Geography

Strategic Lead of Humanities: Mrs L Bloomfield | lbloomfield@themast.co.uk

Geography Mission Statement

Geography enables pupils to learn about their local area, their region, their country and the wider world.

Pupils will develop skills of enquiry, discussion, questioning, research, they will gain an understanding of globalisation, sustainability, multiculturalism, their place in the world and how they can help shape the future.

Current Human, Physical and Environmental topics will inspire pupils and encourage motivation to learn.

Geography today is exploring and explaining the world we live in, by looking at the relationship between people and the environment.

The new geography national curriculum has been slimmed down but is based upon essential knowledge pupils need to acquire. There is an increased emphasis on different regions and places around the world, understanding the importance of their location. Renewed emphasis on human and physical processes by understanding how they operate and students gain an environmental understanding of human and physical working together. Technical procedures of map work and fieldwork are reinforced.

Pupils at Kirkburton Middle School are taught:

Locational knowledge to

extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries using maps of the world to focus on Africa, Europe, Asia (including China and India), focusing on their environmental regions, including polar and hot deserts, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities

Place Knowledge to

understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography of a region within Europe, Africa, and of a region within Asia

Human and physical geography to

understand, through the use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the key processes in:
physical geography relating to: plate tectonics; rocks, limestone, weathering and soils; weather and climate, hydrology and coasts
human geography relating to: population and urbanisation; international development; economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors; and the use of natural resources
understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.

Geographical skills and fieldwork to

build on their knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom.
interpret Ordnance Survey maps in the classroom, including using grid references and scale, topographical and other thematic mapping, and aerial and satellite photographs
use fieldwork to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from geographical data.

Fieldwork to

to support physical geography, practice fieldwork skills and complete decision making exercises.

Curriculum Overview

Key skills and concepts are interleaved throughout the 3 year course of Geography at Kirkburton Middle School. This spiralled curriculum for Geography ensures the development and securing of essential knowledge and processes.

Year 6

Autumn Term	How Do I Become a Skilled MAST Geographer?
Autumn Term	Why do we study Geography? Where are the world’s continents and oceans? Where are Europe’s famous countries located? Where and what is the UK? What are the UK’s main physical features? (rivers, mountains, oceans) What are the UK’s main human features? (cities, counties, countries)?	What is the employment structure of the UK? (Primary/Secondary/Tertiary/Quaternary) What are map symbols? How do we work out 4 figure grid references? How do we work out 6 figure grid references? How do we measure height on a map? How do we calculate distance on a map?
Spring Term	How Do We Use Our Planet As A Natural Resource?
Spring Term	What are rocks and how are they a natural resource? What are renewable and non-renewable resources? What is the greenhouse effect and what does it result in? What are the impacts of global warming?	How dangerous is it to use oil as an energy resource? What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms as a form of energy production? How can we use resources sustainably?
Summer Term	How are Settlements Structured In Urban Areas?
Summer Term	How were sites for early settlements chosen? What different settlement patterns are there? How have settlements changed and grown? How are cities structured? How and why has land-use changed in Huddersfield?	Why is traffic in urban areas a problem? Are there any solutions to traffic in urban areas? How has shopping changed? How are our cities becoming sustainable?

Year 7

Autumn Term	How does Weather and Climate Affect the World?	Should We Think of Africa as a 'Poor Continent'?
Autumn Term	What do we mean by ‘weather?’ How do we measure the weather? How can weather data be presented? What are the rules on climate? How does climate vary across the world? What is the climate of the UK? What types of extreme weather does the UK experience?	Where and what is Africa? Addressing the misconceptions. Where are Africa’s climate zones? What is the development gap? How do we construct and interpret population pyramids? Where is Nigeria what and is it like? How is Nigeria’s population distributed? How is Nigeria’s employment structure changing? What are TNCs and how are they having an impact in Nigeria? How can we manage environmental issues in Nigeria?
Spring Term	How Diverse is the Asian Continent?	How has China's Past Shaped its Present?
Spring Term	What are the main human and physical characteristics of Asia? What is Asia’s political geography? Where are the different climate zones distributed around Asia? (focus on the diversity within India).	Where is China and what is it like? What are China’s main physical features? Where does everyone in China live? How diverse is China from east to west? How did the one-child policy impact China? How can the environment in China be improved?
Summer Term	How Does Water Shape the Land?
Summer Term	What are the features of the river basin? What is the profile of a river like? What are the main processes occurring along the course of a river? How are waterfalls formed? How are meanders and ox-bow lakes formed? What factors cause and affect river flooding? How can river flooding be managed?

Year 8

Autumn Term	How Developed is South America?	Why is there Conflict in the Middle East?
Autumn Term	What is the political geography of South America? What are the main physical and human characteristics of South America? What are South America’s rainforests like? (Structure of the TRF) How have animals and plants adapted to TRFs? Why is the Amazon an important natural resource? How are rainforests exploited in South America? (Causes of deforestation). How can rainforests be used in sustainable ways?	Where and what is the Middle East? What is the climate like in the Middle East? How does physical geography affect population density in the Middle East? What is the DTM and where do Middle Eastern countries ‘fit in?' (Recall of DTM) Why is there ongoing conflict in the Middle East? (Syria) Should the World Cup in Qatar 2022 go ahead?
Spring Term	Do Tectonic Hazards Bring Costs or Benefits?
Spring Term	How is the earth structured? (Geological Timescales) What is continental drift? What are tectonic plates and how do they move? Where are volcanoes and earthquakes distributed? How and where do earthquakes occur? How can a volcano cause destruction? Los Angeles Case Study – How severe were the impacts? Was Haiti more severely impacted than Los Angeles? How can we reduce the impact of tectonic hazards? Creating earthquake-proof buildings Why do people live in areas at risk of tectonic hazards?
Summer Term	What is Happening to the Coast?	What is Happening to the Holderness Coast?
Summer Term	What are the characteristics of constructive and destructive waves? How does weathering affect the coast? How is material transported and deposited along the coast? How does erosion form unique landforms?	How can we protect the Holderness Coast with hard engineering? How can we protect the Holderness Coast with soft engineering? Are we protecting the Holderness Coast effectively? Map skills: How has the Holderness Coast changed over time?

What career…?

Geography is a universally recognised facilitating subject, widely valued by colleges and universities all over the world for its ability to teach students transferable critical thinking and decision making skills. Geography is the perfect subject to study alongside science and mathematics to create well rounded researchers, engineers and scientists.

Having a qualification in geography is vital for people wanting to become pilots or who want to work in education, mining or tourism. All branches of the Armed Forces look for the team-work and leadership skills our subject embraces; likewise careers in conservation, exploration, logistics and the social sector highly value and demand all the skills we learn.

With a qualification in geography no career is closed off for you – in fact geography does the opposite; it takes you places other subjects cannot reach!