Skip to content

Geography

Name of Head of Department

Ms A Trower, BSc (Hons), PGCE

Statement of Intent

At DHSG, our Geography Curriculum is designed to:

  •  celebrate the diversity of our world and cultivate curiosity about its places and people; 
  • critically analyse physical processes and human concepts ;
  • embrace geographical thinking and independent enquiry, in our studies and in our own lives; 
  • nurture global citizens with the knowledge and skills to effect sustainable environmental change.

Curriculum Programmes of Study

Year

Cycle Content

Year 7

Cycle 1

Our Plymouth

Settlement
OS map skills
Demographics
Weather
Rock cycle
Rivers

Cycle 2

Their Plymouth

Atlas skills
Population density and distribution
Climate
Coasts
Earthquakes

Cycle 3

Past Plymouth

Biomes
Tropical Rainforest
Volcanoes
Hurricanes

Year 8

Cycle 1

Reimaging Russia

Location, locale and sense of place
Resources
Development
Population policy
Geopolitics

Cycle 2

Global Garments

Globalisation
Transnational Corporations
Fair trade fashion
Ethical consumers

Cycle 3

Climate challenges

Climate change
Hindu Kush regional study focusing on glacial retreat
Sahel regional study focusing on desertification
Mitigation and adaptation

Year 9

Cycle 1

Paper 1: Rivers

Cycle 2

Paper 2: Changing Economic World

Cycle 3

Paper 2: Changing Economic World

Paper 1: Coasts

Year 10

Cycle 1

Paper 1: Natural Hazards

Cycle 2

Paper 1: Natural Hazards
Paper 2: Urban Issues and Challenges

Cycle 3

Paper 2: Urban Issues and Challenges
Paper 3: Human Fieldwork

Year 11

Cycle 1

Paper 3: Physical Fieldwork
Paper 1: Living World

Cycle 2

Paper 1: Living World
Paper 2 Resources Management

Cycle 3

Paper 3: Pre-release and revision
Revision and Examinations

Lower Years Assessment Framework

To view the Lower Years Assessment Framework for Geography, please click here

Middle Years Exam and Specification Information

Full details of the specification and assessment criteria can be found on the AQA website GCSE Geography Specification

Extra-curricular activities

Fieldwork is a fundamental part of the study of Geography and students are provided with a range of fieldwork opportunities. Below are some of the trips that run regularly in the department.

  • Year 7 – National Marine Aquarium – looking at threats to ocean ecosystems.
  • Year 7 – Eden Project – studying plant adaptations in the tropical rainforest.
  • Year 8 – Eden Project – exploring the impacts of climate change and ways in which we can positively respond.
  • Year 10 – Exeter city centre - investigating changing urban environments.
  • Year 11 – Dawlish Warren – investigating coastal processes and landforms.
  • Year 12- The Cottonian Research Room at The Box- developing research skills.
  • Year 12 - Start Bay - investigating coastal processes and landforms in preparation for students’ own independent investigation.
  • Year 12 – Devonport docks and Plymouth waterfront – investigating our local sense of place, urban deprivation and regeneration.
  • Year 12- Plymouth University- Geohazards conference and Changing Places workshops.

Residential trips

Years 9-13- London-visiting some of our key case studies, including the Olympic Park and Brick Lane.
Years 10- 13 - Iceland - a trip of awe and wonder to the land of ‘fire and ice’.

Get In Touch