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Geography
Head of Department:
Mrs J Paradiso
Mrs G Bland
Miss E Calvert
The Importance of Geography
Geography plays an important
role within the school curriculum, promoting the intellectual and
social development of pupils and helping to prepare them for the
opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. As
educationalists we aim to develop a naturally inquisitive and
analytical approach to all aspects of learning.
Geography is unique in creating a bridge between the Humanities and the
Sciences. The breadth of content and methodology of Geography support
other subjects and aid the development of literacy and numeracy.
Geographers think and work in defined ways and ask specific questions
about people and their environments. Using a range of skills the
subject identifies, analyses and helps to clarify contemporary world
problems. The central geographical themes of 'space, place and
environment' are indispensable to an understanding of the changing
modern world.
Accommodation and Resources
The department has three
specialist, fully equipped, teaching rooms, an overhead projector, TV
and video. Two rooms also have an LCD projector and computer and one
room has a smartboard.
Homework and Testing
Homework is set each week for all age groups. Short tests, following a
learning homework or at the end of a unit, are given in all years. At
least one longer test is given during the year and all girls are
examined in Geography at the end of each school year.
Outline Syllabus
Year 7
Six units are studied:
1 Making Connections
2 Exploring England
3 People Everywhere
4 Flood Disaster
5 Ordnance Survey Map work and Revision
6 Fieldwork Enquiry
Year 8
Six units are studied:
1 Can the Earth Cope?
2 Brazil
3 Europe
4 Rivers
5 Shopping
6 Fieldwork Techniques
Year 9
Five units are studied:
1 Fieldwork Enquiry
2 Comparing Countries - China and Japan
3 Tourism
4 Tectonic Activity
5 Global Fashion
Upper School - GCSE
1 Rocks and Landscapes
2 Glacial Landscapes
3 Population Problems and Migration
4 Coastal Landscapes
5 Fieldwork Enquiry
6 Ordnance Survey Map work
7 Geographical Enquiry
8 Development
9 Industrial Activity
Sixth Form - AS/A level Geography
Geography is studied at various scales of enquiry from the local
through national to the global scale. At A level there are three main
components:
•
Physical Geography looks at the natural environment and its impact on
mankind. It includes fluvial environments, ecosystems, atmospheric
systems, coastal environments, earth systems and glacial systems.
•
Human Geography looks at man's impact on the globe and includes
population, settlement, rural and urban issues, and development.
•
Applied Geographical Skills involves the design of fieldwork
investigations, including techniques of data collection, representation
and analysis.