Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
1st Year Exploring Our World: Junior Cycle Geography
A foundational exploration of physical and human geography focusing on the processes that shape our planet and the ways humans interact with their environment. Students develop spatial awareness and analytical skills through the study of Irish and global landscapes.
01The Restless Earth
An investigation into the internal forces of the Earth, focusing on plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
Students will identify and describe the main features of the Earth's surface, distinguishing between land and water.
Students will identify and describe common landforms like mountains, hills, and valleys, understanding how they look.
Students will identify and describe rivers and lakes, understanding their importance and where they are found.
Students will identify and describe coastal features like beaches and cliffs, understanding how the sea shapes them.
Students will learn basic facts about volcanoes and earthquakes as natural events that can change the Earth's surface.
Students will investigate the causes, types, and effects of volcanic eruptions.
Students will explore the causes of earthquakes, how they are measured, and their destructive power.
Students will learn about the formation of tsunamis and their devastating effects on coastal areas.
Students will explore and describe different types of rocks based on their appearance and simple properties.
Students will investigate what soil is made of and its importance for plants, animals, and people.
02Shaping the Landscape
Exploring the surface processes of weathering and erosion that sculpt the physical environment.
Students will explore simple ways rocks break into smaller pieces, like from water, ice, and plants.
Students will learn that erosion is when wind and water move soil and rocks from one place to another.
Students will investigate the causes and types of downslope movement of rock and soil under gravity.
Students will trace the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.
Students will examine how rivers erode their channels and transport sediment.
Students will explore how rivers flow and change the land, making valleys and carrying things.
Students will follow a river's journey from its source to the sea, identifying features like bends and wide areas.
Students will investigate the processes by which waves shape coastlines.
Students will learn how the sea shapes our coastlines, creating cliffs and rocky shores.
Students will explore how the sea creates beaches and sand dunes by moving sand and pebbles.
03Weather, Climate, and Life
Understanding the atmosphere, global climate patterns, and the diversity of the world's biomes.
Students will explore that air is all around us, what it's made of in simple terms, and why it's important.
Students will learn about temperature, precipitation, wind, and atmospheric pressure as key elements of weather.
Students will investigate wind as moving air, how it feels, and its effects on the environment.
Students will explore how meteorologists predict weather and the basics of climate change.
Students will explore simple reasons why weather changes, like the sun's warmth and clouds.
Students will identify and describe places on Earth that are very hot or very cold, and why.
Students will specifically investigate the factors influencing Ireland's temperate oceanic climate.
Students will define ecosystems and understand the importance of biodiversity.
Students will learn about the types of animals and plants that live in jungles and how they adapt to their environment.
Students will investigate how animals and plants survive in very dry desert environments.
Students will compare the animals and plants found in local forests and open fields.
04Population and Settlement
Analyzing how and why people are distributed across the globe and the growth of urban areas.
Students will explore why people live in different places, like towns, cities, or the countryside.
Students will understand that communities can grow or shrink, and what that means for the people living there.
Students will explore the idea of different generations within families and communities (children, parents, grandparents).
Students will understand that people sometimes move from one home to another, either nearby or far away.
Students will explore simple reasons why people might choose to move to a new place (e.g., new job, family, safety).
Students will discuss how new people moving into a community can bring new ideas and make it more diverse.
Students will explore different types of rural settlements and the factors influencing their location.
Students will investigate the causes and consequences of the growth of towns and cities.
05Economic Activities and Resources
Exploring how humans use the Earth's resources through primary, secondary, and tertiary activities.
Students will identify different types of jobs people do in their local community and how they help each other.
Students will explore how food is grown on farms and how it gets to our tables.
Students will explore the economic activities of fishing and forestry and their sustainability challenges.
Students will examine different sources of energy, both fossil fuels and renewable options.
06Geographical Skills and Mapping
Developing the practical tools required to interpret maps, aerial photographs, and digital spatial data.
Students will learn to interpret different map scales and common Ordnance Survey map symbols.
Students will learn to use simple directions (left, right, north, south) and basic grid squares to find places on a map.
Students will understand how maps show hills and flat areas using simple colours or shading.
Students will look at simple aerial photographs to identify familiar features like roads, houses, and fields from a bird's-eye view.