GCSE Geography Specification A Detailed Scheme of Work Physical Geography Unit 1 The Restless Earth AQA Education (AQA) is a registered charity (number 1073334) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 3644723). Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX.
AQA Specification A Physical Geography Unit 1 The Restless Earth Key Idea The Earth s crust is unstable, especially at plate margins. Specification Content Distribution of plates; contrasts between continental and oceanic plates. Time (hrs) 1 hour Teaching and Learning Activities Starter ideas Possible main activities Ideas for Plenaries 1.Use egg /apple/ cream Easter egg to demonstrate layers of the earth 2. Imagine digging a tunnel inside the earthwhat is it like at 1m, 100m 1km, 1000km etc.? 3. Brainstorm to find out earthquakes and volcanoes that students are aware of-mark on blank maps of the world 1.Students draw labelled x section of the earth to scale 2. Using atlas, complete map of plate boundaries or jigsaw puzzle to piece plates together. Use website to locate plate boundaries www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk 3. Card sorting activity on plates and differences between oceanic and continental crust. Use whiteboard images from http://neic.usgs.gov 4. Study and describe samples of granite and basalt to show types of crust (colour, crystals, hardness, density) 1. On world map mark on major fold mtns, volcanoes and earthquakes. How closely do they correspond with map of plates? 2. Make up a set of answers e.g. It s mainly solid iron and nickel. The class has to guess the questions Skills/ICT opportunities Drawing and labelling maps and diagrams. Use of Internet to find most recent events, view multimedia simulations and to research specific events. Destructive, constructive and conservative plate margins. 1 hour 1. Check understanding of convection. Where have students heard word before? (science, convectional rainfall). Predict how convection currents work in the earth 2. Display photos of boiling rock. What makes it so hot inside the earth? 1. Labelled diagrams and written descriptions of the main types of plate boundary, with named examples. 2. Display animations/videos of different plate boundaries e.g..geography at the Movies, Google Earth. Write short script as a commentator. 3. Draw cross section of destructive margin off west coast of South America- name plates, oceans mtns etc. Explain movement and its effects 1. Make up 10 statements about plate margins, some true, others false. Students hold up true/false cards. 2. Predict how the earth will change over the next 50 million years. Show map at http://www.scotese.com/ future.htm 3. Ask students to discuss the reasons why the UK does not have destructive earthquakes. Interpreting maps, diagrams and photos. Thinking skillsgiving reasons and explanations, predicting future changes 4. Plates are moving apart in places but the world is not getting larger. Why not?
Unique landforms occur at plate margins. Location and formation of fold mountains, ocean trenches, composite volcanoes and shield volcanoes. 2 hrs 1. Using dough / plasticine, demonstrate the formation of fold mtns. Use play dough to represent the land and two tiles for the plates - push the two 'plates' together. 2. Show photos/video clips of volcanoes erupting. Ask students to identify different types of eruption and the reasons for this variation 3. Students work in pairs to show what they know already about volcanoes as spider diagram 1. On a world map add young fold mountains and ocean trenches. Link with types of plate boundary. 2. Draw sequence of 3 labelled diagrams to show the formation of fold mountains. Next lesson 3. Locate 10 examples of volcanic eruptions, displayed on whiteboard, using lat and long coordinates. Describe and explain pattern 4. Show pupils a blank diagram and elicit correct features (e.g. magma chamber, vent, cone, secondary cone etc.) 5. Show two pictures of different shaped volcanoes and ask How are these different? Why? Draw out differences between shield and composite volcano. Or draw sketches of 2 photographs showing characteristics of contrasting volcanoes 1. Compare world maps showing tectonic activity and population density. Explain why so many people live in these areas. 2. Produce blank outlines of volcanoes, ask students to label main features 3 Do world journey story involving the class visiting points of longitude and latitude at plate margins Drawing annotated diagrams, photo sketches and cross sections, completing maps. People use these landforms as a resource and adapt to the conditions within them. A case study of one range of fold mountains. The ways in which they are used farming, Hydro Electric Power, mining, tourism and how people adapt to limited communications, steep relief, poor soils. 