GRADE 9 / YEAR 10 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COURSE SYLLABUS 2020-2021
Course Outline
Overview
The Humanities Department Syllabi at GEMS Wesgreen International Secondary School strive to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes so as to develop an informed and critical understanding of social, environmental, historical and political issues so as to reinforce and stimulate curiosity and imagination about local and wider environments. The Curriculum provides a strong foundation to enable students to foster an understanding of, and concern for, the interdependence of all humans, all living things and the earth on which they live. To foster in students a sense of responsibility for the long-term care of the environment and a commitment to promote the sustainable use of the earth’s resources through his/her personal life-style and participation in collective environmental decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
The aims of all subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.
The aims below describe the educational purposes of a course in Environmental Management for the Cambridge IGCSE examination.
The aims are to enable candidates to acquire:
- knowledge of natural systems which make life possible on Earth
- an understanding that humans are part of these systems and depend on them
- an appreciation of the diverse influences of human activity on natural systems
- an awareness of the need to manage natural systems
- an understanding of sustainable development to meet the needs of the present, without compromising
- the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- a sense of responsibility and concern for the welfare of the environment and all organisms
- an awareness of their own values concerning environmental issues
- an awareness of the values of others
- a willingness to review their own attitudes in the light of new knowledge and experiences
- a sound basis for further study, personal development and participation in local and global environmental concerns.
Pupils should be taught to:
Locational knowledge
- extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries using maps of the world to focus on Africa, Russia, Asia (including China and India), and the Middle East, focusing on their environmental regions, including polar and hot deserts, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities
Place Knowledge
- understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography of a region within Africa, and of a region within Asia
Human and physical geography
- understand, through the use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety of scales ,the key processes in:
- physical geography relating to: geological timescales and plate tectonics; rocks, weathering and soils; weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present; and glaciation, hydrology and coasts
- human geography relating to: population and urbanization; international development; economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors; and the use of natural resources
- understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems
Geographical skills and fieldwork
- build on their knowledge of globes, maps and atlases and apply and develop this knowledge routinely in the classroom and in the field
- interpret Ordnance Survey maps in the classroom and the field, including using grid references and scale, topographical and other thematic mapping, and aerial and satellite photographs
- use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to view, analyse and interpret places and data
- use fieldwork in contrasting locations to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from geographical data, using multiple sources of increasingly complex information.
Unit Overviews
Term 1
Unit 1 – Rocks and minerals
Approximate length: 3 weeks
This unit provides information about the structure of the Earth and the natural processes that operate on it. Knowledge of the Earth's natural resources is useful to a full understanding of content in later units; for example, elements of knowledge of soils is useful to the agricultural parts of Unit 3, and managing the land sections in Unit 4. Case studies, practical tasks and investigations are included where appropriate. Case studies can be particularly useful for the teaching of several aspects of the syllabus through a specific environmental management example.
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Physical geography relating to: geological timescales and plate tectonics; rocks, weathering and soils; weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present; and glaciation, hydrology and coasts.
Unit 2 – Energy and the Environment
Approximate length: 3 weeks
In this unit, students will examine information of the Earth's natural energy resources is useful to a full understanding of content on fossil fuel formation ,energy resources and the generation of electricity, energy demand and the sustainable use of energy resources.
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Understanding human geography relating to: population and urbanisation; international development; economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors; and the use of natural resources.
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Term 2
Unit 3 – Agriculture and the Environment
Approximate length: 3 weeks
In this unit student will examine information of the elements of soils is useful to the agricultural, and managing the land. Case studies, practical tasks and investigations are included where soil analysis. Topics will include Soil composition, Soils for plant growth, types of agriculture, Increasing agricultural yields and the sustainable use of the land.
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Understanding human geography relating to: population and urbanisation; international development; economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors; and the use of natural resources.
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Unit 4 – Water and its management
Approximate length: 4 weeks
In this unit students will examine information about the water cycle and the management of water resources which link with the atmosphere unit. A similar link exists between water cycle and ecosystems, before the latter becomes a more specialised study in the biosphere section. Topics that will be examined include
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Physical geography relating to: weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present; and glaciation, hydrology and coasts.
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Term 3
Unit 5 – Ocean and fisheries
Approximate length: 2 weeks
In this unit students will examine information about the ocean currents and world fisheries, which link with the later atmosphere - water cycle and marine ecosystems. Case studies on the ocean and the fishing industry will be examined. Topics to be examined in the ocean as a resource, exploitation of oceanic resources and the sustainable use of the marine ecosystem.
Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:
- Physical geography relating to: weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present; and glaciation, hydrology and coasts.
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical and environmental context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Assessment
Formative: Throughout the units, the students will complete graded work, quizzes/tests and investigation activities which allows the teacher to assess the students’ attainment and inform their planning.
Summative: Throughout the school year, students will complete exam papers which allows the teacher to assess and evaluate their learning.
Remote / Blended Learning and Assessment Pathways:
Small groups, (up to 15 students) will meet F2F. Where there are more than (15) Blended Learning will take place. According to the timetabling of classes also, there will be RL sessions where specified. All subject Units can be taught using any of these pathways. Students will collaborate and engage more with each other on set tasks in the break out rooms and collaboration spaces online. Lessons will be taught live as opposed to asynchronously. If a teacher is ill to point of being unable to deliver a lesson online, this lesson will be done asynchronously. During live lessons students will be requested to demonstrate a skill or understanding in short audio/ video recordings of themselves analysing, evaluating, explaining, showing (restricted time period). They will create Sway and other MS document presentations as instructed. Discussions will ensue among students and their peers and they will engage, respond and feedback using the chat feature. Students will be asked to watch video clip(s) and read a print/ broadcast/ another medium link and do a review, summary, explanation, give their opinion regarding the topic. They will be asked to design storyboards using a MS document for presentation. Rubrics will be attached as additional guide to support students’ progress and attainment. These are only a few of the techniques and methods that will be engaged during lessons.
Assessments:
Option 1: We will have a designated assessment week. All classes scheduled to complete online assessments that day will remain at home. On this day they can complete maximum 2 assessments for the day (grades 6 –8), 3 assessments for (grades 9 and above).
Option 2: During blended learning sessions the students who are at school will bring their laptop/device and complete the assessment online while the others who are at home (RL) will complete it on their device at home. Each assessment lesson will request an additional supervisor/invigilator to monitor those in the class while the teacher monitors the screen. Students in the class can even have their desk/back facing the teacher to create an extra precaution/ awareness to students that the teacher along with the supporting invigilator is also supervising. If a student forgets their device their device teachers will have the printed copies to distribute. This option will also take place during a designated assessment week.
Option 3: We will continue to conduct continuous assessment as was done during RL/Term 3, AY 2019-2020.
