As part of AQA GCSE Geography, students will travel the world from our classroom, exploring case studies in the United Kingdom (UK), higher income countries (HICs), newly emerging economies (NEEs) and lower income countries (LICs). Topics covered build on the physical and human geography studied at Key Stage 3 and include natural hazards, climate change, ecosystems, rivers and coasts, urban issues, poverty, deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use. Students are also encouraged to understand their role in society, by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes. In addition, they will be apply to apply and embed their literacy, numeracy and graphicacy skills towards success in GCSE Geography. A key and unique element of AQA GCSE Geography is Paper 3: Geographical Applications. This exam includes a section on a real world, contemporary issue that students where students receive resources with which to prepare for the 12 weeks in advance. In addition, the fieldwork section requires students to carry out two fieldwork enquiry visits linked to local physical and human geography.
| 10 | 11 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Concepts | AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards, Section C UK landscape rivers Paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change Paper 3 Section A Issue Evaluation (practice) and Section B Fieldwork | AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 Section B Living World, Section C UK landscape rivers Paper 2 Section C Resource management Paper 3 Section A Issue Evaluation | ||
| Autumn Term (Sep-Dec) |
Paper 1 Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK River landscapes in the UK Students will explore the physical processes involved in creating different landforms along contrasting parts of UK rivers. In addition, the causes of floods along with flood management will be investigated, which will be illustrated by a UK example. Paper 1 Section A: The challenge of natural hazards Tectonic hazards and climate change Students will investigate the types and risk factors linked to natural hazards before focusing on tectonic hazards. This will include the physical processes linked to different plate margins as well as the impacts of earthquakes in areas of contrasting wealth using examples. In addition, students will investigate the reasons people live in tectonic areas as well as risk management strategies to reduce the impacts of disasters. | Paper 1 Section B: The living world Ecosystems Students will use a small scale UK example to revisit the components of an ecosystem as well as the impacts of human activity. The distribution and characteristics of key global biomes will also be investigated. Tropical rainforests and hot deserts will be explored in turn, including biodiversity, animal and plant adaptations and human activity. The Amazon rainforest and the Sahara Desert will be used to investigate the opportunities and challenges created by economic activity as well as sustainable methods of management Year 11 mock exams Paper 2 Section C: The challenge of resource management Resource management overview Global and national issues linked to food, water, energy will be investigated. | ||
| Quality Mark Assessments | ||||
A focus on explaining the sequence of landform formation as well as the causes of floods and assessing/evaluating management strategies. Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section C Coasts and Rivers A focus on explaining the processes causing tectonic activity at plate margins as well as the causes of and climate change and the assessment/evaluation management strategies. Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards | A focus on explaining the adaptations of plants and animals as well explaining and assessing/evaluating the impacts of human activity. Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section B The Living World Year 11 mock exams using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards, Section B The Living World and Section C Coasts and Rivers as well as Paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change. Resource management overview questions using AQA Paper 2 Section C. | |||
| Spring Term (Jan-April) |
Year 10 mock exam Paper 2 Section A: Urban issues and challenges Urbanisation and Lagos case study Students will revisit urbanisation, including global patterns and the emergence of megacities. They will then focus on a case study of a rapidly growing megacity in a NEE; Lagos in Nigeria. This will include importance, causes of growth, opportunities and challenges, largely linked to slum growth, and strategies used to improve quality of life. Paper 2 Section A: Urban issues and challenges
Liverpool case study and sustainable urban living
Students will study the UK city of Liverpool. Similarly to their NEE case study, they will investigate importance, causes of growth, opportunities and challenges, largely linked to deindustrialisation, and strategies used to improve regenerate parts of the city. Following this, aspects of sustainable urban living will be investigated, alongside the impacts of traffic congestion as well as the strategies used to increase public transport and traffic flow. | Paper 2 Section C: The challenge of resource management Food focus Students will explore the various issues relating to food supply and production across the globe. This will include causes and consequences of limited food supply, the impacts of large-scale industrial farming and the opportunities for more sustainable food production and consumption. Revision Practice AQA GCSE Geography questions Walking talking mock papers Issue Evaluation pre-release booklet available by AQA 12 weeks before Paper 3 – given to students at the end of term 2 prior to Easter holidays | ||
