Unit | Content |
---|---|
Unit 1 Volcanoes | Students are introduced to the theory of plate tectonics before studying volcanoes in more detail. This unit emphasises both the physical processes involved in volcanoes and their effects on humans. Students are introduced to the concept of low and high income countries (LIC, HIC). Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Learning is assessed at the beginning of Term 2. The assessment is in two sections – physical and human – testing students’ knowledge and understanding of the topic with a range of short and long questions. |
Unit 2 Rivers | Students study how waterways create landscapes through a range of processes along the course of a river. Learning focuses on the rivers of the UK (especially the Severn and the Thames) and considers the opportunities and challenges these pose to humans. Students build on the skills in working with Ordnance Survey maps they developed at KS2. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Learning is assessed at the start of Term 4. The assessment includes a range of short and long questions covering both physical and human aspects of the unit. |
Unit 3 Flooding in Bangladesh | Students build on the previous topic by studying flooding in Bangladesh. The unit works sequentially through causes, effects and responses to flooding and considers how climate change and poverty exacerbate the challenges for Bangladesh. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Learning is assessed both through student booklets and with an assessment at the start of Term 4. Booklet work demonstrates what students can do in lessons supported by teacher/peers, while the Term 4 assessment is in exam conditions, working independently. |
Units 4 & 5 Development and India | Students study difference within and between national economies. They will consider how imbalances can result in varying standards of living around the world, looking in detail at informal settlements in India. Students learn to construct a balanced argument about whether using environmentally destructive methods, such as coal mines, is acceptable for economic gain in low-income countries (LIC) and newly emerging economies (NEE). Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Learning is assessed summatively at the start of Term 5 with a range of short and long questions using a variety of command words. |
Unit 6 Antarctica | Students are introduced to the idea of fantastic places and the concept of wildernesses. Students study a range of human and physical processes that have an impact on Antarctica. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively through the use of student booklets and through a variety of questions distributed across the unit's lessons. |