Geography
At Woolston Brook we believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, its interconnectedness and their place in it. The geography curriculum at Woolston Brook enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills.
The curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress through the school, their growing knowledge about the world helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge and skills are progressive and are sequenced to provide the framework and approaches that provide explanation of how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.
Implementation
Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each topic and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of pupil voice, incorporating children’s interests. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenges to all learners and to develop independent working and confidence, in line with the school’s commitment to the four pillars.
Within all sequences of lessons, teachers plan a phase of progressive questioning which extends to and promotes the higher order thinking of all learners. Questions initially focus on the recall or retrieval of knowledge. Questions then extend to promote application of the knowledge in a new situation and are designed to promote analytical thinking, such as examining something specific. In geography, an example of this level of questioning might ask children to consider their own physical environment. Following map or globe work, they might be asked to consider differences or similarities between their environment and that of a country near the Equator. The questions that teachers ask within the same lesson phase, then focus on how life might be different in those zones, leading the children to draw conclusions about physical and human geography.
Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for and these are indicated on the whole school Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Map. The Geography provision is also well resourced and specific resources are mapped to specific year groups and topics to support effective teaching and learning. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.
Impact
Outcomes in Geography and curriculum books, evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge relating to each of the identified national curriculum strands, as appropriate to key stage; locational knowledge, place knowledge and human and physical geography. This is in addition to the development and application of key skills, supported by fieldwork.
How OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography A (Geographical Themes) might work in practice: There are a variety of ways in which content could be planned out. We suggest that fieldwork, skills and synopticity are integrated throughout the course.:
Uk environmental challenges https://ocr.org.uk/Images/569365-extreme-weather-teaching-and-learning-resources.docx
554157-embedding-geographical-skills-activities.pdf
557847-embedding-geographical-skills-os-maps-learner-activity.docx (live.com)
222035-what-is-the-uk-s-geographical-diversity-.doc (live.com)
GCSE Human Geography; Virtual Fieldwork (arcgis.com)
579170-embedding-fieldwork-skills-activities.docx (live.com)
Using GIS in geographical enquiry. Field Studies Council. (ocr.org.uk)
594898-geographical-skills-student-workbook.docx (live.com)
ocr.org.uk/Images/594899-geographical-skills-handbook.pdf
Rationale: The focus at the beginning of year 7 is on “lighting fires” this involves creating a spark and passion for the subject. This is done through the use of a fascinating country profile on North Korea. The year is designed to gradually put the foundations in place of both physical and human geography by covering rocks, soils and cities with map skills coming at the end of the year.
Literacy policy: Key words included in all lessons. One literacy marked piece of work every half term. Incorrect spellings should be corrected three times in the margin.
Marked Pieces: North Korea essay, Base line exam, Soil Investigation, Mid Year Exam, Cities exam question, End of year Exam
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Lesson |
Key Question (Question in bold is the overall topic key question) |
What knowledge will students have learned? (Lesson summary) |
Key Vocabulary |
Suggested resources and activities |
How is this learning made “sticky?” |
Reference to Mastery |
Challenge |
Home Learning |
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Topic 1 – Year 7 – North Korea |
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1 & 2 |
Why are the people of North Korea so poor?
What is it like in North Korea?
How is North Korea different to the U.K? |
The location of North Korea
The social, economic and political aspects of life in North Korea.
Economic sanctions by the USA leading to poverty.
One party dictatorship and the human rights abuses e.g. not allowed to leave the country and defectors thrown into the Gulags. Mobile phone restrictions.
Nuclear weapons programme.
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Pyongyang
Famine
Dictatorship
Military Human Rights
Censorship |
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Secret spy mission context |
Place & Geographical issues Geo-skills |
High level reading with difficult vocabulary. Extended writing, use of paragraphs. |
Continents quiz on Google Classroom |
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3 |
Feedback lesson |
DIRT – students receive feedback on their North Korea investigation. They complete their targets and actions in purple pen and correct their literacy errors purple pen. |
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4 |
Baseline exam |
N/A |
N/A |
Baseline |
N/A |
Place Concepts & Processes Geographical issues |
N/A |
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5 |
Feedback lesson |
DIRT – students receive feedback on their baseline exam. They complete their targets and actions in purple pen and correct their literacy errors in purple. |
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Topic 2 – Year 7 – Map Skills |
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6 |
Mapping the zombie apocalypse.