| Quality Mark Assessments | ||||
Year 10 mock exams using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards and Section C Coasts and Rivers A focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to the rapid growth of Lagos. A focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to changes in Liverpool, including regeneration strategies, as well as the strategies to manage traffic congestion. | A focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to modern food production methods. Summative assessment using AQA Paper 2 Section C Resource Management Opportunity for practice GCSE papers 1-3 | |||
| Summer Term (May-July) |
Paper 2 Section B: The changing economic world United Kingdom case study The UK case study will focus on reasons for our changing economy including the emergence of a Post-Industrial Economy as well as the impacts of change on rural areas and on creating a North-South Divide. Strategies to reduce regional inequalities will be investigated, including transport improvements, alongside the links the UK has with the wider world due to globalisation. Paper 3 Section A: Issue Evaluation Practice Issue Evaluation process based around previous pre-release booklet. Paper 3 Section B: Fieldwork Students will carry our two compulsory fieldwork enquiries focusing on aspects of physical and human geography. They will work through the six-part enquiry process from hypothesis to evaluation, which they will be assessed on as part of the paper 3 exam | Paper 3 Section A Issue evaluation Issue Evaluation pre-rerelease booklet Students will be guided through content and concepts through activities and exam practice. Revision
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| Quality Mark Assessments | ||||
A focus on describing and explaining changes in the UK economy as well as explaining and assessing/evaluating strategies that aim to reduce regional differences in the UK. Summative assessments using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards and Section C Coasts and Rivers as well as paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change Summative assessment using AQA Paper 3 Section A: Issue Evaluation and Section B: Fieldwork | Paper 3 Section A Issue evaluation Issue Evaluation pre-rerelease booklet Students will be guided through content and concepts through activities and exam practice. Revision Official AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 before half term Official AQA GCSE Geography Paper 2 and paper after half term | |||
10
Key Concepts
AQA GCSE Geography
Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards, Section C UK landscape rivers
Paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change
Paper 3 Section A Issue Evaluation (practice) and Section B Fieldwork
Quality Mark AssessmentsAutumn Term
(Sep-Dec)
Paper 1 Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK
River landscapes in the UK
Students will explore the physical processes involved in creating different landforms along contrasting parts of UK rivers. In addition, the causes of floods along with flood management will be investigated, which will be illustrated by a UK example.
Paper 1 Section A: The challenge of natural hazards
Tectonic hazards and climate change
Students will investigate the types and risk factors linked to natural hazards before focusing on tectonic hazards. This will include the physical processes linked to different plate margins as well as the impacts of earthquakes in areas of contrasting wealth using examples. In addition, students will investigate the reasons people live in tectonic areas as well as risk management strategies to reduce the impacts of disasters.
Quality Mark AssessmentsA focus on explaining the sequence of landform formation as well as the causes of floods and assessing/evaluating management strategies.
Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section C Coasts and Rivers
A focus on explaining the processes causing tectonic activity at plate margins as well as the causes of and climate change and the assessment/evaluation management strategies.
Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards
Spring Term
(Jan-April)
Year 10 mock exam
Paper 2 Section A: Urban issues and challenges
Urbanisation and Lagos case study
Students will revisit urbanisation, including global patterns and the emergence of megacities. They will then focus on a case study of a rapidly growing megacity in a NEE; Lagos in Nigeria. This will include importance, causes of growth, opportunities and challenges, largely linked to slum growth, and strategies used to improve quality of life.
Paper 2 Section A: Urban issues and challenges
Liverpool case study and sustainable urban living
Students will study the UK city of Liverpool. Similarly to their NEE case study, they will investigate importance, causes of growth, opportunities and challenges, largely linked to deindustrialisation, and strategies used to improve regenerate parts of the city.
