Geography

The Geography classrooms are found on the 2nd floor of the WS Block. Geography is studied by all students during KS3 and is then part of the optional curriculum at KS4, with mixed ability grouping used in all year groups. Students can elect to study Geography as a post-16 course.

What will the students learn in Geography?

The Geography curriculum covers both Physical and Human topics, looking at other places around the world and processes that sculpt the landscape. The topics look at how we interact with the natural world and change it. Lessons look to develop transferrable skills including: the analysis and presentation of maps, photos and data; different styles of writing; the use of IT for research, data analysis and presentations; thinking skills and problem solving; the collection of data to investigate hypotheses; decision making; group work and discussion. In lessons students will be involved in a variety of activities: thinking tasks and problem solving, decision making tasks, data analysis and presentation, different kinds of report writing, the interpretation of maps and photos, the use of IT for presentations and research, discussions and debate, group work, quizzes and making short movies and animations.

What is GCSE Geography like?

Students will study the AQA Geography course (601/8410/3).
The GCSE course includes topics that cover many important human and environmental issues, which are of concern today. The course allows students to gain a very good understanding of the Earth’s natural and human environments, how we affect them and how people can manage them:

• Natural hazards: the causes of volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, extreme weather events and how people manage their effects.
• River landscapes and how river flooding can be managed
• Coastal landscapes and the management of disappearing coastlines
• The living world: tropical rain forests, why they are important and how they can be protected
• Alaska: how this last great wilderness can be protected
• Cities in different parts of the world and how we can make them better places to live
• Development and quality of life: global and UK issues
• Resource management: the importance of water and how water supplies, in different parts of the world, can be managed

How are the students assessed at GCSE?

Students complete three examination papers at the end of Y11 – one on Living with the Physical Environment (35%), Challenges in the Human Environment (35%) and Geographical Applications (30%). These will test student’s knowledge and understanding of the content of the course, geographical skills and fieldwork. Fieldwork is an important part of the course. Investigations will take place along the Norfolk coast around Cromer, on the River Glaven and also within the central area of Norwich, where we will look at how our city environment is being managed.