How do you use an Atlas? |
Use of a world map or an atlas to map various capital cities that have been affected by a zombie outbreak.
Using the glossary in the back of the atlas to look up major cities which have also had outbreaks of zombies. |
Grid Squares Glossary Atlas Map |
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Map Skills is taught through the theme of the zombie apocalypse. Students have to help save humanity by correctly mapping outbreaks. |
Place Scale Geo-skills |
The stretch and challenge activity of mapping non-capital cities involves greater application of the atlas. |
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7 |
Mapping the zombie apocalypse.
How can Google Earth help in our understanding of Geography? |
Students are given longitude and latitude information of various cities. The pupils have to use the information to locate the cities which will reveal a hidden message. |
Google Earth Map |
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Map Skills is taught through the theme of the zombie apocalypse. Students have to help save humanity by correctly mapping outbreaks. |
Place Scale Geo-skills |
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Europe countries quiz on Google Classroom |
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8 |
Mapping the zombie apocalypse.
How can data presentation of tables improve our understanding? |
Using infection rates of cities and regions across the U.K. students create a map showing infection rates.
Using four figure grid references the students organise ‘air drops’ of key supplies for survivors in the U.K. |
Map Proportional Symbol Four-Figure Grid Reference |
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Map Skills is taught through the theme of the zombie apocalypse. Students have to help save humanity by correctly mapping outbreaks. |
Place Scale Geo-skills |
Students can provide the six figure grid reference on their supply drops. |
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Topic 3 – Year 7 – Rocks, Geological Timescales & Soils |
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9 |
What is the Earth’s crust made of?
What is a rock?
What are the main rock types?
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Rocks are composed of minerals packed together in a regular structure.
Different rocks are found in different amounts across the globe. Igneous is the most common at 65%, Metamorphic consists of 27% of Earths crust and Sedimentary accounts for 8%.
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Igneous
Metamorphic
Sedimentary
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3 types of rock song |
Concepts and Processes
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GCSE standard worksheet |
5 a day questions |
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10 |
How does the rock cycle facilitate the creation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock?
How do igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks form?
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The characteristics and formation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Sedimentary formed in layers, igneous by volcanoes and metamorphic rocks which have undergone change due to pressure and or heat. |
Cementation
Erosion
Sediment
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Memory Game |
Concepts and Processes
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Memory game working in pairs to re-create the rock cycle |
5 a day answers |
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11 |
What role does weathering have in creating distinctive landscapes?
What is weathering?
How does climate influence rates of weathering?
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The process of physical, chemical and biological weathering.
Physical weathering occurs through freeze-thaw due to changes in temperature and moisture.
Acid rain reduces rock into its individual ions. Acid rain is created and exacerbated by increasing pollution levels.
Plant root action is a form of biological weathering most prevalent between paving slabs. |
Physical
Freeze-Thaw
Biological
Plant-root action
Chemical |
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5 a day knowledge answers
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Concepts and Processes
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GCSE style question |
Pet rock homework |
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12 |
What do different rock types look like in a real life context?
What are the common characteristics of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks?
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Pupils are given a pocket geology guide and 15 different samples of unidentified rocks. Pupils analyse the rocks against their guide to correctly identify them. |
Igneous
Metamorphic
Sedimentary
Minerals |
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5 a day knowledge answers
Rock Samples. Investigative learning |
Concepts and Processes Geoskills |
Interactive lesson investigating rock samples |
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13 |
What happened over Earth’s history?
What are eons, eras, periods and epochs?
When were the major events of Earth’s history?
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An investigation into Earth’s history.
