Year 9 Geography
Brief summary of specification:
The course is based upon the Key Geography for GCSE series of textbooks, which are used throughout Years 8 and 9. The theme for Year 9 is the 'geography of extremes' and the syllabus includes work on the following topics.
- Living with natural hazards
- The Geography of crime
- Natural and fragile environments: tropical rainforests and cold environments
- Development in the global village
The course also contributes to the Information Technology and Communication syllabus as time is spent working with computer software packages (including Access, PowerPoint and AEGIS) to enhance geographical understanding.
What skills/attributes are concentrated on and developed?
Atlas work, photograph interpretation and evaluation, obtaining information from diagrams, representing and analysing statistical data, decision-making, describing and analysing spatial patterns, descriptive writing, use of ICT including GIS.
What can parents expect to see in classwork and homework specifically?
World and regional maps, geographical diagrams and graphs, statistical tests and writing are often the major elements of class work in response to completing tasks. Homework builds upon class work stimulation and may involve writing-up video programmes. Individual research is often necessary using a variety of resources. Printouts from work done in the computer room should be stuck in exercise books.
What can parents do to help at this stage in this subject?
Encourage an interest in worldwide affairs and current issues. Guide TV-watching to programmes concerned with world problems and possible solutions. Provide wide reference materials eg an atlas and newspaper. Encourage boys to be critical readers who evaluate information sources carefully, particularly when surfing the web. Discourage stereotyping ideas of other areas of the world.
Setting and course schedule:
Year 9 classes are taught in sets within each half of the year. Sets are initially determined on the basis of pupil attainment in Geography during Year 8 and are then reviewed after each half-term test.
The Geography course in Year 9 will cover a wide range of different topics as outlined above. Some of this work will build on your studies in the previous two years in the School. It is certainly the case that many of the skills that you have developed in the subject thus far will be utilised throughout the Year 9 course.
The main task this year is to prepare yourself properly for the GCSE syllabus. Most of the topics covered in Year 9 will also be part of the GCSE course therefore it is imperative that you give yourself the opportunity to receive a good grounding in these aspects of the subject if you are to achieve examination success later on.
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Final Examination:
An end-of-year examination will be sat by all Year 9 boys during the timetabled examinations week. It will include questions on all of the Year 9 topics that are studied. This result, together with the other tests / assessments completed throughout Years 7, 8 and 9 will be used to determine the end-of-Key Stage 3 teacher assessment for Geography.
Tests:
The questions that you will receive in tests and examination will include;
- Interpretation & analysis of the topics covered during lessons.
- Map work questions requiring you to relate the information that you have learned in lessons to certain real examples.
In all instances try to use case studies to illustrate your points wherever possible.
Data response questions will also be asked that will require you to use your knowledge of various aspects of the course to explain certain statistics etc.
The following is a rough schedule for when the topics will be tested:
- Autumn half-term: Living with natural hazards
- End of Autumn Term: The Geography of crime
- Spring half-term: Natural and fragile environments: tropical rainforest
- End of Spring Term: Natural and fragile environments: cold environments
- Summer Examination: All topics
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Revision:
This revision guide should be used to help you through the course. Keep all test answer papers in chronological order and this ought to help you measure your progress. Try to take into account the revision guidelines when preparing for tests and examinations and use the target-setting information to give yourself an indication of exactly what you need to pay particular attention to.
IDEAS FOR REVISION:
By Year 9 you have had ample opportunity to develop your own revision technique. You ought to have a good idea of what works for you in terms of preparing for examinations. However it should be pointed out that you can benefit from varying your revision process and therefore you should take notice of the following hints;
- Make sure that you make sure that you are clear which part of the course you are being tested on. Although this seems like an obvious point, a lot of people make basic errors in this respect.
- Start preparing for the test as early as possible. Do not leave everything to the last minute.
- Do not be content merely to read through your exercise book when revising. Most people find that the revision process is more effective if you are "active" when working. This really means writing & drawing etc. rather than just reading. Write summaries of pieces of work that you have done & draw diagrams of case studies etc. to help to reinforce the learning process.
- Get someone else to test you on the work to see how much you can remember.
- Use questions that you have answered in class & in previous tests & write out model answers. Time yourself while you are doing this & you should find that with practice you speed up.
- When revising diagrams try to get into the habit of drawing them quickly. This is a vital skill required if you are going to be able to work under pressure.
- Make sure you have examples & case studies to back up each topic that you have studied. Geography is, after all, the study of places, so lots of marks may be won by the use of relevant examples in your answers.
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Pupil Target-setting:
One way of ensuring progression takes place throughout the key stage is for the pupil regularly to undergo a process of self-evaluation and target-setting. Target-setting is essential if improvement in performance and achievement is to take place. Pupils must set targets with respect to the level descriptions, especially following assessment tasks. Geography teachers will assist with this at regular intervals.
Any pupil who needs assistance in target-setting needs to see his subject teacher for individual guidance.
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Achievement Level Description for Levels 7 - Exceptional Performance:
Performance at Levels 7-Exceptional Performance is characterised by pupils showing the following attributes in their work and demonstrating that they have studied a wide range of places and themes at various scales (or at a full range of scales for Exceptional Performance).
Places
- appreciating how change in physical and/or human processes may be reflected in the changing character and distinctiveness of places (eg a mining or tourist development)
- how different viewpoints may influence decisions
- explaining why places are similar or different (eg hierarchy of settlement)
- evaluating how this affects their character, their future development and their interdependence
Patterns and Processes
- making connections between locations, distributions and patterns of features (eg distribution of farming types)
- understanding how and why these change and with what impacts on people and places(eg government influence)
- understanding how interactions between physical and human processes at different scales can influence the character and development of places and environments (eg links between car use and pollution)
Environmental Relationships and Issues:
- understanding the significance of different viewpoints in influencing environmental policy and decisions (eg influence of environmental groups on energy policy)
- explaining the origins and character of complex issues
- evaluating the impact of management strategies (eg threats to wildlife and habitats)
Geographical Enquiry and Skills:
- demonstrating independence in posing appropriate questions
- planning investigations (eg producing a individual project)
- providing articulate and substantiated arguments
- demonstrating confidence in selecting skills and strategies appropriate to the task applying skills and strategies effectively (selecting and using appropriate software)
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