GEOGRAPHY

Year 9 Course Outline

Geography is taken by all pupils for three periods per fortnight and one homework per fortnight is set. The textbook issued is the third in the Geog.123 series and topics covered include: Place (including place design), Tectonic Hazards (earthquakes and volcanoes), Development and Ecosystems. The Place unit is supported by a field trip to Brighton to construct a place profile of the city and to consider the extent to which it caters for protected characteristics/ Diversity and Inclusion. This trip includes a trip up the i360 tower.

Years 10 and 11 Course Outline

The GCSE Geography course follows the OCR Specification B “Geography for Enquiring Minds”. The course consists of three units:

• Our Natural World: 35% of total GCSE (1 hour 15 minute exam). This unit is made up from Global Hazards, Changing Climate, Distinctive Landscapes and Sustaining Ecosystems. This component gives learners the opportunity to explore the natural world they live in to understand how it is shaped.

• People and Society: 35% of the total GCSE (1 hour 15 minute exam). This unit is made up of Urban Futures, Dynamic Development, the UK in the 21st Century and Resource Reliance. This component investigates patterns and processes that shape the human planet. It explores the connections between people and places, questioning how these may change over time and space. The component examines the social, cultural, political and economic forces that make places unique.

• Geographical Exploration: 30% of the total GCSE (1 hour 30 minute exam). The assessment of this unit draws upon both the Our Natural World and the People and Society components. There is no specific content prescribed within the assessment of this component as it is drawn from a range of topics. The synoptic nature of bringing together ideas from different topics will allow each learner to “think like a geographer”.

Skills Required and Developed During the GCSE Course

Geographical skills are fundamental to the study and practice of geography. They are integrated into all aspects of the subject. The skills required for this GCSE course are listed in the specification and provide a basis for further study and research across a range of subjects as well as being core skills for the world of work. Learning these skills in the context of the specification covering the eight topics from components (01) and (02) will stimulate learners to ‘think geographically’. Some of the skills pupils will develop are: fieldwork skills including assessing risks, data collection and analysis and report writing. They will also extend their research skills including the use of internet search engines and evaluation of web-based information. They will acquire and improve map skills and report and extended writing skills. Numeracy skills are used in the interpretation of data and problem solving skills are also deployed for the application of a range of solutions to the Decision Making Exercise. Good organisation is required to manage the range of assessment tasks.

External Assessment

The GCSE Geography course follows the OCR Specification B, full details of which can be found here: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-geography-b-geography-for-enquiring-minds-j384-from-2016/

Beyond the Classroom

Geography presents many opportunities for learning outside the classroom. There are two fieldwork days during Year 10 to Hengistbury Head, Dorset and the New Forest; these allow for the collection of data and to practise skills required for the Geographical Skills paper. There are other occasions when double lessons may be spent locally off-site to enhance classroom learning, for example a trip to Old Portsmouth when studying the potential impacts of climate change. There are also optional overseas trips offered to Years 10 and 11, every other year. For example, in October 2022; 30 pupils travelled to Sicily and in previous years we have also run trips to Tenerife and Iceland. You can see the previous excursions at these links: Iceland trip, March 2018 https://youtu.be/WfT49wCVMFM, Tenerife trip, March 2019 https://youtu.be/ rPlWBcX9DtU Year 12 Lake District Geography and Geology A Level and IB trip, March 2019 https://youtu.be/jhhHEGJpQps

Further Information

Miss L Burton, Head of Geography, Tel 023 9236 0036, Email l.burton@pgs.org.uk