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KS3 Curriculum
YEAR 7
Map Skills
Pupils begin by focusing on Map Skills. We use Australia as an example. Pupils undertake exercises concerned with direction, distances and height. They make their own map of Australia over several lessons, as well as developing the use of Ordnance Survey Skills through maps of the local area, which pupils are each supplied with their personal copy of.
London: Our Home Region
In this topic, boys are introduced to a range of Geographical concepts within the context of the local area. They familiarise themselves with the Ordnance Survey maps for Camden, locating local settlement sites and city structures, and developing their use of six figure grid references. The boys then investigate the range of ethnicities which London incorporates, and how London's population is changing. We look at why it rains, and what the weather in the UK, and more specifically in the South East, is like. We end the unit with a look at the Great Storm of 1987. This unit is assessed in a written test.
Volcanoes
This is a short, introductory topic, related to the location, characteristics, causes and impacts of volcanic eruptions. The topic culminates in the Year 7 Volcano model building competition!!
Primary Industry:
We focus on farming. We look at the different types of farming in the UK and why they occur there. Pupils plan their own farm and analyse their plan. We consider modern farming and how it differs from farming 50 years ago.
Developing Country Focus – CHINA:
William Ellis School has a link with a Kunming School in South West China. We teach pupils about both the general geography of China, as well as pupils investigating what home and school life is like in China.
YEAR 8
Rainforests:
This unit is divided in to 2 sections. We focus on how global rainfall levels and temperatures vary. We look for reasons why they vary and the impact they have on global vegetation patterns. We then focus on Rainforests and investigate their location, climate and structure, and we try to find out why rainforest vegetation is so luxuriant. Finally, we focus on the unique Tambopata rainforest region of south-east Peru. We investigate why it is so special, how local people have adapted to living there and some of the current threats to the forest. There is scope in this unit to use the internet to access relevant data and obtain information. The unit is assessed through an extended essay writing exercise.
Regional Inequalities: Focus on Italy.
There are marked differences between the northern and southern regions of Italy. In this unit, pupils investigate through project work differences in the landscape, climate, farming practices, industrial activities, migration patterns, etc between the richer north and the poorer south (Mezzogiorno). The unit is assessed through a short written test.
Rivers:
Pupils study the processes of weathering and erosion, and then the main features of a typical river system, including waterfalls, meanders and ox-bow lakes. Case studies include the river Amazon; the river Nile, with respect to human activities along rivers; and the river Ganges, in Bangladesh, with respect to the flooding threat. At the end of the unit, a short afternoon trip is made to a stream in the local area to look at some of the features studied in the classroom.
The unit is assessed through a short planning exercise.
YEAR 9
Population :
Pupils investigate various aspects of looking at populations such as population distributions and densities, birth and death-rate variations and their impact upon population growth, population structures (pyramids), ageing populations and migration issues. A variety of case studies will be employed, including examples from the UK, China and Mexico. There is scope in this unit to use the internet to access relevant data and undertake investigations. The unit is assessed by an end of unit test.
Natural Hazards :
At least two natural hazards will be investigated, ranging from Tsunami, Hurricanes, Earthquakes and volcanoes. Pupils will examine the distribution of these events, their causes and main characteristics as well as the human responses to them and the options for predicting them and reducing their impact. Earthquakes in California, Iran and Indonesia will be referred to and the eruptions of Mt.St.Helens, Mt.Pinatubo and Montserrat. Pupils also assess the causes and impacts of Hurricane Katrina upon New Orleans. This topic is assessed though a written test.
LEDC Study:
In the final unit of the year, pupils undertake their own research and project investigating a Less Economically Developed country (LEDC) of their choice from a short-list. Pupils undertake research with respect to the climate, landscape, communications networks, natural resources, etc of their chosen country in an attempt to understand why it is a less economically developed country. They will be expected to make use of the internet to obtain some of their data. The unit is assessed through the project work.
Leisure and Tourism:
Pupils look at the recent rise in global tourism, the reasons for this growth and the pressures that it creates. We focus on honeypot sites in UK National Parks and popular resorts in the Mediterranean. Consideration is also given to new trends in tourism such as Adventure tourism and Eco-tourism, which often involve remoter parts of the world. The unit is assessed through an end of unit test.
World Development:
This unit is concerned with variations in global development levels. Pupils consider how the world is divided up into areas of varying development levels and the factors that can be used to measure development. They undertake a statistical investigation using data from a selection of countries.
Commodity dependency is investigated using the example of the banana industry which leads on to issues of debt and aid. Reference may also be made to the global arms trade. The unit is assessed through an end of unit test.
