Geography

Departmental Staff

• Head of Department: Miss M.Toner
• Mr D.McKenna
• Mrs B.Cunningham
• Mr J.McElroy
• Mr N.McArdle

Subject Information

• • The subject of geography develops a framework of spatial awareness
    that pupils can use to appreciate the importance of the location
    of places and environments at a local and global level.
  • It develops their understanding of geographical concepts and how
    these affect our changing world.
  • It helps pupils to appreciate the differences and similarities
    between people’s views of the world, its environments, societies
    and cultures.
  • It develops their responsibilities as global citizens and their
    role in creating a sustainable future.
  • It develops their use of geographical skills, appropriate
    technologies, and enquiry and analysis skills.

Key Stage 3 (Years 8,9 & 10)

Year 8

Geographical Skills

• • • Human/Physical features, describing places
    • Continents and oceans
    • Latitude and Longitude
    • Map skills –direction, measuring distance, symbols, grid
      references

Settlement

• • • Functions, patterns, site
    • Changes in settlements
    • Land use patterns
    • Settlement hierarchy

Year 9

Kenya

• • • What is Kenya like
    • What attracts tourists to Kenya
    • Way of life for Maasai and Kikuyu tribes
    • Migration – push and pull factors
    • What life is like in Nairobi for migrants
    • What is a developing country
    • What measures can be used to assess the level of
      development
    • Sustainable development and NGO’s

Economic Activities

• • • Types of Economic Activities
    • Positive and negative impact of primary activities – hedge
      removal and quarrying
    • Secondary activity – electricity production – positive and
      negative impact
    • Global warming
    • Renewable energy sources
    • Tertiary activity – tourism – positive and negative
      impact

Year 10

Plate Tectonics

• • • • Location of earthquakes and volcanoes
      • Structure of the earth and theory of plate tectonics
      • Types of plate margins – processes and outcomes
      • Volcanoes – characteristics – what happens when they
        erupt
      • Different eruptions – case studies
      • Earthquakes – what happens
      • Effects of earthquakes in LEDCs and MEDCs
      • Human responses to earthquake hazards

    Weather and Climate

    • Impact of weather on our lives
    • Differences between weather and climate
    • Measuring the weather
    • Microclimates
    • Types of rainfall
    • Weather systems – depressions
    • Weather systems – anticyclones
    • Extreme weather – hurricanes

    Rivers

    • Hydrological cycle
    • River basin terms
    • What causes a river to flood – physical and human causes
    • Causes and effects of flooding in the UK
    • The work of the environment agency
    • Reducing the flood hazard

     

• Key Stage 4 GCSE (Year 11 & 12)

  • Year 11CCEA GCSE (old spec followed by current year 11 progressing to 12 in September 2017)
    Unit 1: Understanding Our Natural World
    • Theme A:The Dynamic Landscape
    • Theme B:Our Changing Weather and Climate
    • Theme C:The Restless Earth

    Year12

    Uint 2:Living in our world

    • Theme A: People and Where They Live
    • Theme B: Contrast in World Development
    • Theme C: Managing Our Resources

    Unit 3: Controlled assessment

    

    GCSE Students carrying out field work for their coursework at St Paul’s on the topic of rivers 

     

    Key Stage 5 A Level (Years 13 & 14)

     

    AS.1

    This unit has two sections. In section A the student will learn how to collect data first hand from physical and human environments by using equipment, surveys or questionnaires and use this information to provide a written report. In section B the student will study physical processes and systems and human interaction with them. This will be through a range of scales and in a range of places. The focus will be on rivers, ecosystems and weather.

    

    St Paul’s A Level students conducting a fieldwork investigation

     

    A)   Fieldwork Investigation:

    • • • Summary fieldwork report
        • Table of data

    B)   The fluvial Environment:

    • • • Processes and features in the fluvial environments
        • Human interaction with the fluvial environment
        • The ecosystem as an open system
        • Plant succession
        • Human interaction with ecosystems
        • Atmospheric processes
        • Mid-latitude weather systems
        • Extreme weather events

    AS.2

    This unit is divided into two sections. Section A will focus on data collection and processing. In section B the student will study human processes, systems and outcomes. This unit will study various aspects of population; rural and urban environments; and development.

    Through both of the AS units the students will learn how to analyse and interpret maps and other imagery as well as how to develop your data processing skills such as drawing annotated sketch maps.

    A)   Human Geography:

    • • • Population – data, structure, resources.
        • Settlement – challenges for rural environments as well as planning issues, challenges for urban environments.
        • Development – nature and measurement of development and issues.

    B)   Skills and Techniques:

    • • • Handling quantitative and qualitative data.

    A2.1

    A)   Impact of Population Change:

    • • 1. Natural population change
        2. Migration (causes, streams and impacts)
        3. Population policies

    B)   Issues in Ethnic Diversity:

    • • 1. Definition of Ethnicity
        2. The process which creates and maintains diversity
        3. Ethnic conflict

    C)   Global Issues:

    • • 1. Issues in tourism – statistics and handling data

    A2.2

    A)   Fluvial and Coastal Environments

    The Dynamic Earth

    B)   Section B comprises a decision making exercise, which takes the form of an externally set case study provided by the examination board.