What does the course cover? The programme of study and National Curriculum links

  Course introduction

Read the Course Guide and video call with your tutor

Content:

• The main rocks groups, how they are formed and the rock cycle.
• Physical and chemical weathering and the end product, soil.
• The UK’s varied rock types and the resulting variety in landscapes.

 Topics:

• 1.1 Our rocky home
• 1.2 What are the three rock groups?
• 1.3 What is weathering?
• 1.4 What is the rock cycle?
• 1.5 The British Isles on their travels!
• 1.6 Rock and relief around the UK.
• 1.7 What’s the link between rock and landscape
• 1.8 How are you linked to soil?

• Understand, through place-based exemplars, at a variety of scales, the key processes in:
  • Physical geography relating to rocks, weathering and soils, geological time scales.
  • Human geography relating to the use of natural resources.
• Interpret Ordnance Survey maps.

Pages 5 to 22

ASSIGNMENT ONE

Module Two: Using Earth’s Resources

Content:

• Natural resources and how we make use of them.
• Renewable and non-renewable resources.
• Issues with resource inequality and use as population grows and demand increases.
• Sustainable solutions to resource issues.

 Topics:

• 2.1 Earth’s natural resources
• 2.2 Water Part 1 - Do we have enough?
• 2.3 Water Part 2 - Emptying the Ogallala
• 2.4 Water Part 3 - Tackling water stress
• 2.5 Food Part 1 - Feeding the UK
• 2.6 Food Part 2 - Food insecurity, a global issue
• 2.7 Food Part 3 - Tackling food insecurity
• 2.8 Energy Part 1 - Goodbye to the fossil fuels?
• 2.9 Energy Part 2 - Renewables in the UK
• 2.10 Energy Part 3 - Is solar power the solution?
• 2.11 Why must we change our ways?
• 2.12 Plastic pollution

• Understand, through place-based exemplars, at a variety of scales:
  • Human geography relating to the use of natural resources.
  • How human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.

Pages 23 to 46

ASSIGNMENT TWO

Content:

• The four main employment sectors, changes in sectors over time and the reasons for this.
• Globalisation and its benefits and drawbacks.
• The impacts of COVID-19 on employment around the world.

Topics:

• 3.1 What kind of work do we do in the UK?
• 3.2 The UK’s changing pattern of employment
• 3.3 Example: change in and around Doncaster
• 3.4 Why do employment patterns change?
• 3.5 A closer look at globalisation and the UK
• 3.6 Is your mobile linked to globalisation?
• 3.7 Employment and the shock of Covid-19
• 3.8 So what kind of work will you do? 

• Understand, through place-based exemplars, at a variety of scales:
  • Human geography relating to economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors.
  • Human geography relating to the use of natural resources.

Pages 47 to 64

ASSIGNMENT THREE

Content:

• Development as a process of change that affects people’s lives.
• The gap in development between richer and poorer countries, and the key reasons for it.
• The impacts of globalisation on development.
• Ways that we can put an end to extreme poverty.

Topics:

• 4.1 An unequal world
• 4.2 So what is development?
• 4.3 How is development measured?
• 4.4 How is Malawi doing?
• 4.5 How did the development gap grow? - Part 1
• 4.6 How did the development gap grow? - Part 2
• 4.7 Globalisation, development and TNCs
• 4.8 Covid-19 and vaccine inequality
• 4.9 Escaping from poverty
• 4.10 Can we put an end to poverty? 

• Understand, through place-based exemplars, at a variety of scales:
  • Human geography relating to international development.
• Develop competence in using geographical knowledge, approaches and concepts…in analysing and interpreting different data sources.

Pages 65 to 86

ASSIGNMENT FOUR

Content:

• The layers of the earth and tectonic plates.
• The main types of plate movement and the hazards they bring - volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunami.
• The damage caused by volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunami.
• The reasons why people still live in danger zones.

 Topics:

• 5.1 What’s Earth like inside?
• 5.2 A cracked earth?
• 5.3 A closer look at plate movements
• 5.4 What is an earthquake?
• 5.5 An earthquake in Southwest China
• 5.6 Tsunami!
• 5.7 What is a volcano?
• 5.8 he most dangerous volcano in the world?
• 5.9 So why live in a danger zone?

• Understand, through place-based exemplars, at a variety of scales, the key processes in:
  • Physical geography relating to plate tectonics.
• Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world’s countries.

Pages 87 to 106

ASSIGNMENT FIVE

Content:

• Russia as the world’s biggest country by area.
• Russia’s history and physical and human geography.
• The impact of climate change on Russia.

Topics:

• 6.1 Meet Russia
• 6.2 What are Russia’s main physical features?
• 6.3 Russia’s climate zones and biomes
• 6.4 What about the Russian people?
• 6.5 A tour of European Russia
• 6.6 Climate change in Yakutia
• 6.7 What is Russia doing in the Arctic Ocean?

• Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world’s countries, using maps of the world to focus on Russia, its environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities.

Pages 107 to 122

ASSIGNMENT SIX

Content:

• The 16 countries and the State of Palestine that make up the Middle East.
• The Middle East’s history and physical and human geography.
• The human and physical challenges facing the Middle East, including water stress and conflict.

Topics:

• 7.1 Introducing the Middle East
• 7.2 The Middle East: physical geography
• 7.3 The Middle East: climate zones and biomes
• 7.4 The people and economies
• 7.5 Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula
• 7.6 Conflict in the Middle East 

• Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world’s countries, using maps of the world to focus on…the Middle East, its environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities.

Pages 123 to 136

ASSIGNMENT SEVEN