Dundonald High School

Geography is the subject of the 21st century…It is an interesting and exciting subject in which students not only learn about the world in which they live, but how they are connected to countries around the world, and how each one of us has a shared responsibility for our local and global environment. It enables them to make sense of an ever-changing world.

Topics studied at Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3 a wide range of topics are taught to meet the requirements of the revised curriculum:

Year 8

• Personal Geography - What's Geography got to do with me?
• Map skills - Where do I live in the world?
• Settlement – How has Belfast developed and change over time?
• Weather - What is our weather like? What is the weather like in other places? What causes wild weather?
• Criminology – Why are some areas more prone to criminal activity?
• Shopping – What's happening to our High Street?

Year 9

• Rivers - How do rivers shape the land?
• Population - Imagine still having to work when you are 70 years old? Will we have enough people in employment to help look after us?
• Migration - Imagine being forced to flee your home.. what would your new life be like?
• Economic Activities – Do you know what jobs are the jobs of the 21st century?

Year 10

• Tourism - According to the travel publisher 'Lonely Planet', Belfast was a "must see" destination in 2007. Is international travel a good thing?
• Development - Are the rich people going to keep on getting richer and the poor people keep on getting poorer?
• Global warming - If sea level rise will parts of UK become flood and separate to form islands?
• Natural Disasters – Why do natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes happen? Why do we not have earthquakes or volcanoes in NI?
• Ecosystems – What are rainforests? How do plants and animals adapt to the hot wet climate of the tropics?

GCSE:

Why study Geography at GCSE?
The study of geography in Dundonald High School is not only a relevant and up to date course but it builds on the knowledge and skills developed at Key Stage 3. It also continues to develop the key skills necessary in today's employment to make our students the most employable candidates out there.

Topics studied in Year 11: The Dynamic Landscape (flooding and coastal erosion), Our Changing Weather and Climate (global warming) and The Restless Earth (earthquakes) Topics studied in Year 12: The People and where they live (ageing population and its associated problems), Contrasts in World Development (how the poor live) and Managing Our Resources (Sustainable environments).

Key Skills:

In class there is a great emphasis on group work, thinking skills and decision making and the use of ICT which makes geography students the ideal employee as:

Geographers can:

Handle data
Ask questions and find answers
Make decisions about an issue
Organise themselves
Think creatively and independently

The transferable skills which geography fosters (literacy, numeracy and communication skills) are an asset in the world of employment today. Geography is about the future and encourages flexible thinking, as well as providing a firm base for life long learning. It links well with other GCSEs such as Science, Maths and History.

Examinations:

There are two written examination papers. One at the end of Year 11 and the other at the end of Year 12. Both are worth 37.5% of the final GCSE grade.
There is one piece of coursework worth 25%. This is a controlled assessment based on data collected during fieldwork.

Field trips:

Field trips are a fun and exciting way to get to grips with geography and to learn about our world. Through field work students become more confident in their learning as well as developing the important key skills for future employment!! Such as: problem solving, communication and working with others.

Year 8:

In Year 8 pupils go on a guided tour of their home capital, to learn more about the history and development of Belfast.

Year 9:

In Year 9 pupils 'don their wellies' and visit a local river to carry out a River Study looking at river width, depth, velocity and bed load. They also pay a visit to the Tayto Castle to learn about the workings of a factory and to taste the delightful products.

Year 10:

In Year 10 students engage in a woodland study uncovering vegetation and mini-beasts found in their home environment. They also pay a visit to the North Coast to enjoy some of the Island's best tourist attractions.