Students are introduced to what geography is and where it has come from at the start of the academic year.

The Ancient Greeks and the many explorers were our earliest sources of information about the world. Some of the information the Ancient Greeks presented at their time still hold true for many geographers today. Tales by explorers varied considerably but they did contribute to the field of cartography and the mapping of the world. We will investigate these sources of information to understand the contributions they made to Geography during their time on Earth and to ours today.

After travelling with the great explorers from history and seeing how our geographical knowledge grew, we will venture on our own geography journey to discover Earth’s Story. This journey will be through time and space, visiting a range of places at different scales to understand how our world adapted and changed in the past and now continues to evolve.

Earth’s Story will begin with the creation of the Earth and its place in the universe. Current theories will be analysed and challenged, like real geographers do; with a critical and open mind. The evidence used to help geographers explain complex ideas about the natural world will be presented so students can learn to appreciate how theories are made and why we may trust some theories more than others.

The journey will continue throughout the year as students are introduced to physical processes and landforms in sequence, since the beginning of time. Students will travel through different geological eras, transported from a world of fire and fury to a world covered by ice and calm, on to the present day and into possible futures investigating how our planet transformed physically throughout. They will explore the atmosphere and understand how the thin envelope of gas that surrounds and protects our earth, links to extreme weather and climate change. They will investigate the hydrosphere and be able to explain the origins of water, on land and in the oceans, and understand how water continues to shape the environment. They will analyse the geosphere; the creation and recycling of rocks and understand how they have been moulded and shaped by weather and history to create the distinctive landforms we can still see in the landscape today.

The knowledge built and developed across KS3, will make explicit links with other subjects and contemporary events in the news. Place is significant to a geographer, so breadth and depth have been considered carefully when sequencing our programme of study. Map skills, numeracy and graph skills continue to remain an integral part of geography so have been embedded into our narrative about the geography of Earth and will be used throughout to interpret data, analyse evidence and draw conclusions that challenge or support current theories.

 

Course Overview

Year 7 - Changing landscapes

• How has geographical knowledge evolved over time?
• What is below our feet?
• What is above our heads?
• What is all around us?

Useful websites

https://www.google.co.uk/intl/en_uk/earth/ Explore worldwide satellite imagery and 3D buildings and terrain for hundreds of cities. Zoom to your house or anywhere else, then dive in for a 360° perspective with Street View.

https://www.thoughtco.com/geography-4133035 Discover the world with articles, fact sheets, maps and other resources that explore landscapes, peoples, places, and environments both near and far.

http://www.studentguide.org/geography-resources-maps-facts-for-students/ Designed for students looking for geographical information about different regions of the world. You can get different books and resources on geographical topics.

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/mapping-our-world This unique interactive website works with maps and globes to transform learners' understanding of the world.

https://www.scoop.it/topic/geography-education Recent updates and news on geography are shared on this website. Students can get information about different cultures of the world. You can get information on agriculture, industrialisation, world’s politics, economic development, population and migration.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html The World Factbook provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/ Scholastic's Global Trek is a way for students to travel to countries around the world without ever having to leave their classroom. When students arrive in the country of their choice they are supplied with a suggested travel itinerary. This itinerary offers links to background information and a chance to read about the country's people. Students also have a chance to meet the people of the country they visit through Scholastic's Classport.

http://www.culturaljam.org/ This is a place that has photographic information about different cultures of the world.