Map Skills
Pupils begin by focusing on Map Skills. We use Australia as an example. Pupils undertake exercises concerned with direction, distances and height. They make their own map of Australia over several lessons, as well as developing the use of Ordnance Survey Skills through maps of the local area, which pupils are each supplied with their personal copy of.
London: Our Home Region
In this topic, boys are introduced to a range of Geographical concepts within the context of the local area. They familiarise themselves with the Ordnance Survey maps for Camden, locating local settlement sites and city structures, and developing their use of six figure grid references. The boys then investigate the range of ethnicities which London incorporates, and how London's population is changing. We look at why it rains, and what the weather in the UK, and more specifically in the South East, is like. We end the unit with a look at the Great Storm of 1987. This unit is assessed in a written test.
Volcanoes
This is a short, introductory topic, related to the location, characteristics, causes and impacts of volcanic eruptions. The topic culminates in the Year 7 Volcano model building competition!!
Primary Industry:
We focus on farming. We look at the different types of farming in the UK and why they occur there. Pupils plan their own farm and analyse their plan. We consider modern farming and how it differs from farming 50 years ago.
Developing Country Focus – CHINA:
William Ellis School has a link with a Kunming School in South West China. We teach pupils about both the general geography of China, as well as pupils investigating what home and school life is like in China.
YEAR 8
Rainforests:
This unit is divided in to 2 sections. We focus on how global rainfall levels and temperatures vary. We look for reasons why they vary and the impact they have on global vegetation patterns. We then focus on Rainforests and investigate their location, climate and structure, and we try to find out why rainforest vegetation is so luxuriant. Finally, we focus on the unique Tambopata rainforest region of south-east Peru. We investigate why it is so special, how local people have adapted to living there and some of the current threats to the forest. There is scope in this unit to use the internet to access relevant data and obtain information. The unit is assessed through an extended essay writing exercise.
Regional Inequalities: Focus on Italy.
There are marked differences between the northern and southern regions of Italy. In this unit, pupils investigate through project work differences in the landscape, climate, farming practices, industrial activities, migration patterns, etc between the richer north and the poorer south (Mezzogiorno). The unit is assessed through a short written test.
Rivers:
Pupils study the processes of weathering and erosion, and then the main features of a typical river system, including waterfalls, meanders and ox-bow lakes. Case studies include the river Amazon; the river Nile, with respect to human activities along rivers; and the river Ganges, in Bangladesh, with respect to the flooding threat. At the end of the unit, a short afternoon trip is made to a stream in the local area to look at some of the features studied in the classroom.
The unit is assessed through a short planning exercise.
YEAR 9
Population :
Pupils investigate various aspects of looking at populations such as population distributions and densities, birth and death-rate variations and their impact upon population growth, population structures (pyramids), ageing populations and migration issues. A variety of case studies will be employed, including examples from the UK, China and Mexico. There is scope in this unit to use the internet to access relevant data and undertake investigations. The unit is assessed by an end of unit test.
Natural Hazards :
At least two natural hazards will be investigated, ranging from Tsunami, Hurricanes, Earthquakes and volcanoes. Pupils will examine the distribution of these events, their causes and main characteristics as well as the human responses to them and the options for predicting them and reducing their impact. Earthquakes in California, Iran and Indonesia will be referred to and the eruptions of Mt.St.Helens, Mt.Pinatubo and Montserrat. Pupils also assess the causes and impacts of Hurricane Katrina upon New Orleans. This topic is assessed though a written test.
LEDC Study:
In the final unit of the year, pupils undertake their own research and project investigating a Less Economically Developed country (LEDC) of their choice from a short-list. Pupils undertake research with respect to the climate, landscape, communications networks, natural resources, etc of their chosen country in an attempt to understand why it is a less economically developed country. They will be expected to make use of the internet to obtain some of their data. The unit is assessed through the project work.
Leisure and Tourism:
Pupils look at the recent rise in global tourism, the reasons for this growth and the pressures that it creates. We focus on honeypot sites in UK National Parks and popular resorts in the Mediterranean. Consideration is also given to new trends in tourism such as Adventure tourism and Eco-tourism, which often involve remoter parts of the world. The unit is assessed through an end of unit test.
World Development:
This unit is concerned with variations in global development levels. Pupils consider how the world is divided up into areas of varying development levels and the factors that can be used to measure development. They undertake a statistical investigation using data from a selection of countries.
Commodity dependency is investigated using the example of the banana industry which leads on to issues of debt and aid. Reference may also be made to the global arms trade. The unit is assessed through an end of unit test.