After the summer holidays when the pupils return we hope that they will remember what they have learned but we briefly review the work to ensure that we have knowledge and understanding to build on. Having looked at the beginning of settlements and farming in year 7 we look at this topic from a world perspective discussing why some places would be sparsely and others densely populated. It is always interesting to note that so often they think that Eskimos live in Antarctica and that deserts are pleasant places to live!
Having looked at South East England and the cross Channel links we study in depth the capital, London and some of the main tourist attractions.
The problem of finding homes for people throughout the World and ways of solving this problem is examined with case studies on he New Towns of Peterborough in England, The Netherlands in Europe and the discovery of valuable natural resources and the subsequent building of towns along the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia.
The problems of Urbanisation in the MEDCs and LEDCs is discussed using Guernsey and the Urban Area Plan as a local example and Bombay in India
as a country in the LEDC. The problems are similar but basic needs cannot be catered for in the LEDC where there is very little help given by the government for the needy and so they have to rely on their own resources. One solution to over population in LEDC cities is to migrate to an MEDC, rather like the story of Dick Whittington who came to London to find wealth and happiness. As in all true fairy stories there is a happy ending, but in the case of the migrants from Mexico to the USA the story is not quite so successful. There are those who make a success from their move but there is also the problem of exploitation by the local employers who can pay low wages to these unskilled immigrants.
We make an in depth study of an LEDC, Brazil, and see how foreign investment has turned this country from an LEDC into an NIC and the subsequent benefits and problems which result from the change. Again our responsibility to environmental problems is addressed with particular reference to the exploitation of the Amazon Rain Forest and the Global effect of various plans to exploit the natural resources of the forest.
In the summer term we return to Physical geography looking at Weathering and Erosion with particular reference to Guernsey and how Coastal Erosion has shaped our Island. It is nature that shapes our environment here in Guernsey but we also affect these changes and technology can slow down, or speed up certain activities.
This leads onto looking at World Ecosystems and in particular the Savannah Ecosystem in Africa. We look at the work of Comic Relief and how the natives advise charitable organisations of schemes which would be of most benefit to the locals.
Exploitation of the natural environment is also prevalent here but they are forced to do so to survive. Tourism is a major development in Kenya but is it all for the good?