at how freedom is restored to these people. 

Cultural Capital: This will develop the habit of empathy as they will be asked to imagine themselves in a situation such as an earthquake and to decide the best course of action. Some student may have also experienced such hazards and it would benefit them to understand them more fully. Lastly, students will be able to understand what they hear on the news more.

They will be more well-rounded individuals as they understand the types of difficulties that other people face in countries that experience natural hazards on a regular basis.

UN Human Rights:

3 – best interest of the child

8 – protection and preservation of identify 

10 – family reunification 

12 – respect the views of the child

17 – access to information from the media 

20 – children unable to live with their family 

23 – children with a disability

24 – health and health services 

25 – social security 

27 – adequate standard of living 

28 – right to education

39 – recovery from trauma and reintegration 

Example Key Words

Tectonic Plates

Segments of the earths crust

Continental drift

The movement of tectonic plates over a long time

Convection Currents

Mmovement in the mantle due to the heat of the core

Mantle

Section of the earth under the crust

Crust

Section of the earths crust on the surface

Websites

Development

Overview

FBV: Mutual respect & Tolerance – Looking at the need for people from different countries and of different backgrounds to support each other in order to develop.

Cultural Capital: Simply by living in the UK, in particular Hampshire we find ourselves in a position of privilege comparatively with the rest of the world. We have opportunities that many others would never have. We want to give students an appreciation for the position they find themselves in as well as being able to offer explanation as to why LIC’s have found themselves in this position.

UN Human Rights:

3 – best interests of the child

6 – life, survival, and development

12 – respect for the views of the child

24 – health and health services

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

31 – leisure, play and culture

32 – child labour

38 – war and armed conflicts

Example Key Words

LIC

Low income country

HIC

High income country

NEE

Newly emerging economy

GDP

Gross domestic product

Literacy rate

Percentage of people who read and write in a country

Websites

Hot Deserts

Overview

FBV: Individual liberty – This is taken away when deserts expand through desertification and farmland is removed from the rural poor.

Cultural Capital: They will be introduced to climate graphs which is a key skill in Geography. This will be built upon in year 8 in the climate topic. This is will give students the chance to study a biome that may be very different to one they may have experience or one that they currently live in.

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

Example Key Words

Desertification

The expansion of the desert

Arid

A dry region

Adaptation

The ability to change depending on your surroundings

Biome

A large-scale ecosystem

Precipitation

Rainfall

Websites

Food distribution

Overview

FBV: Democracy – how this can lead to increased food security

Cultural Capital: This helps students to understand their carbon footprint and their impact on the planet around them. They will also get to see countries that are unlike their own and build a knowledge of the global marketplace and their effect on it. This is increasingly important as issues such as climate change come to the forefront of culture.

Developing ability to assess situations, provide evidence, analysis and suggest solutions is essential moving forward. Transferable skills developed to help in the workplace.

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

22 – Refugee children

19 – protection against violence, abuse and neglect

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

38 – war and armed conflicts

Example Key Words

Distribution

How resources are spread out

Surplus

More than is needed

Deficit

Less than is needed

Famine

Extreme scarcity of food

Agriculture

Farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops

Websites

Food

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – when this breaks down through war or political instability, famine can ensue.

Cultural Capital: This topic is showing the impact of global warming on the global food market. Students have the opportunity to understand how their eating habits have an impact on the world around them and what the potential solutions to this could be.

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

19 – protection against violence, abuse and neglect

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

Example Key Words

Urban greening

Using spaces in urban areas for farming

Local sourcing

Purchasing food from local places to minimise food miles

Organic Farming

Not using fertilisers or chemicals to grow crops

Subsistence Farming

Growing enough crops to feed yourself or your family

Commercial Farming

Growing enough crops to sell for a profit

Websites

Weather & Climate

Overview

FBV: Tolerance – to understand that there are places in the world that are different to our biome.

Cultural Capital: This topic aims to take a closer look at climate and see exactly how it works, how to predict it and how it changes over time. This leads well into looking at weather becoming more extreme across the world. This is a vital part of culture with climate change coming to the forefront of culture and therefore is important that students have a deep understanding of it.

UN Human Rights:

31 – leisure, play and culture

Example Key Words

Climate

Average changes in the weather over 30 years

Weather

The day to day changes in the atmosphere

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil or gas

Climate zones

A world area or region distinguished from a neighbour by a major physical climatic characteristic

Gulf stream

An body of warm water moving from the gulf of Mexico to the UK

 

Websites

Extreme Weather

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – how governments prepare themselves for natural disasters and to analyse where management could be improved.

Cultural Capital: Extreme weather is something that will increasingly impact us as the UK but also the rest of the world. It is important for students to have a critical understanding of these events and why they occur. This topic also links to paper 1 ‘weather hazards’ and the ‘restless earth’ topic covered in year 7.

UN Human Rights:

3 – best interest of the child

6 – life, survival, and development

8 – protection and preservation of identify

10 – family reunification

12 – respect the views of the child

17 – access to information from the media

20 – children unable to live with their family

23 – children with a disability

24 – health and health services

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

39 – recovery from trauma and reintegration

 

Example Key Words

Primary Effects

The impact of an event on the day

Secondary effects

The impact of an event weeks and months later

Cumulonimbus cloud

A large cloud which becomes a tornado or tropical storm

Protection

Changing the infrastructure of a place to limit the risk

Planning

The action taken before an event to limit the risk

 

 

Websites

Globalisation

Overview

FBV: Democracy – How democracy helps countries to connect more widely with the global community and how this can increase people’s individual liberty.

Cultural Capital: Students are able to understand why the UK is one of the most developed countries in the world and enables them to have more awareness of their everyday lives been affected, influenced and enabled by the global community. Looking at the movement of people, flow of goods and exchange of ideas.

