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Geography
Vision
The Geography Department's vision aligns seamlessly with the core values and overarching vision of the school: Wisdom, Service, and Hope.
Our foremost objective is to ignite a sense of curiosity regarding the intricate human and physical processes that shape our world at every level, embodying the essence of Wisdom.
By imparting geographical knowledge, we empower students to engage with both local and global issues, fostering a commitment to Service.
Through discussions on topics such as inequality, pollution, and climate change, we aspire to cultivate an understanding amongst students, instilling Hope for a future where collective global citizenship is embraced to safeguard our precious planet.
The Geography Department at SMSJ School holds exceptionally high expectations for all our students, striving to inspire their questioning, research, and analytical thinking regarding issues impacting their lives both presently and in the future. We consistently emphasise and provide local examples of geography relevant to their immediate surroundings. Our department's overarching goal is to nurture moral development in students, empowering them to evolve into responsible global citizens who comprehend their individual place in the world. We aim to cultivate their values and stimulate a sense of responsibility towards others, the environment, and the sustainability of our planet.
We endeavour to inspire a lifelong passion for geography through a diverse range of activities, both within and outside the classroom. Our objective is to prepare well-rounded students for life beyond the age of 16, equipping them to thrive as contributing members of society, irrespective of the career paths they choose to pursue.
Year 7
Year 7 Geography curriculum covers the geography of the United Kingdom, including its physical landscapes, weather, and climate. Students explore population demographics, urban and rural settlements, employment sectors, and leisure activities. They also examine environmental challenges such as poverty, water management, waste, air pollution, and energy sources, utilisng Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for analysis. Throughout, emphasis is placed on developing geographical skills such as map reading, data interpretation, and critical thinking.
Year 8
In Year 8 Geography, students learn about different things like extreme weather and earthquakes, and they practice comparing maps. They also study ecosystems, like where breakfast cereals come from, and look at maps to understand Russia's different environments. Students also learn about global inequality, like why some places have more food and money than others, using graphs to see this. They also learn about Africa's landscapes and how Nigeria is changing, looking at problems with cities growing and issues like pollution and climate change using maps.
Year 9
In Year 9 Geography, students start by studying superpowers, looking closely at China. Then, they learn about big changes happening in the world and natural events like volcanoes and earthquakes. They also look at how populations change, coastal areas, and ways countries help each other grow. They finish by learning about global warming and problems like plastic pollution in the oceans, and how it affects nature.
Year 10
In Year 10 Geography (AQA), students look into the changing economic world, exploring factors influencing development and globalisation. They also study physical landscapes in the UK, investigating processes like erosion and human impacts. Challenges in the human environment, such as urbanisation and resource management, are examined alongside fieldwork preparation.
If time allows, students will start completing some pre learning regarding their human and physical fieldwork in London Stratford and Walton-on-the-Naze. Overall, the Year 10 Geography curriculum (AQA) aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key geographical concepts, processes, and challenges, while also developing essential skills in analysis, critical thinking, and fieldwork.
Year 11
In Year 11, students kick off with fieldwork preparations and a review of physical landscapes, urban issues, and challenges. The curriculum then delves into related topics, integrating both human and physical visits for hands-on learning. Following this, the focus shifts to addressing natural hazards, climate change, and resource management, with an emphasis on global water management. As March approaches, students will participate in paper 3 practice, focusing mainly on the issue evaluation paper, before refining their geographical skills.