The difference between Eons, Eras, Periods and Epochs.
When certain key events occurred in Earth’s history and in what era/period they occurred in. E.g. When did life begin on Earth, age of dinosaurs, when were extinction events. |
Epoch
Eon
Period
Era |
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Geological timescales board game |
Concepts and processes
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Creation of geological timescale board game |
Pet rock submission |
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14 |
Why are soils the root of life?
How is soil formed and what is it made of?
How does soil support plant life and vice versa?
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The different layers of soil in soil profile form including characteristics and formation.
The role of soil in supporting life, as a food source and habitat. How soil is necessary for a range of different people in different job roles.
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Soil profile
Humus
Topsoil
Subsoil
Weathered rock
Bedrock
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Concepts and Processes |
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15 |
What soils are present in the grounds of SHWS? |
Students complete a soil investigation of the soil found at SWHS. Students should construct a hypothesis, think of the methods they could use. Students complete a fieldwork sheet by going to 2/3 locations around the school including the field, memorial garden and shrubs by the English block.
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Clay
Silt
Sandy
Loam
Aim
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First field investigation around the school site |
Geoskills Place
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5 a day questions |
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16 - 17 |
What soils are present in the grounds of SWHS? |
Students write up their soil experiment and their findings in a similar way to GCSE. This should include an aim, methods, presentation of results, data anaylsis, conclusion and evaluation. This could be done in an ICT room or in their books. |
Analysis
Data Presentation
Methodology
Conclusions
Fair Test |
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Use of ICT suites to create graphs of data collected. |
Geoskills |
Introduction to GCSE terminology/skills; Methodology, data presentation, analysis of results |
5 a day answers |
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18 |
Feedback lesson |
DIRT – students receive feedback on their soil investigation. They complete their targets and actions in purple pen and correct their literacy errors in purple pen |
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Topic 4 – Year 7 – Cities |
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19 & 20 |
What does Mexico City look like?
What are the different land uses in a city?
Why do people live in different areas?
What are the characteristics of various parts of a city?
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Using the glossary provided students are introduced to new key terms; urbanisation, urban, rural, land use, function etc.
With Mexico City as an example the different areas of the city with a description of their characteristics and function.
Map skills to identify city function using OS Maps.
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Zone of Disamenity Zone of Maturity Periferico (Periphery) Gentrification Zone of In Situ Accretion Industrial Park Commercial/Elite Areas Central Business District |
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Drawing on the desks to create their own city. |
Geoskills Place Concepts & Processes Geographical issues |
GCSE terminology in reference to the different parts of a city. |
5 a day questions
5 a day answers |
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21 |
Why is Mexico City growing so fast?
Why are many Mexicans abandoning life in the countryside?
What opportunities does Mexico City offer its inhabitants? |
Mexico City population statistics over its history. The factors which influence its growing population.
The push factors which push people out of the countryside. Description of life in the Mexican countryside.
The pull factors which pull people into the city. How life is better, (for some) in Mexico City. Mexico City is a beacon of hope for many poor Mexicans. |
Migration Push Slums Education Healthcare |
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Application of the lessons principles to the ‘Margarita Mystery’. Pupils choose whether Margarita should migrate to the city or not. |
Geographical Issues Place
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5 a day questions |
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22 |
Where do most people live in the world?
Where are the world’s biggest cities?
Have they always been the biggest cities? |
Population statistics for the ten largest cities from 1950, 2000 and 2050 (estimate).
Description and explanation of the distribution of the world’s largest cities. |
Distribution Asia Migration Urbanisation
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Use of Lego to create ‘population towers’ which the students build and place on the map. |
Geo-skills |
GCSE style question regarding the distribution of major cities. |
5 a day answers |
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23 |
Mid Year Knowledge Exam |
Students complete their Mid Year knowledge assessments, covering all topics covered up until this point |
N/A |
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Knowledge recall of previous topics. |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
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24 |
Mid Year Knowledge Exam Feedback lesson |
Students purple pen their assessments, correcting misconceptions of knowledge. |
N/A |
Knowledge recall of previous topics. |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
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25 |
What are the effects of rapid urbanisation on Mexico City?
