Tectonics: Knowledge Specifications
According the Geography curriculum, KS3 students should 'understand, though use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the key processes in physical geography relating to...plate tectonics; rocks'.
Students will need to learn about the following for KS3:
Students will need to learn about the following for KS3:
- Earth's structure, e.g. the inner and outer core, the mantle, the crust, and the characteristics of each.
- The two types of the Earth's crust: oceanic or continental.
- Convection currents and plate movement.
- Mapping and naming the main tectonic plates.
- The three types of plate boundary: constructive(divergent), destructive(convergent) and passive(transform) with examples.
- The landscape features created at each type of plate boundary.
- The characteristics of hot spots.
- Earthquakes definition and how they happen.
- How to measure Earthquake on the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale.
- Consider Earthquakes social, environmental and economic impacts with a case study e.g. Haiti 2010.
- Consider the responses made to Earthquakes with a case study.
- Tsunamis definition and formation including wave height and wave length.
- Consider a tsunamis social, economic and environmental impacts as well as responses to disasters. Use a case study e.g. Indonesia 2004.
- Volcanoes definition and status e.g. active, dormant, or extinct.
- The main features/characteristics of volcano landforms and eruptions such as the crater, vent, ash clouds and lava flows.
- The different types of volcanoes; at least composite and shield volcanoes should be focused on at minimum.
- Consider volcanoes primary and secondary social, economic, and environmental impacts with one case study e.g. Eyjafjallajokull 2010.
For KS4 students will also need a detailed understanding of the following:
- Hot spots definition and causes with examples.
- An understanding that the Earth's crust is unstable, supported detailed knowledge of plate boundaries and their margins.
- Locations of fold mountains, ocean trenches, composite volcanoes and shield volcanoes, including how they are formed.
- Detailed knowledge of a range of land uses for fold mountains such as: farming, hydroelectric power, mining and tourism.
- A case study about a super-volcano, its characteristics and the likely impacts of a future eruption e.g. Yellowstone.
- The features of earthquakes, particularly shock waves and how to measure them.
- Comparing earthquakes in an MEDC and an LEDC in terms of short-term, long-term, primary and secondary impacts.
- How to prepare for earthquakes and potential prediction strategies. MEDC= more economically developed country, LEDC= less economically developed country.
MEDC= More economically developed country, LEDC= Less economically developed country
Please click on the following link to find a detailed specification for GCSE 'The Restless Earth' based on AQA paper A: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-9030-W-SP-14.PDF
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