Geography

Term 1

Cyprus Rocks

Why is Cyprus an island? How was Cyprus formed? What different rocks are there? Is there a link to physical features? Where are the main settlements on the island?

Geography detectives (incorporated within the term)- How to use grid references? What symbols are on map? How to measure distance? Which direction? Using Ordnance Survey maps.

Settlements past & present Why did people locate their early settlements there? Reasons for the location of Khirokitia. How are sites for modern places chosen? A visit to the site to practice fieldwork skills including field sketching.

• Where have you visited on the island?
• If you get the opportunity to go up the Troodos, try to stop off at the visitors centre in the village for a display on the geology of Cyprus. Are you traveling anywhere in the near future? Could you plan the route together using a road atlas or online mapping site?
• When do you use maps?
• Have you ever got lost using a map?

Mapzone has information, quizzes and games to help with map skills.

Via Michelin to plan a driving route.

Google maps and Google Earth both show the maps and satellite images so students can see how maps reflect the real world.

Term 2

Wicked Weather & Cool Climate

What is the difference between weather and climate? How does the weather affect you? What factors affect the weather in the UK? How do we measure the weather? What is the difference between high and low pressure? What are the different types of rain and how is it formed? What are the different climates of the World? What climate zone is Cyprus in? A mini study to collect weather data around the school.

• Encourage your child to watch the weather forecast on BFBS 1 and use online weather data to compare it to the UK
• Discuss how different the weather in Cyprus is compared to the UK.
• Where in the world have you visited/lived that had a different climate?
• How does climate influence the diet of people within the country? Why?

MET Office (the education section has games and information)
Lonely Planet

Term 3

Geography of Sport – Why was the site chosen? What changes will happen? What are the effects of the event? Will it benefit the area?

• Have you lived near the coast before? If so, was it different to Cyprus?
• What activities can people enjoy only at the coast?
• Visit some of the coastal features and ask your child to explain their formation
• Have you lived near a sporting venue? What was it like?
• Did you go to the Olympics 2012?

Learn Geography on the Internet
UK Coast Guide
BBC Coastline
London 2012

Term 1

Made in China

What do we think China is like? What is China really like? How and why has the population grown? How is the population distributed? What links does China have with other countries? How developed is China? How polluted is China? Can China develop in a sustainable way?

• Go around the house to identify products made in China
• Research detail about “The One Child Policy”
• Use YouTube to find clips about China’s economical development.
• Discuss how China has changed since you were at school

worldometers.info (amazing population counter)
www.geography.about.com
Youtube

Term 2

Perishing Poles

What are the different biomes of the world? What is an ecosystem? Where is the Tundra found? What are the differences between the Arctic and Antarctic? What are the processes happening in a cold environment?

What landforms are unique to cold environments? How has the climate changed here and how do we know?

What ecosystems are there here? Who killed the Krill?

Jambo from Kenya – Where is Kenya? What is Kenya like? What is the climate like here? What impact is climate change having on Kenya and its neighbours? How developed is Kenya? What is Dabaso School? How is life at Dabaso in Kenya different to SJS in Cyprus? How does aid help improve life in Kenya? (Comic Relief) What is it like to work in Kenya?

• Watch Frozen Planet or similar programmes
• Discuss travelling across Antarctica – How has it changed over time?
• Compare the climate in Cyprus to the Polar regions
• Go online to look at different websites about the regions
• Have you visited poorer countries in the past? Did you see the homes and schools?
• Have you had fewer children than your parents? What about your grandparents?

Term 3

• What rivers have you lived on or near?
• What are the longest rivers in the UK? The world?
• Have you or someone you know ever been flooded? If so, what were the effects?
• If there are any recent floods occurring around the world encourage your child to watch the news or look up information on-line.
• Have you had fewer children than your parents? What about your grandparents?

www.environment-agency.gov.uk (put in families postcode to see if they are at risk)
www.dabasoschoolcharity.org.uk

Term 1

Tourism Concern

What is tourism? How and why has tourism grown? Is tourism a good thing? What is the tourism industry like in the UK? What impact has tourism had upon Paphos? Are there similarities between tourism in the UK and Cyprus? What impact does tourism have, locally, nationally and globally? How can tourism be more sustainable?