2 hrs 1. Show photos of fold mountain landscapes. Ask for initial impressions. Possible human activity? 5Ws questions 2. Acrostic based on ALPINE 3. Show film clip with skiing shots e.g. Bridget Jones, edge of reason. Students write down as many things as possible- leads into how humans use land in the Alps. 6. Pupils to draw a cross section of each- they could do this is pairs and compare. 1. Case Study of The Alps or Andes students brainstorm and mind map physical and human features. 2. Produce a fact file and map for a chosen case study to include location, plates and their movement, size, highest peaks, physical features. 3. In groups, do Powerpoint presentations about various aspects of human activity- farming, tourism, HEP, industry, forestry, mining 4. Research the features of a fold mountain area as a holiday destination- produce maps, labelled photographs, list of attractions, other human activities, land use conflicts 3. Decision Alley exercise Should the farmers or the tourists take priority? You re a hotel owner - should you build an extension You re a tourist - should you visit Switzerland by plane? You re a tourist - should you go on holiday to Switzerland at all? 2. Fold mountain mystery: Why did Alfred/Amy find fossilised sea creatures Decision making, creating presentations using Powerpoint, using writing frames, video interpretation, use of Google Earth and other websites to interpret landscapes 4.Using Google Earth,
study the Swiss Alps, focusing on the valleys and peaks, then discuss the difficulties of this environment, and what activities could take place high up in the Alps? See http://soarvalleygeograp hy.wordpress.com/2007/ 09/13/y10-foldmountain-homework/
Key idea Volcanoes are hazards resulting from tectonic activity. Their primary and secondary effects are positive as well as negative. Responses change in the aftermath of an eruption. Specification content Characteristics of different types of volcanoes. A case study of a volcanic eruption its cause; primary and secondary effects; positive and negative impacts; immediate and long term responses. Monitoring and predicting volcanic eruptions. Time (hrs) Teaching and Learning Activities Starter ideas Main activities Ideas for Plenaries 1. Students investigate a recent volcanic 1. Write a 20 second eruption, in groups - consider the nature of the news bulletin of an eruption (explosive/gentle), and its products, e.g. eruption and its lava, ash, pyroclastics. Explain why it happened. aftermath Distinguish also between local effects, e.g. ash falls, lava flows, and global effects, e.g. climate, and short- and longer-term effects. Possible storyboard. Alternatively, produce a front page newspaper report detailing the eruption of Mt St Helens. 4 hrs 1. Mind Movie. You are in (Monserrat) but have to leave because the volcano has been erupting. What has happened? How do you feel? 2. Recap different types of volcano and the reasons for different shapes. 3. Locate volcanoes in an atlas. Name the plate margins. Describe the likely activity taking place underground before an eruption. 4. Brainstorm the hazards associated with volcanoes, and the likely effects on the environment and people 2. Carry out a 'virtual' field visit to a volcano such as Stromboli (locate on an atlas map) using an internet website e.g. at www.educeth.ethz.ch/stromboli/. The purpose of the 'visit' is to gather relevant information to produce an A4-size brochure of Stromboli's geographical features for tourists who visit the volcano or a web page for the same purpose. 3. Students investigate one example of a major eruption, draw a timeline of the events and produce a table of the effects. Sort responses into immediate and long term. 4. Use photo images. Where is this? Why live here? List reasons- geothermal energy, tourism, religious, fertile soils, resource, personal etc. 5. Find out examples of volcanoes that are being monitored. What are the signs of activity? Why are relatively few volcanoes monitored? 2. Write key terms (e.g. composite cone, shield volcano, destructive margin) and their meanings on separate sheets of paper. Students hold sheets up-rest of class match them 3. Use the Internet to find out the current level of activity of the Monserrat volcano. 4. Use the volcano world website volcano.und/nodak.edu/ to find out which volcanoes have been active recently. Mark on an outline map of the world 5 Find out how an area of volcanic activity e.g. Mt St Helens has recovered since the eruption, both environmentally and economically Skills Desktop Publishing packages for newspaper front pages Use ICT to find, select and evaluate information and to produce a brochure or web page. A number of software tools could be used to support the production of a brochure, including a word processor, desktop publishing or multimedia package.