UN Human Rights:

29 – Goals of education

32 – Child labour

24 – Health and health services

 

 

Example Key Words

Globalisation

The process by which people and governments become more interconnected

TNC

Trans-national corporation – a business that works in more than one country

Primary resources

Material and minerals found in the ground

Urbanisation

The process of making an area more urban.

Economy

Issues related to money

 

Websites

Tsunami

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – this often gets thrown into chaos during a tsunami. We look at how order can be restored to areas affected.

Cultural Capital: This will develop the habit of empathy as they will be asked to imagine themselves in a situation such as an earthquake and to decide the best course of action. Some student may have also experienced such hazards and it would benefit them to understand them more fully. Lastly, students will be able to understand what they hear on the news more. 

They will be more well rounded individuals as they understand the types of difficulties that other people face in countries that experience natural hazards on a regular basis. 

UN Human Rights:

3 – best interest of the child

6 – life, survival, and development

8 – protection and preservation of identify

10 – family reunification

12 – respect the views of the child

17 – access to information from the media

20 – children unable to live with their family

23 – children with a disability

24 – health and health services

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

39 – recovery from trauma and reintegration

Example Key Words

Immediate response

Response to natural hazards on the day

Long term response

Response to natural hazards weeks and months later

Social

Issues related to people

Environmental

Issues related to people

Economic

Issues related to people

Websites

Rainforests

Overview

FBV: Tolerance – have an understanding of indigenous tribes and plants and animals that have adapted to these environments that might be very different to anything seen in the UK

Cultural Capital: Food, Water, medicine, and other resources are utilised in the rainforest and although they are not local, without them our students’ lives would be drastically different. Understanding that local actions and demands have global consequences.

Understanding of other people’s views and opinions in decision making. Learning to appreciate that people live in different ways, have different standards of living and different daily experiences. Ability to community understanding and empathy 

UN Human Rights:

3 – Best interest of the child

27 – Adequate standard of living

Example Key Words

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Canopy

Layer of the rainforest with the most biodiversity

Photosynthesis

The process of a plant changing co2 into o2

Buttress Roots

Large roots at the base of a tree in the rainforest

Emergent

Tallest trees in the rainforest

Websites

Deforestation

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – we look at illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest and the affect this has on the rest of the world

Cultural Capital: News over the years has been flooded with images of wildfires, cattle ranches and animals on the brink of extinction in these biomes. Students will be able to engage with these stories at the beginning of the year and use their understanding of the physical environment to explain the human interaction with it.

UN Human Rights:

27 – Adequate standard of living

30 – Children from minority or indigenous groups

Example Key Words

Leaching

When nutrients in the soil a removed due to high rainfall

Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat

Ecotourism

Tourism intended to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.

Palm oil

Oil from a plant grown in the rainforest after deforestation

Conservation

The act of protecting earth’s natural resources for current and future generations.

Websites

Population

Overview

FBV: Democracy – The freedom of some countries has created a population boom and we look at the impact of this and how it can be managed

Cultural Capital: Comparison of populations between countries and the UK. Investigation of foreign population policies e.g. China’s One Child Policy and associated human rights.

UN Human Rights:

28 – right to education

22 – Refugee children

35 – Abduction, sale and trafficking

Example Key Words

Dense

Lots of people living in a small space

Sparse

Not many people living in a large space

Exponential

Steady rise leading to sharp rise

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the current generation without limiting the needs of future generations

Resources

A material used to raise the quality of life of people

 

 

Websites

Megacities

Overview

FBV: Individual liberty – megacities have created hubs for self-expression and community connection that can be both an opportunity and a challenge.

Cultural Capital: Investigation of different cultures in megacities in HICs, NEEs and LICs. 

Understanding of different SEE issues in urban areas and encourages students to think of creative solutions for megacities of the future. What will their lives look like in the future? 

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

8 – protection and preservation of identify

17 – access to information from the media

20 – children unable to live with their family

24 – health and health services

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

Example Key Words

Megacity

A city with more than 10 million people.

Urban Sprawl

A city expanding into the countryside

Squatter Settlement

A residential area which has developed without legal claims to the land

Sanitation

The process of keeping places clean and healthy

Corruption

A government making legal decisions through the process of networking and bribery

Websites

Glaciation

Overview

FBV: Rule of law – for every landform, the rules of nature must be followed, even in an ice age.

Cultural Capital: Understand the pressure of energy demands and prices have on people in the UK and the power the energy companies have/don’t have.

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

8 – protection and preservation of identify

Example Key Words

Erosion

The geological process in which materials are worn away

Plucking

Material is eroded away through glaciers melting and re-freezing on the base

Corrie

> An armchair-shaped hollow found on the side of a mountain

Tarn

A small mountain lake.

Moraine

Material left behind by a moving glacier

 

Websites

Energy

Overview

FBV: Mutual respect – being able to argue which source of energy might be best for the future of our planet while respecting the different opinions in the room.

Cultural Capital: Understanding of different ecosystems around the world and how people interact with glacial landscapes.
Investigate the beauty and danger of glaciers.

Understanding of how we live in a changing world due to natural and human causes

UN Human Rights:

6 – life, survival, and development

8 – protection and preservation of identify

17 – access to information from the media

20 – children unable to live with their family

24 – health and health services

26 – social security

27 – adequate standard of living

28 – right to education

Example Key Words

Renewable

An energy source that cannot be depleted and are able to supply a continuous source of clean energy.

Non-renewable

Comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished for thousands or even millions of years

Fracking

A drilling method used to extract petroleum (oil) or natural gas from deep in the earth

Nuclear power

The energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom which can be used to create electricity

Tidal energy

Tidal energy is created using the movement of our tides and oceans

Websites