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Year 8 - Geography

GIS: Visualising and analysing the growth of cities

Cities: What are they like to live in?

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about how cities have grown and developed over time. Life in contrasting cities is explored through focussing on Manila and London.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use GIS to visualise and analyse the growth of cities around the world.

Key Notes

  • GIS can be used to visualise cities around the world.
  • India and China now have a large number of megacities.
  • Cities with a lower HDI often have faster growth rates than cities with a higher HDI.
  • GIS can be used to analyse the growth of different cities around the world.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • megacity: a city with a population over 10 million
  • Human Development Index (HDI): a composite measure of development that gives a score between 0 and 1, based on indicators of health, education, and income
  • basemap: a background map or satellite image you can choose in GIS that lets you add other layers of information on top

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Cities are growing at the same rate everywhere around the world.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

GIS can be used to visualise cities around the world. India and China now have a large number of megacities.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'megacity'

a city with a population over 10 million.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Cities are growing at the same rate everywhere around the world. Correction: Cities are growing at different rates around the world. Often, cities in countries with a lower HDI are growing more rapidly than cities in countries with a higher HDI.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 Geography guide library.