Geography

Why Study Geography?

The world in which we live is likely to change more in the next 50 years than it has ever done before. Our role in that change is more important than ever. Geography explains the changes and helps to prepare people. It is a subject about now and in the future. It is a subject with links to many other subject areas including sciences, languages (understanding the characteristics of countries), other humanities & ICT.

Geographers are amongst the most employable people. Geographers are trained to be good decision makers who look at all aspects of a situation. Geography fosters skills that are an asset in any job situation and are highly sort after by employers. Some jobs make direct use of geographical knowledge such as those in tourism, town planning, environmental management and teaching. Geography is also useful for law, journalism, medicine and working in the media. With Geography you can go places!

 

Aims & Objectives:

• Acquire knowledge and understanding of a range of places, environments, patterns and processes.
• Develop an awareness of some of the current environmental and human issues facing the world.
• Understand the environmental, social and economic consequences of human activity in a range of environments.
• Develop an understanding of global citizenship and the ways in which places and environments are interdependent.
• Be able to tackle geographical issues and consider various opinions on such issues developing the ability reach informed conclusions and viewpoints
• Appreciate that the study of geography is dynamic because not only do places, geographical features, patterns and issues change but the ideas and methods to explain or understand these change too and lead to new interpretations.
• Acquire and apply further geographical skills, techniques and vocabulary including fieldwork.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of ways including the use of ICT.

Pupils Study:

Unit 1 - The Core
A. The Physical World

• Water - River processes and landforms and Managing rivers
• Climate Change - Causes and effects and Reducing its impact
• Living in an Active Zone - Hazards at plate margins and Reducing the risk

B. A Global World

• Changing Populations - World population distribution and Future changes in distribution and structure
• Interdependence - Trends in globalisation and Impacts of globalisation
• Development - Measuring patterns of development and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

Unit 2 - Options
Choose 3 themes - one physical, one human and one other

A. Physical Options

• Our Changing Coast line - Coastal processes and landforms, Managing coasts and Future coastlines
• Weather and Climate - Climate patterns in the UK, Weather hazards and Reducing the risks
• Living Things - The living planet, Management and Alternative futures

B. Human Options

• Tourism - The changing nature of tourism, The impact of tourism and Sustainable growth of tourism
• Retail and Urban Change - The changing city centre, Changing patterns of retailing and Alternative futures
• Economic Change and Wales - Current patterns of work and employment, Future employment and Future for energy in Wales

 

Pupils Learn:

• Social, Environmental and Spatial Awareness
• Analytical and Problem Solving Skills
• Numeracy, Literacy and Computer Skills
• Self Management and Team Work
• Good Communication Skills
• Independent thinking on a range of issues

 

Assessment:

The written examination counts for 75% of the final GCSE and the remaining 25% is made up from coursework. There are two levels of entry:
Foundation Tier (Grades C-G) or Higher Tier (Grades A*- D)
Candidates enter for a single tier and take both Units 1 and 2 for that tier.

There are three assessments:
Unit 1: Core Geography (40%) Written Paper: 1 hr 45 mins (F/H); 90 marks (80 UMS)

Unit 2: Options Geography (35%) Written Paper: 1 hr 15 mins (F/H); 60 marks (70 UMS)

Unit 3: Geographical Enquiry: (25%) Controlled Assessment: 100 marks (50 UMS)
An enquiry based on fieldwork (10%) and a problem solving decision-making exercise (15%)

Candidates must complete two separate tasks:

• A fieldwork enquiry worth 10%. This is a narrowly focused task based on fieldwork and supportive secondary data and presented as a short report with illustrative data.
• A problem-solving/decision-making research exercise worth 15%. This task will be based on classroom teaching and individual research which may include fieldwork. It requires candidates to explore a relevant question from one of the core or optional themes and use the data to communicate ideas and make and justify decisions. The candidate may choose the mode of presentation. For example, it could be a newspaper article, a PowerPoint presentation, a Photo Story, essay or oral presentation.

AVAILABILITY OF ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
The new course will allow for assessment in year 10 and year 11:
Unit One will be assessed in June 2010; June 2011; and each year thereafter.
Unit Two and Unit Three will be assessed in June 2011; and each year thereafter.
The first award will be made in 2011. There are no January assessments

 

Trips & Excursions:

Fieldwork is an integral part of the GCSE course and the type of fieldwork undertaken depends on the number of students who opt for the subject. If a sufficient number choose Geography then pupils have in previous years attended a very successful residential field course in Bala, North Wales. When there are smaller
numbers of pupils, then fieldwork is conducted over two days in the local area. If a sufficient number opt for Geography then there is the possibility of residential fieldwork overseas. The department has taken AS level students to a residential field study centre in France for a number of years and this has proved to
be very successful. The centre also caters for GCSE students.