GEOGRAPHY - YEAR 8

 

Teacher in charge - Mr P. Rowe

 

Aims/Objectives for Year 8

 

  • To build upon the geography experienced by pupils in Year 7.
  • To develop the students skills and knowledge in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum.
  • To extend pupils knowledge to include a range of places beyond the U.K.
  • To foster a sense of awe and wonder about the world.

 

Course description

 

Unit 1 - Fantastic Places

This unit involves the study of some of the world’s most unusual places and phenomena from Svalbard to sliding rocks.

 

Unit 2 - Japan

Students compare their life with that of young people in Japan. They learn about Japan’s culture and how that is influenced by geography.

 

Unit 3 - Tourism in Thailand

Pupils examine the impact of tourism on people and the environment.

 

Unit 4 - Ecosystems

Students learn about the range of biomes on the planet. They then look at equatorial rainforests in detail. This includes a visit from some of the creatures that live there.

 

Unit 5 - Africa

Students look at the diversity found on the continent and then study two contrasting countries (Sudan and Ghana) in more detail.

 

Unit 6 - Weather

In this unit students learn about why weather and climate varies across the planet. Pupils will also examine how societies cope with extreme weather events.

 

Unit 7 - The European Union

 

This unit asks pupils to think about this organisation and the purpose it serves. The students then go on to study Italy, particularly its tourist industry and how it compares to that of Thailand.

 

Unit 8 - Rivers

In this unit students study river processes, landforms and flooding.

 

Unit 9 - Antarctica

Tourism and development are major themes for Year 8 and they are found again in this unit. Students examine the physical geography of the continent and how it should be developed (if at all).

 

Range of activities

 

Pupils will use resources such as textbooks, worksheets, maps, aerial and satellite photographs, video, GIS (such as Google Earth) and the internet. Enquiry, group presentations and discussion work are just some of the teaching methods used.

 

Homework

 

30 minutes per week in rotation with History.

 

Assessment

Assessment is informal and ongoing. In addition there are a number of formally assessed pieces of work spaced throughout the year. These pieces are marked using the National Curriculum levels.