GEOGRAPHY 11-13
For a summary of the main areas covered in the National Curriculum for KS3, click here
For a summary of the more challenging Common Entrance requirements for age 11-13, click here.
In the middle years, map-skills become more complex, with the study of ordinance survey maps and how to use them, along with some local fieldwork.
For map work (including field work, orientation and identifying features on different types of maps), the most obvious thing is to learn how to use Ordinance Survey maps. For this we've used two books: Map Skills for Common Entrance is a basic introduction for age 11+, then for more detail you might want to use The Ordinance Survey Map Skills Book. This is much more dated (unfortunately there has not been a more recent edition published as far as I know), but it is much more detailed and if you can overcome the look of the book (very 1980s!) there is much to learn from it.
For physical geography, revisiting at this stage tectonic, meteorological and geomorphological processes, there is a standard textbook: Geography for Common Entrance. However, we were quite disappointed with this. It contains six chapters: in addition to three on physical processes, there are three on human geography (settlement, economics and environment) which are often not particularly interesting for a child of this age. (You could, however, cover these chapters in the following year as per the schedule for human geography 12-13).
One alternative is to move at this point to a text on Earth Science which would cover everything from the water cycle to minerals to erosion to plate tectonics. We have used Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science as recommended by Laura Berquist. This book is American but is available second hand for about £5 including shipping from America. It is thorough in terms of coverage and includes a lot of information, though it is quite simplistic in style: it would not be challenging to a bright 11/12 year old but would fill a gap if nothing better was available (I'm still searching - recommendations welcome!).
For a summary of the main areas covered in the National Curriculum for KS3, click here
For a summary of the more challenging Common Entrance requirements for age 11-13, click here.
In the middle years, map-skills become more complex, with the study of ordinance survey maps and how to use them, along with some local fieldwork.
For map work (including field work, orientation and identifying features on different types of maps), the most obvious thing is to learn how to use Ordinance Survey maps. For this we've used two books: Map Skills for Common Entrance is a basic introduction for age 11+, then for more detail you might want to use The Ordinance Survey Map Skills Book. This is much more dated (unfortunately there has not been a more recent edition published as far as I know), but it is much more detailed and if you can overcome the look of the book (very 1980s!) there is much to learn from it.
For physical geography, revisiting at this stage tectonic, meteorological and geomorphological processes, there is a standard textbook: Geography for Common Entrance. However, we were quite disappointed with this. It contains six chapters: in addition to three on physical processes, there are three on human geography (settlement, economics and environment) which are often not particularly interesting for a child of this age. (You could, however, cover these chapters in the following year as per the schedule for human geography 12-13).
One alternative is to move at this point to a text on Earth Science which would cover everything from the water cycle to minerals to erosion to plate tectonics. We have used Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science as recommended by Laura Berquist. This book is American but is available second hand for about £5 including shipping from America. It is thorough in terms of coverage and includes a lot of information, though it is quite simplistic in style: it would not be challenging to a bright 11/12 year old but would fill a gap if nothing better was available (I'm still searching - recommendations welcome!).