GEOGRAPHY IN S3

Geography is an exciting and dynamic subject, which allows pupils to study the world’s physical and human features and the impact of environmental issues.

In Third Year, St Thomas’ pupils will study ‘People, Place and Environment’ as outlined in the Broad General Education and will develop the knowledge and skills which will enable them to progress to National Qualifications in S4.

Natural Regions– Investigate and describe a natural environment    different to their own, in terms of climate, physical features and living things. The natural regions studied are Tundra and Equatorial Rainforest. Pupils will investigate the impact of human activity in these regions and consider ways in which they can be managed sustainably.

Glaciation- Pupils will research glacial uplands in the UK and will study the processes and landforms that result. Land uses, conflicts and management strategies will be considered in a case study of the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond  National Parks.

  Urban- pupils will learn about the different characteristics of cities in developed and developing countries. Case studies include Edinburgh, Rio de Janiero and Nairobi.

Farming: pupils will evaluate the role of agriculture in food production and learn about the environmental impacts and sustainability of modern farming methods. A comparison of farming in the UK and India will develop pupils understanding on a global scale.

A variety of active learning and teaching strategies will be involved, from teacher led explanation and discussion to individual work; paired work; group work; fieldwork; researching and presenting information; interpretation and analysis of various geographical sources of information; self and peer evaluation of work produced.

Within the course a variety of teaching and learning approaches are used including, cooperative learning, group work, class discussions, individual written work, presentations, debates, model making and role play. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their communication and ICT skills throughout each unit by getting involved in both group led and individual projects.

The S3 Geography course follows the Curriculum for Excellence ‘People, Place and Environment’ at Level 3 and 4.

• observing day-to-day learning within the classroom;
• observation and feedback from learning activities that takes place in other environments, for example, fieldwork;
• coursework, including tests;
• learning conversations; and
• planned periodic holistic assessment.

All pupil assessments are routinely graded and recorded by the teacher and the results are stored centrally, these results are used by staff to track the progress of the individuals and ensure that their needs are being met. Pupils also review their own attainment and are encouraged to identify ways to improve their learning. Staff report formally to parents as per the school calendar.