Year 9 Geography

Unit Content

Unit 1

Russia

In this unit, students develop their understanding of how physical landscapes vary, using the world’s largest country to support their learning. They implement their understanding of world biomes and develop skills in geographic information systems (GIS) to create a road trip across Russia. Later in the unit, students learn about geopolitics, exploring Russia’s global significance, and the alliances and conflicts that have been created.

Knowledge developed:

  • Understanding variation in physical landscapes
  • Knowing that access to natural resources can support countries in gaining superpower status
  • Understanding how Russia’s economy and climate change are linked
  • Understanding reasons for national and global conflicts

Skills developed:

  • How to use GIS to understand differences in landscapes
  • How to evaluate a strategy used to manage natural resources

Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively in lessons, through the use of students’ class notebooks alongside quizzes and discussions. Students will self-assess their 'Russian road trip' work, using established success criteria. Learning is summatively assessed at the beginning of Term 6, in a written paper.

Unit 2

Africa 

In this unit, students will address their own misconceptions about Africa. They will learn about the physical geography of the continent, looking closely at the Sahara Desert and the impact of desertification on fertile landscapes.  

Later in the unit students will consider the impacts of a lack of wealth, looking at conflict, mass migration and life in Refugee camps; this learning will take place alongside the graphic novel When Stars are Scattered. In contrast, students will look at areas with a rapidly growing economy and the increasing use of digitalisation in Africa. Students will consider how a digital transformation is driving development across the continent.  

Key knowledge developed:

  • Knowledge of countries in Africa  
  • Knowledge of the biomes in Africa 
  • Knowledge of animals and their adaptations to living in the Sahara Desert 
  • Understanding of how desertification takes place 
  • Understanding of methods to reduce desertification 
  • Understanding of why mass-migration happens, and the impacts it can have 
  • Understanding of how technology and innovation is improving economies and lives in Africa 

Key skills developed:

  • Ability to locate places on maps using longitude and latitude 
  • Ability to improve writing skills 

Assessment:

Unit 3

South America

In this unit, students study the use and misuse of two major biomes in South America. They explore the impacts that fast fashion has on the Atacama Desert, and its links with deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. Students consider the underlying causes of these changes and learn about the social, economic and environmental issues that are created as a result. Finally, the unit focuses on urbanisation in Rio de Janeiro, and the impacts of a rapidly growing population.

Key knowledge developed:

  • Understanding the implications of consumerism in the context of a growing population
  • Understanding the global and local importance of rainforests
  • Understanding the causes and impacts of deforestation
  • Understanding a variety of perspectives on deforestation
  • Knowing about different management strategies to protect the rainforests
  • Knowing global population trends
  • Understanding the impacts of a growing population, with specific case study detail
  • Understanding how the social, economic and environmental factors of favelas are managed in Rio de Janeiro

Key skills developed:

  • How to make informed and justified decisions
  • How to calculate the amount of carbon stored in trees
  • How to present data on scatter graphs

Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively each lesson in class. Summative assessment takes place at the start of Term 6, in a written assessment that includes a range of short and long questions, using a variety of command words.