YEAR 9

In Term 1, the topic of Climate in the context of a tropical ecosystem is studied. In class, we look at how weather and climate data is measured and presented graphically. We examine what factors affect climate and how air pressure affects weather conditions on a seasonal basis followed by an exploration of the different mechanisms of rainfall formation in our atmosphere.

In Term 2, our students discover the subtle and remarkable ways that both vegetation and wildlife have adapted to climatic conditions in tropical rainforests, as well how indigenous populations live in harmony with their surroundings. In contrast, our students learn how human ‘progress’ has increased the fragility of these ecosystems and ultimately the balance of nature.

Term 3 is largely devoted to the building up of essential geographical skills in preparation for IGCSE. Map-reading skills are re-visited and reinforced, as well learning how to interpret more subtle graphs.