Year 7 Geography

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:

  • Knowing how volcanoes are distributed across the world
  • Knowing the processes that create volcanoes
  • Knowing how humans interact with volcanoes

Key skills developed:

  • How to locate volcanoes using longitude and latitude
  • How to annotate diagrams using key vocabulary
  • How to explain volcanic processes in sequence using key vocabulary

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:

  • Knowing the river basin features, processes and landforms
  • Knowing the uses and challenges rivers present for humans

Key skills developed:

  • How to label and annotate photos and diagrams using key vocabulary
  • How to explain the formation of landform in sequence using key vocabulary
  • How to use OS maps to examine river landscapes

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:

  • Understanding the processes and factors that cause flooding
  • Understanding a range of social, economic and environmental effects of flooding
  • Understanding preventative and adaptational responses to flooding

Key skills developed:

  • How to label and annotate photos and diagrams using key vocabulary
  • How to explain the processes that cause flooding
  • How to evaluate the effectiveness of various responses to flooding

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:

  • Knowing a range of development indicators
  • Knowing trends in world population, and how these vary
  • Knowing how non-renewable energy sources can be used to increase a country's level of development

Key skills developed:

  • How to research development indicators for different countries
  • How to plot a bar graph, demonstrating India's population growth
  • How to evaluate the impact of transnational corporations in LIC/NEE.

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:

  • Knowing the climate across the continent of Antarctica
  • Knowing about the adaptations animals have made to survive in extreme conditions
  • Knowing how humans have interacted with this wilderness and how we will shape its future

Key skills developed:

  • How to use climate data to explain changes across Antarctica
  • How to evaluate human interactions with Antarctica and understand the future of this wilderness
  • How to explain the challenges that arise from the interaction between the physical and human environments

Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively through the use of student booklets and through a variety of questions distributed across the unit's lessons.