Geography Department Curriculum Intent

Geography KS3 Curriculum at Waseley Hills High School - Vision:

As our students are growing up in and around Rubery, our geography curriculum will inspire in them a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, from local to global, that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. It will equip them with knowledge about contrasting places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Their growing knowledge about the world will provide learners with an in-depth geographical knowledge and understanding on a variety of scales, and the interdependence of human and physical geography in these. Learners will become curious and independent global citizens who have mastered a wide range of geographical skills.

The curriculum will allow learners to…

• Develop a strong sense of place through the in-depth study of the physical and human geography of a variety of countries (including the United Kingdom) at varying stages of development. Students will study each country’s importance at a variety of scales; local, national and international. (KASE – Knowledge; expert, purposeful / Skills; literate, communicative, collaborative. Attributes; resilient)
• Make links between the physical and human geography of an area (cause and effect). (KASE – Knowledge; expert, purposeful / Skills; literate, communicative, collaborative)
• Regularly revisit key geographical concepts that encourage students to become global citizens, whilst also developing the knowledge and understanding necessary for success at KS4 and 5. Key geographical concepts include: sustainability, climate change, interdependence and global inequalities. (KASE – Attributes; reflective and empathic / Skills; collaborative, communicative / Experiences; self-aware)
• Master a wide range of geographical skills. Skills are integrated into all units of work, specifically taught and revisited regularly. (KASE – Skills; problem solving, collaborative).

• Map skills; direction, OS maps (grid references, scale, contours), aerial photographs, political, relief, choropleth, proportional symbol, flow map.
• Graph interpretation skills; pictograph, bar, line, climate, scatter, comparison line/bar.
• statistical analysis skills (year 9/fieldwork). Mode, mean, median, range, increase/decrease.

• Develop literacy and a love of reading through geography. Provide regular opportunities to read in geography lessons through: news articles and case studies(KASE – Knowledge; fluent / Skills; Literate / Attributes; resilient)

• Understand where geography can take them, beyond GCSE. Content and skills experienced in lessons are linked to relevant careers to raise aspirations.  (KASE – Experiences; autonomous)
• Experience fieldwork opportunities in each year stage. Students are given opportunities to collect, present and analyse fieldwork data. (KASE – Experiences; cosmopolitan / Skills: Problem solving, collaborative, communicative)
• Secure knowledge of assessment criteria; students know what they can currently do successfully and what they need to do to make further progress. The language of assessment is built into lessons so that students are familiar with the language of assessment and what progress looks like.  (KASE – Skills; pragmatic / Skills; metacognitive / Attributes; reflective)