Geography

Curriculum Information about Geography at King James I Academy

Teaching Staff

• C.Patterson (Director of Learning) 
• B. Mason (KS3 Lead) 
• J. Fegan 

Curriculum Intent in Geography

Geography is a hybrid discipline that spans both the natural and social sciences. Powerful knowledge in geography: 

• Provides students with new ways of thinking about the world using 'big ideas’ such as Place, Space, and Interconnection  
• Provides students with powerful ways of analysing, explaining, and understanding the world in which we live and how we interact with it. 
• Give students control of their own knowledge - students need to know about discipline and how knowledge has been developed and tested. 
• Enables students to follow and participate in debates in significant local, national, and global issues. Takes students beyond their own experience. This knowledge of the world contributes strongly to students’ general knowledge. 

Department Information

Geography is about the interaction between people and their environment.  It is studied by all students in years 7-9 and is an extremely popular option at GCSE and A level. The Geography Department at King James is committed to delivering interesting and exciting lessons as well as encouraging students to broaden and deepen their knowledge of all things geographical. 

Key Stage 3

Year 7

In Year 7 students will develop their geographical knowledge through map work, as well as having the opportunity to apply geographical theory to a range of case studies from Antarctica to the Amazon Rainforest. Students will undertake fieldwork within their local area to put classroom content of rivers into practice.

Year 8

During Year 8, students will develop their understanding of more complex geographical processes. They will continue to apply the knowledge acquired in Year 7 and will develop their own piece of fieldwork within the school grounds investigating sustainability carrying out a range of fieldwork techniques. Students will study a variety of physical and human topics throughout the year including exploring coastal areas and their management, key energy issues in the world today, climate change and tourism. Students will also have the opportunity to investigate current weather hazards in the UK and Australia including wildfires, flooding and hurricanes.

Year 9

In Year 9, students will begin to study topics which they can explore in much greater depth from studying the inequalities in population around the globe to understanding the challenges and opportunities faced in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Students carry out their own fieldwork during their lessons in the local area using both primary and secondary data techniques within the urbanisation topic. Students study volcanos and earthquakes looking at a range of case studies to understand impact and response of tectonic hazards across areas of contrasting wealth.