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  • Geography

    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’.

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