Why is Mexico City sinking?
What are the living conditions for most of Mexico’s population? |
The negative effects of rapid urbanisation on Mexico City.
Over extraction of water from the aquifer underneath Mexico City has led to land subsistence.
Uncontrolled rural-urban migration has led to the creation of squatter settlements on the outskirts of the city.
Lack of education for the population has led to the large informal economy in the city which has put pressure on local services.
The huge increase in population has led to a large increase in pollution. Air quality within the city is damaging health. |
Rapid Urbanisation Subsistence Squatter Settlements Informal Economy Air Pollution
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Geographical Issues Place |
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5 a day questions |
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26 |
What are the solutions to rapid urbanisation?
What is bottom up development?
What is top down development?
What schemes have Mexico City introduced aid development? |
Evaluation of top down development projects and bottom up development projects.
Costs and benefits of 2 bottom up development projects and 3 top down development projects. |
Development Top Down Bottom Up Rapid Urbanisation
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Carousel activity moving around the classroom making notes on how schemes operate. |
Geoskills Place Concepts & Processes Geographical Issues |
GCSE style 8 mark exam question with 4 SPaG marks. |
5 a day answers |
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27 |
Feedback lesson |
DIRT – students receive feedback on their Mexico City investigation. They complete their targets and actions in purple pen and correct their literacy errors in purple pen. |
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28 |
Why Liverpool? What is the site of Liverpool?
What is the situation of Liverpool?
How connected is Liverpool? |
The human and physical factors which led to the creation of Liverpool. How the slave trade led to the growth of Liverpool as a port. The silting up of the River Dee led to trade switching from Chester to Liverpool.
The physical and human characteristics surrounding Liverpool. Its proximity to nearby cities Chester and Manchester. |
Liverpool Site Situation Connectivity
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Use of Liverpool as the case study to build upon existing knowledge.
Fortnite Map for mapping students settlement. |
Place Concepts & Processes |
Map analysis of changes in Liverpool over the past 100 years. |
5 a day questions |
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29 |
What does Liverpool look like?
What are the different land uses in a city?
Why do people live in different areas?
What are the characteristics of various parts of a city?
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A journey through Liverpool using images and Google earth.
Land use function, building type and characteristics of CBD.
Land use function, building type and characteristics of factories/warehouses.
Land use function, building type and characteristics of the inner city.
Land use function, building type and characteristics of the suburbs.
Consideration of the effectiveness of the Burgess Model when looking at city function/Liverpool. |
Central Business District Factories Inner City Suburbs Burgess Model Land Use Function
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Use of Liverpool as the case study to build upon existing knowledge. |
Place |
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5 a day answers |
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30 |
Are migrants good for the city of Liverpool?
Where have migrants who moved to Liverpool come from?
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The multitude of reasons behind migrants moving to Liverpool with specific focus on more recent E.U. migrants.
The positives and negatives of different migrant groups that ventured to Liverpool in large numbers; Chinese, Irish, Welsh, Polish. |
Irish Chinese Welsh Polish Migration |
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Use of Liverpool as the case study to build upon existing knowledge. |
Place Geographical Issues |
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5 a day questions |
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31 |
How has Liverpool tried to improve its image?
What is Liverpool One?
Has Liverpool One improved the lives of the local population?
What other regeneration projects exist in Liverpool? |
Characteristics of Liverpool before it won Capital of Culture in 2008.
Various activites that occurred during 2008 to help improve Liverpool’s image.
The Liverpool One project – what has happened and how successful it has been.
Other regeneration projects within different areas of Liverpool with evaluation of their success. |
Regeneration CBD Rebranding Liverpool One Tourism Land Use Deindustrialisation |
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Use of Liverpool as the case study to build upon existing knowledge. |
Place Geographical Issues |
Evaluation of the success of various regeneration schemes. |
5 a day answers |
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32 |
What do people go to Liverpool for?
