Geography
Head of Department : Ms Rees - CREES@LARKMEAD.VALE-ACADEMY.ORG
Key Stage 3
The study of geography stimulates an interest in and a sense of wonder about places. It helps young people make sense of a complex and dynamically changing world. It explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies, societies and environments are interconnected. It builds on pupils’ own experiences to investigate places at all scales, from the personal to the global.
Geographical enquiry encourages questioning, investigation and critical thinking about issues affecting the world and people’s lives, now and in the future. Fieldwork is an essential element of this. Pupils learn to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information. Geography inspires pupils to become global citizens by exploring their own place in the world, their values and their responsibilities to other people, to the environment and to the sustainability of the planet.
Key Stage 4
In Geography we look at problems at local, national and global scales. All of the time trying to understand how it affects our lives.
There are two main taught units in Geography;
Dynamic Planet; Here we study different aspects of the environment, looking at how the environment impacts on us, and how we are changing the environment. Topics include; Restless Earth, Climate & Change, Battle for the Biosphere, Water World, Rivers Pressures, and Extreme Environments.
People and Planet; In this unit we focus on the challenges facing our growing human population, from a local to an international level. Topics include; Population Dynamics, Consuming Resources, Living Spaces, Making a Living, Changing Cities, and World of Work.
How is Geography taught?
Through being active; in Geography students will use group work, role plays, practical demonstrations to learn key concepts and ideas.
Through a wide range of resources; DVD’s, ICT, fieldwork, games, role plays, research.
Through thinking; students will be encouraged to solve problems and think for themselves, forming their own opinions on key issues.
Key Stage 5
What will my child learn in A-Level Geography
Geography is an exciting, dynamic 21st century subject which covers current world issues at both a local level and on a global scale. The subject looks at how people and the environment interact. Other topics include:
The World at Risk – this includes looking at hazards around the world, and global warming.
Going Global – focusing on globalization and the global economy, alongside population and migration.
There is also a fieldwork exam based on the topics of Crowded Coasts and Rebranding Places. Your answers will be based on fieldwork data that you will collect during field trips.
Geography is about the contested planet. This includes issues of energy security, water conflicts, biodiversity, superpowers, development and technology.