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Buxton Community School

Buxton Community School

Geography

Head of Department: Christina Warrington  (christina.warrington@buxton.derbyshire.sch.uk)


Key Stage 3

Year 7

Course outline

  • Introduction to Geography.   
  • Weather and Climate
  • Climate Change
  • National Parks (Fieldwork in the local area)

Forms of assessment

Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson. Students will sit a one hour timed exam towards the end of the year covering aspects from all 4 units.

What parents can do to help

Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons.  Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on the BBC especially on the issue of Climate Change.

Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others. Encourage them to use lots of different types of maps and interact with GIS programmes such as Google Earth.  Look for news stories from other parts of the world and think about the climate and weather that they experience. Research extreme weather events like typhoons to find out where and why they occur.  

Visit the Peak District National Park and experience the wonder on our doorstep.

Year 8

Course outline

  • Plate tectonics with a focus on earthquakes.            
  • What is development?
  • Regional study: Development across the Horn of Africa
  • Hydrology and Rivers (potential for fieldwork in the local area)

Forms of assessment

Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson. Students will sit a one-hour timed exam towards the end of the year covering aspects from all 4 units.

What parents can do to help

Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons.

Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on the BBC such as Inside the Earth.  Read news articles regarding the places studied such as piracy in Somalia and earthquakes as and when they occur.

Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others.  Look for news stories from other parts of the world and see how they compare to ours.  Look at maps of the places studied and discuss political and physical features of the countries.  Discuss topical issues with your child such as migration, conflict, drought etc.

Visit a local river and try and identify the features and processes in real life. The Goyt Valley is a good trip and local to Buxton.

Year 9

Course outline

  • Globalisation and global issues.  
  • Biomes and ecosystems with a focus on tropical rainforests.
  • The Asian Transformation with a focus on India.

Forms of assessment

Each unit will be formally assessed in a lesson. Students will sit a one hour timed exam towards the end of the year covering aspects from all 3 units.

What parents can do to help

Talk to your child about what they are learning and how they are learning in lessons.

Watch TV documentaries relating to the topics. There are often lots on the BBC, especially regarding Globalisation, China and India and their rapid rise to power.  Encourage your child to think about their place in the world and how they are interconnected to others.

Look for news stories that show the impact of climate change in different places on the planet but specifically the impact to the rainforests of the world.

Discuss topical issues with your child such as trade, global connections, migration etc.  

 

Key Stage 4

GCSE Geography Years 10 & 11 

Course outline

The Physical Environment

  • Changing landscapes of the UK – specific focus on rivers and coasts.
  • Weather hazards and climate change
  • Ecosystems, biodiversity and management.

The Human Environment

  • Changing cities
  • Global development
  • Resource management – this will focus on either water or energy.

Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges.

  • Geographical investigations – physical environments (rivers or coasts)
  • Geographical investigations – human environment (urban or rural)
  • UK Challenges.

Forms of assessment

  • Component 1: The Physical Environment (37.5%)
  • Written exam: 1½ hours.
  • Component 2: The Human Environment (37.5%)
  • Written exam: 1½ hours.
  • Component 3: Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges. (25%)
  • Written exam: 1 ½ hours.

What parents can do to help

Encourage your child to show you their folder and talk to them about what they are learning and how they are learning.

Help students with homework. Encourage your child to revise for tests and examinations.

Try to watch relevant TV programmes with your child. Some excellent recent programmes include Country File, Supersized Earth, Comic Relief documentaries.  Encourage your child to watch the news to keep them up to date with current events.

Take them to Manchester to see the city and explore the sights. Equally, take them to visit a rural area, a river and a coast. All of these places are studied and being immersed in these environments is excellent for their learning.