How important is culture to the success of Liverpool?
How important is sport to the success of Liverpool?
How important is music to the success of Liverpool?
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Statistics around ‘success’ of Liverpool, tourism numbers, revenue gained, global awareness.
Various Liverpool museums and art galleries in Liverpool and their popularity.
Success of Liverpool and Everton in bringing awareness of the city through sporting achievements.
The importance of the Beatles in boosting tourism numbers of the city.
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Tourism Regeneration Liverpool One Anfield Goodison Park Beatles
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Use of Liverpool as the case study to build upon existing knowledge. |
Geographical issues Place Concepts & Processes |
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Topic 5 – Year 7 - Coasts |
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33 |
What is the importance of studying coasts?
What happens on the coast?
What are the different types of erosion? |
An introduction to coasts – why we study coasts in the U.K.
The processes which occur at the coast; erosion. The difference between the four types of coastal erosion. |
Coasts Erosion Abrasion Hydraulic Action Attrition Solution |
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Kahoot at the end of the lesson to summarise learning |
Geoskills Place Concepts & Processes Geographical Issues |
Atlas skills activity in which pupils map coastal cities in the U.K. |
5 a day questions |
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34 |
What landforms of erosion are found on the coast?
How do erosional landforms form; caves, arches, stacks and stumps? |
Re-cap of coastal erosion and how it influences coast. How coastal erosion creates distinctive landforms.
Processes involved in the creation of caves, arches, stacks and stumps. |
Erosion Cave Arch Stack Stump |
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Creation of cardboard headland to visualise landforms. |
Concepts & Processes Place |
GCSE exam style question on creation of stump. |
5 a day answers |
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35 |
How do waves affect the coast?
What are the different types of wave?
What are the influencing factors of waves? |
Introduction to two types of wave; constructive and destructive. Different characteristics of the two types of wave – height, swash/backwash, wave length, beach morphology.
Influencing factors in creation/strength of wind: fetch size, wind strength and wind duration.
Five forms of coastal transport; traction, saltation, suspension, solution and long shore drift. |
Fetch Swash Backwash Constructive Destructive Traction Saltation Suspension Solution Long Shore Drift |
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Mini-quiz at end of the lesson to assess learning on two types of wave. |
Concepts & Processes Geo-skills |
Atlas activity involving scale – measuring fetch size. |
5 a day questions
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36 |
What landforms of deposition are found on the coast?
Why does deposition occur?
What is the role of long shore drift in creating depositional landforms? |
Definition of deposition and reasons why it occurs in coastal regions – slow water, shallow regions.
Description of the process of long shore drift with terms such as; prevailing, swash, backwash, transport, deposition.
The creation of spits. |
Deposition Swash Backwash Prevailing Wind Deposition Spit |
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Dingbats game to assess knowledge of key terminology of coasts. |
Concepts & Processes |
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5 a day answers |
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37 |
Measuring coastal change at Spurn Head. |
Using Digimap the pupils will walk through a series of tasks to measure the change in Spurn Head spit between 1890 and now.
Using the skills they have just learnt the pupils will investigate Hurst Castle on the southern coast. |
GIS Spit
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Interactive lesson in the computer rooms. |
Geoskills Place
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Grid reference skills to correctly identify the location of Hurst Castle. |
Creation of a coastal model |
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38 |
How should we protect our coast?
What are the costs and benefits of hard engineering?
What are the costs and benefits of soft engineering? |
Definition of hard and soft engineering with the difference between them.
An investigation into the benefits and costs of hard engineering strategies; sea walls, groynes and rip rap.
An investigation into the benefits and costs of soft engineering strategies; beach nourishment and do nothing. |
Hard Engineering Soft Engineering Coastal Management Sea Walls Rip Rap Groynes Beach Nourishment |
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Kahoot quiz at the end of the lesson to assess the knowledge. |
Geoskills Place Concepts & Processes |
Independent investigation into five strategies of coastal management. |
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