• Where have you visited in the world?
• How did you travel to the destination?
• How do you choose your holiday destinations?
• Have you returned to a place and noticed the changes?
• Visit different locations in Cyprus and discuss the impact tourism has had.

www.sustainabletourism.net
www.visitpafos.org.cy
Lonely Planet (travelguide)

Term 2

Russian Roulette

Where is Russia? What are the main physical and human features of Russia? What is the climate of Russia like? What is the importance of soil in Russia? How powerful is Russia? How developed is Russia? What resources does Russia have?

Cracking Tectonics

What is the structure of the earth? What evidence is there for tectonic activity? How and why does tectonic activity vary? Why are there different types of volcanoes? What impact do different eruptions have and why? How do earthquakes and volcanoes occur? What impact do these events have on people and places? What is an earthquake and how is it measured? What is the impact of earthquakes on countries at different stages of development? What is a tsunami? What can we learn from the Boxing Day tsunami?

• Keep up to date with BBC news and news reports
• Study all types of maps – these could be physical maps, choropleth maps or political maps with a focus on Russia
• Use your History skills and find sources linked to Chernobyl

Have you ever experienced an earthquake? If so, what were the effects?

Have you visited a volcano or a volcanic island?

If there are any recent events occurring around the world encourage your child to watch the news or look up information on-line.

Encourage your child to visit the EMSC site to see when and where there has been seismic activity in and around Cyprus.

National Geographic (Has quizzes, fact files, video clips and lots more relating to many topics)

Euro Med Earthquakes (you can see if there have been earthquakes in the area and the world recently)

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx

Term 3

What is development? How can we measure development? What is the best way to measure development and why? Where are countries along the continuum development? What is globalisation and why is it important?

Does economic activity indicate how developed a country is? How has India developed its economy? What are the differences in development within India? Why is Limassol rebranding itself?

Trade or Aid? What is the best type of Aid? How is FairTrade different to Trade? Who benefits from Fairtrade?

• Have you visited or worked in countries that are at a different level of development to the UK or Cyprus?
• Show pictures/photos of different places you have visited and discuss what life was like there
• Encourage your child to consider what they have that shows they live in a More Developed Country (MEDC)
• Look for Fairtrade products when you are shopping in store or online.

Oxfam
Fairtrade (the official site with lots of information about products and how the foundation works)
Central Intelligence Agency (fact upon fact about countries)
United Nations Development Program (more facts)

Term 1

Topic 5: The UK’s Evolving Human Landscape

Why are places and people changing in the UK?

• • Population, economic activities and settlements are key elements of the human landsape.
  • The UK economy and society is increasingly linked and shaped by the wider world.

How is ONE major UK city changing?

• • The context of the city influences its functions and structure.
  • The city changes through employment, services and the movement of people.
  • The changing city creates challenges and opportunities.
  • Ways of life in the city can be improved by different strategies.
  • The city is interdependent with rural areas, leading to changes in rural areas.
  • The changing rural area creates challenges and opportunities.

Topic 4: The UK’s evolving physical landscape

Why does the physical landscape of the UK vary from place to place?

• • Geology and past processes have influenced the physical landscape of the UK.
  • A number of physical and human processes work together to create distinct landscapes.

Term 2

Topic 4: The UK’s evolving physical landscape cont…

Sub topic: Coastal change and conflict

Why is there a variety of distinctive coastal landscapes in th eUK and what are the processes that shape them?

• Distinctive coastal landscapes are influenced by geology interacting with physical processes.
• Distinctive coastal landscapes are modified by human activity interacting with physical processes.

What are the challenges for coastal landscapes and communities and why is there conflicty about how to manage them?

• The interaction of human and physical processes present challenges along coastlines and there are a variety of management options.

Sub topic: River processes and pressures

Why is there a variety of river landscapes in the UK and what are the processes that shape them?

• Distinctive river landscapes have different characteristics formed by interacting physical processes.
• River landscapes are influenced by human activity interacting with physical processes.

