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Topic title: The Challenge of Natural Hazards

Year group: 11

When taught: September to March

What are we learning?

  • Natural hazards pose major risks to people and property.
  • Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are the result of physical processes.
  • The effects of, and responses to, a tectonic hazard vary between areas of contrasting levels of wealth.
  • Management can reduce the effects of a tectonic hazard.
  • Global atmospheric circulation helps to determine patterns of weather and climate.
  • Tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons) develop as a result of particular physical conditions.
  • Tropical storms have significant effects on people and the environment.
  • The UK is affected by a number of weather hazards.
  • Extreme weather events in the UK have impacts on human activity.
  • Climate change is the result of natural and human factors, and has a range of effects.
  • Managing climate change involves both mitigation (reducing causes) and adaptation (responding to change).

Why is this important to know? 

  • An understanding of the dynamic nature of Earth’s physical processes and systems is needed to be able to explain the resultant landforms and features in different environments.
  • Humans interact with Earth’s physical processes in a variety of places and at a range of scales.
  • Considers the direct and indirect effects of human interaction with the Earth and the atmosphere. This includes students’ own interaction i.e. their own carbon footprint, extreme weather events in the UK.
  • There is a need for management strategies governed by sustainability. Students have a role in these.

Where does this link into our past and future learning? 

  • This topic links and deepens prior learning from Year 8 on Climate Change and Year 9 on Tectonic Hazards.
  • The learning from this unit closely links with other KS4 units particularly The Living World and Resource Management.
  • Analysis of management strategies and sustainability is considered in all the GCSE units.
  • All the KS5 units require an understanding of this topic, particularly the Hazards unit in Year 12.

How will we be assessed on this topic?

  • Assessment and feedback through the use of GCSE questions will be given throughout the unit. A summative grade for the unit will be through completion of Paper 1 in their mock exam.

What makes a strong piece of work in this topic?  What are teachers hoping to see?  

  • Correct use and spelling of key terms.
  • Use of GASMan (General, Specific, Anomaly) to describe distributions and trends on graphs and maps.
  • Detailed explanations of the processes at each type of plate boundary i.e. constructive, destructive and conservative.
  • Detailed named examples supported with specific facts.
  • Detailed evaluation of management strategies, explaining the costs and benefits of a range of strategies.

What key words are there in this topic?

Quizlet. Click here

What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?

  • Regularly re-read and review your work. Use the specification to help make revision notes for each section.
  • Complete past exam questions on this unit. These can be found here.  
  • Watch or read the news – climate change and natural hazards are very topical and frequently in the news.
  • Research how climate change may affect the UK.
  • Research what the main outcomes/agreements from the last COP conference were.

What wider reading can be done on this topic?

Fragile Earth by Claire Llewellyn. Click here

Earth-shaking facts about Earthquakes: with Max Axiom, super scientist by Katherine Krohn. Click here

Violent Earth. Click here

Climate Change by Mark A Maslin. Click here

Supporting document/links:

Found on Satchel – My Drive – GCSE – Geography

  • The Challenge of Natural Hazards knowledge organiser
  • Key Terms sheet