Geography - Year 8

Geography Overview

Term 1: Into Africa: How Are Our Lives Connected To Africa?

Africa is an extremely diverse continent, geographically, culturally, religiously and politically. It is also highlights global inequalities; with poverty for many and prosperity for a few. In this unit, students begin to make connections between their lives and peoples’ in Africa. Students investigate a range of topics and issues that are likely to be relevant to them: holidays, shopping, football, mobile phones and Comic Relief. They consider how issues of global change, such as HIV/Aids, affect the UK and Africa.

  1. Students will complete an extended piece of writing focusing on the connections between Africa and the UK.
Migration

The movement from one place to another. This can be within a country (internal) or between countries (international).

Tourism

The commercial organisation and operation of holidays and visits to places of interest.

Tourist

A person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure.

Emigration

When a person leaves their own country to settle in another country.

Immigration

The movement of a person into a country, to live.

Rural

A countryside area.

Urban

A built up area, e.g. a town or city.

Import

When goods are brought into a country from abroad for sale.

Export

When goods are sent abroad for sale.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially in the future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.

Term 2: Development: Rich World, Poor World

The globe is the only true representation of our planet. Students begin by deciding what makes a fair world map. Students use the development compass rose to help them ask smart questions. They consider what is development and how can we measure it? How did the development gap grow? What factors make countries rich or poor? This unit raises important questions about global citizenship and the importance of money for quality of life (and happiness).

  1. Students will complete a paper on development.
HIC

A high income country, e.g. The UK.

LIC

A low income country, e.g. Bangladesh.

Poverty

The state of being extremely poor.

GDP

Gross Domestic Product - The total value of everything produced by all the people and companies in the country.

Life Expectancy

The average amount of years that a person should expect to reach depending on where they live.

Loan

When a sum of money is borrowed.

Debt

A some of money that is owed.

Tariff

A tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.

Subsidies

A sum of money given to help an industry of business. An example is when farmers are given money by the government to grow a certain crop.

MIC

A middle income country, e.g. India or South Africa.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially int he future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.

Term 3: Paradise Lost: Tourism

Tourism is the world’s largest and fastest growing industry. It can change a place for better or worse. After introducing tourism and key terminology and tourism trends in the UK, students joining the passengers of row 15, flight 917 to Thailand. Students also consider the ethical issues and responsibilities associated with tourism.

  1. Students will create a tourism brochure based on staged outcomes.
Catering

Provide people with food and drink at a social event, e.g. a football match.

Climate

The average conditions in an area. Measurements are usually taken over a 30-year period.

Tourism

The commercial organisation and operation of holidays and visits to places of interest.

Tourist

A person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure.

Accommodation

A place that people can stay in.

International Tourism

Tourism across borders. Occurs when people travel to other countries for leisure.

Domestic Tourism

Tourism within your own country. Occurs when people travel within their home country for leisure.

Culture

The customs and beliefs of people from a particular area or society.

Pollution

The addition of substances to the environment that may be harmful to living organisms.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially int he future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.

Term 4: Mapping Crime

Students decide whether their local area is a ‘risky’ place, before focusing on the human risk posed by crime. They explore how the built environment can encourage or deter crime and how today, town planner, developers, architects and landscape architects work with the police to ‘design out crime’ from the environment. Students learn how mapping and GIS are increasingly used by police for building up pictures of crime hot spots. They also help in identifying vulnerable areas.

  1. Students will redesign a housing project to show how crime and anti-social behaviour could be designed out.
Crime

An illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government.

Victim

A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action.

Terrorism

The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Target Hardening

The strengthening of the security of a building in order to protect it in the event of attack or reduce the risk of theft.

Fraud

The crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.

Forgery

The action of falsely making a document, signature, banknote, or work of art.

Vandalism

The deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.

Crime Hotspot

An area that experiences a high level of crime.

Least Effort Principle

The theory that a criminal will pick the method that takes the least effort or offers the least resistance.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially int he future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.

Term 5: People & The Planet: Population

Our numbers are growing fast, so where is everyone? What is the impact on our planet? Students will study how the world’s population has grown and why, factors that influence the distribution of population around the world, the pressures our growing numbers place on the Earth’s resources as well as our impact on other living things.

  1. Students will complete a variety of tasks including source interpretation and discussion of population issues.
Birth Rate

The amount of babies born per 1000 people, per year.

Death Rate

The amount of deaths per 1000 people, per year.

Population

The amount of people living in a certain area.

Exponential Growth

Typical growth of a population, e.g. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16.

Population Distribution

The spread of people across the world or an area.

Population Density

The amount of people living in a certain area. It is measured in people per square kilometer.

Densely Populated

An area that has a lot of people living in it, e.g. London.

Sparsely Populated

An area that doesn't have many people living in it, e.g. The Arctic.

One Child Policy

A policy implemented by China to slow the growth of their population. Families were limited to one child each.

Famine

Widespread hunger.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially int he future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.

Term 6: Water Works

Do we use water in a sustainable way, or squander it? Who owns the world’s rivers? In the UK, we turn on the tap for a constant supply of fresh, safe water, but what is it like for people without this resource? Focusing on the Middle East, this unit examines the demands placed on this limited natural resource, geographical disparities of access and water as a source of possible future conflicts. Students decide of our current rate of consumption is sustainable and how water conflicts might be resolved. The use and abuse of water raises questions of rights and responsibilities, power and poverty, consumption and sustainability, even life and death. Water makes planet earth blue, green and populated.

  1. Oral assessment of discussion based activities using level ladder and ‘human continuum’ plenaries.
Water Cycle

The continuous movement of all forms of water around the Earth.

Evaporation

The process by which liquid water turns into water vapour after being heated by the sun.

Conflict

A disagreement between individuals, groups or countries.

Desalinisation

The removal of salt to produce fresh water.

Drainage Basin

The area of land drained by a river.

Water Scarcity

When demand exceeds supply and there is not enough water in an area.

Water Surplus

When supply exceeds demand and there is more than enough water in an area.

Aquifer

An underground store of water, usually in permeable rock.

Water Balance

An equation used to describe the flow of water into and out of a system.

Hydrosphere

All of the water in, on, or above the Earth's surface.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Knowledge of the world around them and the issues that they face now and potentially int he future.

Create a supportive community:

Understanding of how we need to work together for a better future.