What are the challenges for river landscapes, people and property and how can they be managed?

• Some rivers are more prone to flood than others and there is a variety of river management options.

Term 3

Topic 1: Hazardous Earth

How does the world’s climate system function, why does it change and how can this be hazardous for people?

• The atmosphere operates as a global system which transfers heat around the Earth
• Climate has changed in the past through natural causes on timescales ranging from hundreds to millions of years
• Global climate is now changing as a result of human activity, and there is uncertainty about future climates

How are extreme weather events increasingly hazardous for people?

• Tropical cyclones are caused by particular meteorological conditions
• Tropical cyclones present major natural hazards to people and places
• The impacts of tropical cyclones are linked to a country’s ability to prepare and respond to them

Topic 6: Geographical investigations in the UK

The experience of fieldwork helps students to develop new geographical insight into two of the contrasting environments studied in Topics 4 and 5 of this component. Students must carry out fieldwork and research as part of their investigations. Fieldwork must be outside the classroom and school/college grounds. The examination for this Paper will always treat fieldwork within the context of the UK.

Term 1

Topic 1: Hazardous Earth cont..

Why do the causes and impacts of tectonic activity and management of tectonic hazards vary with location?

• Earth’s layered structure, and physical properties is key to plate Tectonics
• There are different plate boundaries, each with characteristic volcanic and earthquake hazards
• Tectonic hazards affect people, and are managed, differently at contrasting locations

Topic 2: Development dynamics

What is the scale of global inequality and how can it be reduced?

• There are different ways of defining and measuring development
• There is global inequality in development and different theories in how it can be reduced
• Approaches to development vary in type and success

How is ONE of the world’s emerging countries (India) managing to develop?

• Development of the emerging country is influenced by its location and context in the world
• Globalisation causes rapid economic change in the emerging country
• Rapid economic growth results in significant positive and negative impacts on people and environment in the emerging country
• Rapid economic development has changed the international role of the emerging country

Topic 3: Challenges of an urbanising world

What are the causes and challenges of rapid urban change?

• The world is becoming increasingly urbanised
• Urbanisation is a result of socio-economic processes and change
• Cities change over time and this is reflected in changing land use

Why does quality of life vary so much within ONE megacity* in a developing country* OR emerging country*?

• The location and context of the chosen megacity influences its growth, function and structure
• The megacity in the chosen country is growing rapidly
• Rapid population growth creates opportunities and challenges for people living in the chosen megacity
• Quality of life in the chosen megacity can be improved by different strategies for achieving sustainability

Term 2

Topic 7: People and the biosphere

Why is the biosphere so important to human wellbeing and how do humans use and modify it to obtain resources?

• The Earth is home to a number of very large ecosystems (biomes) the distribution of which is affected by climate and other factors
• The biosphere is a vital life support system for people as it provides both goods and services

Topic 8: Forests under threat

What are the threats to forest biomes and how can they be reduced?

• The structure, functioning and adaptations of the tropical rainforest* reflect the equatorial climate
• The taiga shows different characteristics, reflecting the more extreme and highly seasonal climate
• Tropical rainforests are threatened directly by deforestation and indirectly by climate change
• The taiga is increasingly threatened by commercial development
• Conservation and sustainable management of tropical rain forests is vital if goods and services are not to be lost for future generations
• The taiga wilderness areas need to be protected from overexploitation

Topic 9: Consuming energy resources

How can the growing demand for energy by met without serious environmental consequences?

• Energy resources can be classified in different ways and their extraction and use has environmental consequences
• Access to energy resources is not evenly distributed which has implications for people
• The global demand for oil is increasing, but supplies are unevenly available
• The world’s continuing reliance of fossil fuels increases pressure to exploit new areas
• Reducing reliance on fossil fuels presents major technical challenges
• Attitudes to energy and environmental issues are changing

Term 3

Revision

At this point it is our intention that we will have completed teaching the course and we will be:

• Using past papers to revise
• Creating case study fact files
• Making mind maps to create topic summaries
• Highlighting their notes in their books
• Learning keywords
• Using the revision websites
• Attending revision classes after school