Supervolcan oes are on a much bigger scale than other volcanoes and an eruption would have global consequenc es. The characteristics of a supervolcano and likely effects of an eruption. 2 hrs 1. Imagine what a supervolcano would be like? E.g. The explosion will be heard around the world. The sky will darken, black rain will fall, and the Earth will be plunged into the equivalent of a nuclear winter. 2. Ask students to suggest what causes a supervolcano? Magma rises from the mantle to create a boiling reservoir in the Earth's crust. This chamber increases to an enormous size, building up colossal pressure until it finally erupts. 3. Show photo images /maps of Yellowstone to indicate size and scale. 4. Give some statistics about the size of supervolcanoes. Ask students to research some more- e.g. A super-eruption would equal the force of 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs exploding every second. 1. Produce newspaper article to record events and likely impact worldwide and mapping to show extent of susceptible areas e.g. La Palma- impact on east coast north America. 2. Research and map the distribution of known supervolcanoes. How does it compare with volcanoes? 3. Compare and contrast features of supervolcanoes with volcanoes. 4. Investigate the history and current activity of Yellowstone supervolcano. What would be the likely hazards locally, nationally and internationally? (human life, farming, climate, transport, electricity, water etc.) 5. Show excerpts from the BBC Horizon programme Supervolcano (2000)and the factual drama Supervolcano: What if Yellowstone erupted?(2005). List the probable effects, both short and long term. 6. Examples of past major eruptions are Tambora, Vesuvius and Toba. Research their size and impact. 1. Visit the following websites to find out latest information about supervolcanoes: Yellowstone Volcano Observatory - The US Geological Survey has detailed information about the supervolcano. Discovery: Supervolcano Discovery.com describes what is under Yellowstone. 2. Play taboo. Choose key words on volcanoes and supervolcanoes e.g. caldera, vent, fissure, geothermal, geyser, hot spot. Give verbal clues without using any of the taboo words to help team guess the key word. 3. Ask students to speculate about what might happen if a supervolcano were to erupt: e.g. What would be the warning signs? What could be done in vulnerable areas? Reading and interpreting maps, giving reasons and explanations, using photo stimuli as evidence, video interpretation, interrogating websites to obtain information, speculating about and predicting the future You could fit Tokyo, the world's biggest city, in Yellowstone's supervolcanic crater.
Three super-eruptions at Yellowstone appear to have occurred on a 600,000-700,000 year cycle starting 2.1 million years ago. The most recent took place 640,000 years ago suggesting Yellowstone is overdue for an eruption. Earthquakes occur at constructive, destructive and conservative plate margins Location and cause of earthquakes. Features of earthquakes epicentre, focus, shock waves and the measurement of earthquakes using the Richter and Mercalli Scales. 2 hrs 1 Ask students to devise key questions round photocopied images of an earthquake scene. 2. Show newspaper article headline about a recent British earthquake Ask Why doesn t Britain have destructive earthquakes? 3. Stand a chair on a rough surface. Pull it along by a loop of string tied to a leg. (Jerky movement). Link to cause of earthquakes 1. On a blank outline map mark the locations of the major earthquakes over the past 25 years. Describe and explain the pattern produced. 2. Draw x section of earth s crust to show focus, epicentre, shock waves 3.Use these websites to show how an earthquake s intensity is measured: http://www.geography.ndo.co.uk/animationstecton ics1.htm http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/animations/ earthquakes/index.html 3. Watch video of earthquake. Use 5Ws to ask appropriate questions. 4. Using Richter scale cards students produce their own illustrated A3 explanation of the Richter scale. The task could be divided between the class to make a classroom display. Use a range of presentation techniques. 1. Find out which country had an earthquake today. Try an internet search, mark sites on an outline map. 2. Read the first part of a newspaper report describing an earthquake. Ask students to continue the story. Using photo stimuli, drawing and interpreting maps and cross sections, writing factfile and imaginative report. Video interpretation, creating presentations 5. Select 3 different scores on the Mercalli scale. Draw simple diagrams to illustrate the damage.
