Sweden Grundskola Geography Curriculum

This curriculum outlines the aims and core content for Geography in the Swedish Grundskola.

Aim:

Geography education aims to develop students' knowledge of geographical conditions, spatial awareness, and a geographical frame of reference. Students will compare different places, regions, and living conditions, and understand the contexts where geographical knowledge is relevant. They will learn about human activities and natural processes impacting the Earth's surface and assess the consequences of geographical changes. Students will develop skills in using different temporal and spatial perspectives, understanding the interaction between people, society, and nature, and its consequences. Map skills, including recognizing important names, locations, and size relationships, will be developed to enable students to orient themselves and draw conclusions about natural and cultural landscapes and living conditions. Students will conduct geographical analyses and present results using geographical concepts. They will also learn about conflicts of interest over natural resources and how to contribute to a more sustainable living environment.

Core Content (Years 7-9):

• Living Environments: Earth's climatic and vegetation zones and how climate impacts living conditions. Climate change, its explanations and consequences for people, society, and the environment globally. Production and consumption locations of goods and services, transportation of goods, how people earn a living, and changes in trading patterns over time. Global population distribution, causes and consequences of unequal distribution, migration, urbanization, and their causes and consequences.
• Geography: Methods, Concepts, and Working Methods: Names and locations of major countries, bodies of water, islands, mountains, deserts, regions, and places in different continents. Map construction using graticules, colors, symbols, and scales; topographical and thematic maps. Methods for collecting, processing, assessing, and presenting geographical data (climate, health, trade) using maps, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and internet geographical tools (satellite images). Field studies of natural and cultural landscapes, such as community planning. Key terminology and concepts for geographical discussions and writing.
• Environment, People, and Sustainability Issues: Vulnerable areas, natural hazards (flooding, drought, earthquakes), and their consequences. Identifying vulnerable places and risk reduction strategies for individuals, groups, and society. Conflicts of interest over natural resources (water, land). Renewable energy sources (solar, wind, alternative fuels). Global incidence and causes of poverty and ill health. Relationships between poverty, ill health, population density, climate, and natural resources.

Knowledge Requirements (Year 9):

• Grade E: Basic knowledge of human-environment interaction, applying simple reasoning about causes and consequences related to population distribution, migration, climate, vegetation, and climate change. Basic use of geographical concepts. Describing simple geographical patterns of trade and communication, and applying simple reasoning about their nature, changes over time, and causes and consequences. Simple reasoning about climate change, its explanations, and consequences. Basic use of maps and geographical sources, theories, methods, and techniques, and applying simple reasoning about their credibility and relevance. Basic knowledge of continental names and locations, and size relationships between geographical objects. Simple proposals for solutions to ecological, economic, and social sustainability issues, considering consequences for people, society, and nature.
• Grade D: Meets the requirements for Grade E and mostly meets the requirements for Grade C.
• Grade C: Good knowledge of human-environment interaction, applying developed reasoning about causes and consequences related to population distribution, migration, climate, vegetation, and climate change. Relatively strong use of geographical concepts. Describing relatively complex geographical patterns of trade and communication, applying developed reasoning about their nature, changes over time, and causes and consequences. Developed reasoning about climate change, its explanations, and consequences. Relatively strong use of maps and geographical sources, theories, methods, and techniques, applying developed reasoning about their credibility and relevance. Good knowledge of continental names and locations, and size relationships between geographical objects. Developed proposals for solutions to ecological, economic, and social sustainability issues, considering consequences for people, society, and nature.
• Grade B: Meets the requirements for Grade C and mostly meets the requirements for Grade A.
• Grade A: Very good knowledge of human-environment interaction, applying well-developed reasoning about causes and consequences related to population distribution, migration, climate, vegetation, and climate change. Strong use of geographical concepts. Describing complex geographical patterns of trade and communication, applying well-developed reasoning about their nature, changes over time, and causes and consequences. Well-developed reasoning about climate change, its explanations, and consequences. Strong use of maps and geographical sources, theories, methods, and techniques, applying well-developed reasoning about their credibility and relevance. Very good knowledge of continental names and locations, and size relationships between geographical objects. Well-developed proposals for solutions to ecological, economic, and social sustainability issues, considering consequences for people, society, and nature.