Geography

Overview

Geography is a popular subject at Al Ashraf, and it is important to realise too that Geography graduates are increasingly very much in demand because of the skills that students are taught. Our lessons very much focus on current global issues such as climate change, natural disasters, globalisation and sustainability, and where appropriate links to British culture are taught as well. To enable us to do this we integrate videos into lessons and students are very much encouraged to do their own research using the internet and subsequently they present their information in a variety of ways. At all levels we incorporate the study of the local area into our lessons as much as possible.

Aims of the department:

To encourage curiosity about the world.
To nurture a spirit of enquiry in all pupils and to enable pupils to think critically.
To increase understanding of human and physical processes on local, national and global scales.

Geographers at Al Ashraf are informed, considerate, inquisitive and analytical. They are concerned about issues that affect not just them in their local area but communities and environments in the British Isles as well as other parts of the world.

At Key Stage 4, pupils study the AQA GCSE Geography course as it meets the needs of our learners. The course covers a wide range of human, physical and environmental topics. The course also contains an important skills and decision-making element (in Paper 3) which makes it highly relevant and engaging. This enables pupils to build the knowledge and skills required to move on to A-Level study at nearby sixth forms and colleges. Pupils will find the course relevant to their lived experiences, but it will also cultivate an understanding of the wider world and equip them with the best decision-making skills for the future.

Key Stage 4 pupils should consolidate their knowledge and understanding of key concepts they learnt in Key Stage 3 whilst adding more depth and detail. Pupils will build on prior knowledge to develop connections between human and physical environments. At Key Stage 4, pupils are expected to use knowledge to interpret a range of geographical sources to draw conclusions and make judgements based on a variety of opinions. They will use their understanding of physical and human geography to develop knowledge of place and use this knowledge to interpret and question a range of data. Pupils will be able to communicate geographical knowledge clearly and accurately, using a range of specialist terminology. They will be able to ask questions about physical processes and human interactions and begin to investigate geographical issues, making informed judgements about relevant geographical events.

AQA Scheme of Work

Key Stage 3

Topics covered at Key Stage 3 are as follows:

Year 7: Weather and Climate. Map reading. Settlement. Flooding in the UK and Bangladesh.

Year 8: Weathering and Coasts [UK], Farming in the UK, Industry [much emphasis on the UK], Development and Population.

Year 9: Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Natural Resources, Middle East and Russia.

Some of the moral & social issues relevant to Key Stage 3 are:

Immigration, how it has enriched our society in the UK in the past and present.
Fracking , will this solve our energy crisis and reduce emissions?
Overseas aid to countries affected by natural disasters and helping to alleviate other problems such as the spread of Ebola.
Flooding, the building of flood defences along the coast and in land and the impact on lives and the environment.
Country Code, how this protects rural areas in the UK from tourists.
Farming, how the planting of wildflower meadows and reducing sprays etc is helping to save wildlife.