Key idea The effects of earthquakes and responses to them differ due to contrasts in levels of wealth. Specification content A case study of an earthquake in a rich part of the world and one from a poorer area their specific causes; primary and secondary effects; immediate and long term responses the need to predict, protect and prepare. Contrasts in effects and responses will be clear. Time Teaching and Learning Activities Skills Starter ideas Main Activities Ideas for plenaries 1. Case study of an earthquake in a rich area. E.g. Kobe, Japan 1995. Study the causes, effects (social and economic) and responses. Begin by reading out an eyewitness account and comprehension questions. Use video clip e.g. Newsround, BBC Bitesize 2 hrs 1. Practice a Japanese school earthquake drill. Students under the table. Member of staff stood in the door. Ask why these positions are necessary during an earthquake. Video footage of a drill is also available- Blue Peter 2.Produce earthquake survival kit. Students to give an explanation for each item. 3. Show a photo of an earthquake survivor. What help will be needed straight away? In the future? What kind of help would cost nothing to give? Who could provide the help required? 2. Draw an illustrated code for a school in an earthquake prone area. 3 Produce a fact file summarizing the main points about the Chinese / Kashmir earthquake include location, time, date, magnitude, focus, epicentre, duration, cause, events, primary and secondary effects, responses (immediate and long term). Show news reports of the aftermath of the earthquake. 4 Draw up a comparative table to show the contrasts between earthquakes in rich and poor countries 5 Design a quake resistant building. Try an internet search. Draw sketches and label the main features. 1. Write on board Earthquakes don t kill Ask Is that true? What is real cause of most deaths (collapsing buildings) What can be done to improve buildings? 2. Is it true that hazards kill more people in poorer countries? Why? 3. Is it easier to predict earthquakes or volcanoes? 4 How can people protect themselves if they are outdoors and an earthquake occurs? 5 What factors determine the number of deaths and injuries following an earthquake? Imaginative writing, factfiles, drawing up comparative tables, drawing sketches and scattergraphs. Tsunamis are a specific secondary effect and can have A case study of a tsunami its cause, effects and responses. 2 1. Review what students know about tsunamis. Discuss the causes of a tsunami: undersea earthquakes or landslides, volcanic 6. Draw a scattergraph to show the link between the magnitude of earthquakes and the number of deaths. Explain the result. 1. Initial Stimulus World Map outline, atlas and a map highlighting the areas physically affected by the tsunami. Show where the tsunami began and how far it reached. What countries were affected? Discuss the relevance of the plate boundaries 1. Why was the death toll so large for this tsunami? If a tsunami of the same magnitude hit the UK or United States, would the Map interpretation and drawing, internet research, reviewing
devastating effects in coastal areas. eruptions, or the impact of a large meteorite in the sea. 2. Pose a series of questions- What is a tsunami? How does an earthquake cause a tsunami? What other tectonic phenomena do you think can trigger a tsunami? Tsunamis can move up to 500 miles per hour. What would account for such high speeds? Discuss why a tsunami in open water is barely perceptible but can reach great heights as it approaches land. 3. Show news footage of the aftermath of the disaster. What are some of the challenges that survivors of the earthquake and tsunami faced? (water borne and other diseases for example cholera, lack of safe drinking water, shelter, schools, weather conditions, etc) 4. Show photos of the scene immediately prior to the tsunami. If you were on a beach to the location of the epicentre. 2. Students use Internet research, articles, discussion and models to explore the dynamics of a tsunami. Create posters/presentation with diagrams 3. Review videos, photographs, and personal accounts from a variety of media sources covering the tsunami. Write a brief first-person essay that portrays imagined experience of the tsunami- Or -Students assume the roles of reporters assigned to record the earthquake and its aftermath in South and Southeast Asia. Divide the class into groups 4. Describe the long-term effects and consequences of a tsunami. Consider changes in physical geography, cultures, and national economies. Include local and global perspectives. 