Year 9 Homework: Can Geography make a difference to our world? 1

Homework will be set in a 5/6 week cycle. Over the next 16 school weeks, choose any 3 homework activities from the grid below.

When you do your research you must use a least two sources of information.

2014-15

Name:

……………………………….

Teacher:

……………………………

1. A future sustainable family home

Whether its because we want to do something to reduce our impact on climate change and the environment or simply to reduce our bills, we are all becoming more conscious of the way we live. Research ways of making a family home more sustainable. Design and produce a

plan

of a future home.

Annotate

it with detailed labels to show how it is sustainable. Consider things like: building materials, aspect, water, energy consumption, waste, work, travel and anything else you think is important.

4. Plan a showcase residential area

Britain’s population is growing and we need to build more homes. As a cutting edge urban planner, research current thinking about how best to plan residential areas in our cities. Design and produce an

annotated plan or model

of a residential area that is fit for 2013. Your plan should take account of mobility, road safety, amenities, reducing crime, creating social cohesion, affordability, sustainability and any other issues that you think are important.

2. Bidding for the 2026 World Cup

The Football Association’s bid to hold the 2018 Football World Cup in England lost out to Russia. However, London won the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, the Rugby World Cup will be held here in 2015 and the Cricket World Cup in 2019. Write a report or a PowerPoint presentation outlining England’s bid for the 2026 World Cup. You need to look at things like present facilities, transport networks, cultural aspects, historical aspects of football. The legacy that it would leave.

5. Is a wall the best way to a peaceful solution to a divided land?

In a small crowded part of the Middle East the Israelis and the Palestinians claim the same territory. The two nations have been in conflict for the last 60 years. The Israelis have been building an 8m concrete wall to surround and contain the Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Research the Israel-Palestine conflict to help you understand the different political positions and life on both sides of the wall. Decide if a wall is the best way to create peace or if there is a better option. You can present your task as an

annotated map or a piece of writing

.

3. Blackout Britain?

Last winter, Britain experienced power blackouts. As energy demand rises blackouts will become more common. As North Sea gas and oil runs out, Britain is becoming dependent on imported energy from unreliable parts of the world like the Middle East and Russia. Produce a detailed

storyboard

for a 5 minute item on the main BBC news and a

script

. Outline the issues facing Britain’s energy supplies, examine alternatives and make recommendations about what Britain should do to ensure future energy supplies. You should consider both demand (use of) and supply of energy.

6

Should Britain be providing develoment aid to India?

Over the last 5 years India’s yearly growth of GDP has averaged over 8% after China, India is the world’s second fastest growing economy. Its economy is now 50% larger than the UK’s and it has more billionaires and millionaires. Over the same period the UK has provided India with £1.5 billion in aid and has promised to continue to do so. However, the UK Government’s austerity plans mean large cuts in spending and public services in this country. Should this be rethought? Write a

speech

for an MP to deliver in Parliament, outlining the background to

both sides

of the issue before concluding what you think the Government should do in future.

7. Shaping the landscape

You are a newly qualified teacher in your first year at Cottenham Village College. You have to teach a lesson to a Year 9 geography class on the

processes

involved in shaping the landscape and the landscape features they produce. You should research these processes and present your work as a

lesson plan accompanied by the resources

you intend to use in the classroom. Choose

one

from the following landscape shaping agents -

ice, rivers

or the

sea

to be the topic for your lesson.

8. An enquiry of your own…

You could decide to really challenge yourself. Research any topic or issue that interests you. (It must be geography though!) Come up with a research question and some aims showing what you want to do. Check this with your teacher before you start. Your teacher will agree or help you change your ideas as needed. How you present your work is up to you. Away you go!

Year 9 Geography Enquiry Homework 2014-15

Homework is not the most appealing aspect of school, but it helps you to progress, teaches independent study skills and has to be done. This is a new Humanities idea to make homework a more creative and enjoyable experience.

You get to decide what you do and when you do it.

Over the next 16 school weeks you must complete 3 tasks for geography homework from the options below. It’s your choice - try to think about which tasks you will enjoy doing, what you are good at and what resources you have access to. If you need the Internet but don’t have it at home you can use the computers in H7 at lunchtime or after school. Your teacher will get you to write the 3 hand in dates in your planner when you are given this sheet.

Make sure you use at least two sources of information when researching your chosen task.

You have to show independence, deciding how to undertake the necessary research and complete each task. However, you can ask your teacher for guidance if you get stuck. You can discuss tasks with friends (that’s

discuss

not

copy from

them) but you must produce your own work to hand in to your teacher.

You can organise your homework in a way that suits you, just meet the deadline. You can do it in 20 minute bursts or two-hour sessions - a good guide would be to spend about 45 minutes each week or

at least

3 and a half hours overall on each task, but you can spend more if you really get into it (again, your choice).

You should also attach a reflection sheet

to each task where you write comments to explain how and why you have gone about completing your work.

Good luck – Hope you enjoy it.

To be successful you should: (some of these things are more relevant to some tasks than to others

– so pick a balance of tasks)

Choose a variety of issues

and types of task: e.g. to do with environmental, economic, social and/or political issues… e.g. to do with local, national and/or international issues… e.g. that use practical, ICT-based and written methods to present your tasks…

Think of questions

when you begin your task. These questions help structure and guide your research.

Ask further questions

as your research progresses.

Be prepared to

explain

reasons for

your choice of focus/question(s)

e.g. explaining your choice of tasks and particular questions you decided to consider: e.g. “I decided to research this question because…” “I decided to look at this issue because…” “I wanted to study this because…”

Present

your findings

appropriately

and

creatively

in an

organised

way.

Select relevant

sources and types of information.

Group evidence collected during your research

into appropriate categories and/or themes.

Explain

reasons for taking

a particular route

and/or

your ways of presenting

your findings, etc.

Be flexible

and be prepared to

change direction

or approach the task from a

different angle

if it helps you in the research process and the completion of the task.

Analyse and explain

what you have found out, to make sense and meaning out of it , rather than just describing something or listing facts.

Draw conclusions

about the questions you asked.

Comment on the success of

dealing with potholes,

e.g. “I was looking into…however, I felt that a better Q was…” “Originally, I wanted to…However, in the end I…because…” “When researching, I had problems with…so I…” “When I found out…this made me think that…However, later I discovered…so then I thought…”