Geography
What is
Geography
?
Geography is the study of Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. It is about the world in which we live and how we Interact with our world.
Why is
Geography
important?
The study of geography stimulates an interest in and a sense of wonder about places. It helps you to make sense of a complex and dynamically changing world. It explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies, societies and environments are interconnected. It builds on your own experiences to investigate places at all scales, from the personal to the global.
Our vision
In Geography in Penyrheol, our vision is to have an exciting and engaging curriculum where students develop a curiosity about the world whilst developing geographical knowledge and skills to provide them with the tools needed throughout their education and beyond.
For pupils we seek to engender:
- Knowledge and understanding of the planet Earth and its peoples
- Lasting awareness of the world around us
- Sensitivity and empathy towards all others
- Tolerance and independent thinking
- Preparedness for an active citizen’s role in a changing world
Big questions in
Geography
What is the study of Geography?
How are places interconnected?
Where are places located?
What physical and human processes make places unique?
How are places interconnected?
How does the physical world impact on the human world?
How does the human world impact on the physical world?
How can we solve environmental issues?
What will your journey in
Geography
look like?
Your journey through the Geography curriculum is planned carefully, you will continue to build on a broad range of geographical skills whilst learning fresh content. The structure of the Geography curriculum encourages continuity of learning whilst consistently providing opportunities to consolidate and build on prior learning and geographical skills. The 11-14 curriculum provides excellent opportunities for you to investigate, be creative and have fun learning about geographical processes and human interactions, as well as giving you a sound grounding and preparing you for the nature of tasks required by the examination board at GCSE level.
The four main forms of geographical knowledge underpinning our Geography curriculum in Penyrheol are:
- locational knowledge
- place knowledge and understanding
- knowledge of environmental, physical and human geography processes
- geographical skills
What will the study of
Geography
encourage you to think about / do?
The study of Geography should encourage you to have curiosity about the world around you. It will encourage enquiry and discovery; you will be challenged to be curious and to question and to think critically about the world. An enquiring mind stimulates new and creative thinking, through which you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts underpinning geography and their application in local, national, and global contexts. Such thinking will help you to understand human experiences and the natural world better.
In geography you will:
- learn about the world’s countries using maps of a range of local and distant places.
- understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography
- understand physical geography by studying topics such as tectonic plates, weather and climate, coastal and river processes
- Learn about human geography through topics such as population, migration and international development
- understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate
- build on your knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field
- interpret Ordnance Survey maps in the classroom and the field, including using grid references and scale, topographical and other thematic mapping, and aerial and satellite photographs
- carry out fieldwork and an enquiry approach to learning to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from geographical data, using multiple sources of increasingly complex information
What opportunities for learning does the
Geography
curriculum provide?
The Geography curriculum will provide a range of opportunities to provoke interest, inspire learning and deepen understanding of the world around you.
You will be given exciting opportunities to:
- explore the idea of geographical enquiry and how to develop key questions that form the basis of enquiry to explore the world around you. This type of learning will encourage you to learn independently and explore exciting and interesting topics.
- visit local locations on field trips to help apply classroom learning to the real-life environment. We visit locations such as Gower, Brecon Beacons as well as locations more locally in Gorseinon.
- develop a range of skills to read maps, which can be a useful tool for geographers in understanding the world around you.
- use digital software to explore topics such as map skills, GIS and graphical skills.
- explore and discover distant places using a wide range of resources.
What skills will you learn in your study of
Geography
?
As geographers, we use a variety of skills. These include:
- Critical thinking – questioning the information we hear and read
- Data analysis – interpreting the information that we are given or gather ourselves
- Communication – giving opinions, expressing our ideas in discussions, listening to others
- Digital competency – using technology confidently, creatively and critically
- Making connections – understanding the links between one concept or piece of information and another
How can you deepen your knowledge and understanding of
Geography
?
You can develop your knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts in a variety of ways:
- completing homework tasks set on google classroom and using the technology available to research any answers or topics you may be unsure of
- using geography websites such as Seterra, BBC Bitesize, Geography Matters, Time for Geography. For many of these we will provide links on Google Classroom to help with topics we may be studying
- explore your local areas with family or attend Geography field trips. It is important to develop curiosity about the world around you! Ask questions and spend time looking at maps! Using them to explore and navigate
- watch documentaries that explore distant places and geographical concepts. E.g. Our Planet, Blue Planet, Plant Earth etc.
How does your study of
Geography
support your study in other subjects?
The geography curriculum’s broad nature and position bridging both the sciences and humanities, makes it a subject where many connections can be made across the curriculum.
Maths – variety of numeracy-based skills are built into the Geography curriculum. Including graphical skills, reading latitude and longitude, a variety of map reading skills including scale and grid references.
English – Geographical literacy is built into the curriculum. You will read a variety of texts (e.g. articles, news reports, eyewitness reports, graphs and maps). You will also complete a number of writing-based tasks, where you will describe, explain, analyse and arrive at your own conclusions
Science – Both Geography and Science carry out investigative work and use many of the same skills to carry out an investigation/enquiry
RE – RE has close links with Human Geography, particularly when looking at topics such as culture, poverty and development.
History – there are many links between geography and history such as the reasons why places have changed over time.
How can
Geography
support you in the future?
Geography is a broad subject with direct links to a wide range of academic subjects, so naturally is good option for further study along with a variety of subjects. We offer GCSE Geography at Penyrheol and many of our pupils go on to study geography, geology, environmental science, ecology, biology, chemistry, engineering and social studies at college and university level.
The study of geography supports careers in the following fields:
- Environmental management
- Travel and Tourism
- Town and transport planning
- International development
- Climatologist
- Water Conservation