5. Write about how a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean might have changed the outcome of this disaster. What are some obstacles to establishing such a system? Explain why a warning system does not exist there now. 6. Students visit Websites on tsunamis to consider their causes, effects and steps countries have taken to try to defend against them. Create a brochure explaining tsunami facts and procedures to survive a tsunami. 7. Students research the Asian Tsunami from the perspective of how it affected the economies of the countries that suffered losses. They create bulletin boards and maps to determine which areas were affected and work in groups to create class reports on the short and long term economic impacts. effects have been as devastating? Why or why not? 2. Are there strategies for surviving an oncoming tsunami if you see it approaching? 3. Try a Maps from Memory activity. Create a rough copy of the map of SE Asia tsunami by each student having a minute to look at the map and then two minutes back with the group to recreate what they remember. Then ask pupils to annotate their map with between 3 and 5 pieces of information about the immediate affects of the tsunami. videos and photographs, imaginative empathetic writing, compiling news reports.
and saw the water being sucked away, what would you do? 8. Using reports on the 2004 tsunami, find out which aid agencies provided aid to victims, the kind of aid provided, where they got money and materials from and the latest situation regarding recovery. Suggested websites Volcano World provides a wealth of material on case studies and research. Includes live data of current eruptions and a case study of the Monserrat eruption. http://volcano.oregonstate.edu and http://volcano.und.nodok.edu The US National Earthquake Information Centre includes masses of information about recent earthquakes. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/neic Landforms resulting from plate movement are illustrated in the following sites www.geology.com and www.extremescience.com Search for information about the Andes and the Inca Trail at www.llamatravel.com/about-peru A BBC site covering supervolcanoes is http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/supervolcano/index.shtml There are many facts and figures about earthquakes at www.earthquakes.bgs.co.uk. This is the British Geological Survey home page. To research details of the Kobe earthquake, go to http://www.seismo.unr.edu BBC Bitesize has a range of assessments, animations and revision tips: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/platetectonics Wikipedia is often a good source of information, including maps, illustrations and case studies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how-volcanoes-work Site sponsored by NASA. Has great images. There are some useful animations of volcanic eruptions and links to the TV series. http://www.pbss.org/unet/savage earth/volcanoes Information about the causes of earthquakes can be found at http://www.howstuffworks.com/earthquake.htm There is comprehensive information about the 2004 tsunami on the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in-depth/world/2004/asiaquake-disaster A case study of the French Alps is found at http://www.virtualmontana.org/virtualmontana/fr-alps/intro.htm GeoResources and GeoInteractive have numerous links to suitable case studies including Pinatubo http:www.georesources.co.uk/pinatubo.htm Geography at the movies includes some excellent short films at http://www.gatm.org.uk/ A series of good case studies are available at http://www.geographypages.co.uk/ These include the 2004 tsunami, the Turkish quake, Gujurat and Pakistan earthquake Other websites include FEMA (with suitable videos, games and case study material), BBC Bitesize, Geographyphotos.com, Juicy geography, Radical geography, Geography in the news, Geobytes, Earth Science for Schools, Geography All the Way, S-Cool revision site, Wycombe High School geography site, Volcanoes of the World, and Mountain maker earth shaker.