Following this, aspects of sustainable urban living will be investigated, alongside the impacts of traffic congestion as well as the strategies used to increase public transport and traffic flow.
Quality Mark AssessmentsYear 10 mock exams using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards and Section C Coasts and Rivers
A focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to the rapid growth of Lagos.
A focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to changes in Liverpool, including regeneration strategies, as well as the strategies to manage traffic congestion.
Summer Term
(May-July)
Paper 2 Section B: The changing economic world
United Kingdom case study
The UK case study will focus on reasons for our changing economy including the emergence of a Post-Industrial Economy as well as the impacts of change on rural areas and on creating a North-South Divide. Strategies to reduce regional inequalities will be investigated, including transport improvements, alongside the links the UK has with the wider world due to globalisation.
Paper 3 Section A: Issue Evaluation
Practice Issue Evaluation process based around previous pre-release booklet.
Paper 3 Section B: Fieldwork
Students will carry our two compulsory fieldwork enquiries focusing on aspects of physical and human geography. They will work through the six-part enquiry process from hypothesis to evaluation, which they will be assessed on as part of the paper 3 exam
Quality Mark AssessmentsA focus on describing and explaining changes in the UK economy as well as explaining and assessing/evaluating strategies that aim to reduce regional differences in the UK.
Summative assessments using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards and Section C Coasts and Rivers as well as paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change
Summative assessment using AQA Paper 3 Section A: Issue Evaluation and Section B: Fieldwork
11
Key Concepts
AQA GCSE Geography
Paper 1 Section B Living World, Section C UK landscape rivers
Paper 2 Section C Resource management
Paper 3 Section A Issue Evaluation
Quality Mark AssessmentsAutumn Term
(Sep-Dec)
Paper 1 Section B: The living world
Ecosystems
Students will use a small scale UK example to revisit the components of an ecosystem as well as the impacts of human activity. The distribution and characteristics of key global biomes will also be investigated.
Tropical rainforests and hot deserts will be explored in turn, including biodiversity, animal and plant adaptations and human activity. The Amazon rainforest and the Sahara Desert will be used to investigate the opportunities and challenges created by economic activity as well as sustainable methods of management
Year 11 mock exams
Paper 2 Section C: The challenge of resource management
Resource management overview
Global and national issues linked to food, water, energy will be investigated.
Quality Mark AssessmentsA focus on explaining the adaptations of plants and animals as well explaining and assessing/evaluating the impacts of human activity.
Summative assessment using AQA Paper 1 Section B The Living World
Year 11 mock exams using AQA Paper 1 Section A Natural hazards, Section B The Living World and Section C Coasts and Rivers as well as Paper 2 Section A Urban issues and Section B Economic change.
Resource management overview questions using AQA Paper 2 Section C.
Spring Term
(Jan-April)
Paper 2 Section C: The challenge of resource management
Food focus
Students will explore the various issues relating to food supply and production across the globe. This will include causes and consequences of limited food supply, the impacts of large-scale industrial farming and the opportunities for more sustainable food production and consumption.
Revision
Practice AQA GCSE Geography questions
Walking talking mock papers
Issue Evaluation pre-release booklet available by AQA 12 weeks before Paper 3 – given to students at the end of term 2 prior to Easter holidays
Quality Mark AssessmentsA focus on explaining and assessing/evaluating issues linked to modern food production methods.
Summative assessment using AQA Paper 2 Section C Resource Management
Opportunity for practice GCSE papers 1-3
Summer Term
(May-July)
Paper 3 Section A Issue evaluation
Issue Evaluation pre-rerelease booklet
Students will be guided through content and concepts through activities and exam practice.
Revision
Quality Mark Assessments
Paper 3 Section A Issue evaluation
Issue Evaluation pre-rerelease booklet
Students will be guided through content and concepts through activities and exam practice.
Revision
Official AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 before half term
Official AQA GCSE Geography Paper 2 and paper after half term