Academic
Departments
Geography
Head of Department: Mr P D Barker
Why study Geography at GCSE?
Are you interested in the world around you? Do you want to be able to make informed decisions about where to work, where to live and where to go on holiday? Are you concerned about the environment? Do you want to develop skills, useful long after you have left school? There has never been a better time to study Geography. It leads to a qualification linked to many other subjects, which is highly valued by employers.
What will you study at A-Level?
This course encourages candidates to:
• understand how places and landscapes are formed and how people and environments interact
• understand the processes that produce the diverse features of the physical environment
• discover how different societies, economies and environments are connected
• understand how human and physical environments are managed in a sustainable way
• investigate and think critically about the issues affecting the world and peoples' lives, today and in the future
• learn through fieldwork, use of maps, images and ICT; and, with these, develop the ability to find, present and analyse information
• acquire and apply a wide range of specialist and transferable skills which are important to employers [communication skills (written and oral); teamwork and leadership skills; self--management; powers of analysis; problem posing and solving; literacy; numeracy; computer literacy; spatial awareness].
Examination Board: OCR (Syllabus B)
You will study:
- Theme 1: Rivers and Coasts
- Theme 2: Population and Settlement
- Theme 3: Natural Hazards
- Theme 4: Economic Development
These key themes include some of the most critical and topical issues in the world today.
You will learn how to:
- Interpret maps, satellite images, GIS and graphs
- Use ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
- Collect and interpret data gained through fieldwork
- Solve problems and understand the decisions people make which shape the world we live in e.g. urban planning, coastline protection, hazard prediction.
Geography is an ideal subject for developing these 'transferable' skills: they are not only useful in your study of Geography, but will help you make progress in many of your other subjects too. In this respect Geography combines well with both the sciences and the arts.
Assessment:
Unit B561: |
Examines one of the four key themes, which is set by OCR. Resources on this topic are provided for analysis before the exam. |
1 hour written |
25% |
Unit B562: Geographical |
You conduct two short investigations, based on personal research:
|
Controlled Assessment |
25% |
Unit B563: Key Geographical |
Examines the three key themes not in Unit B561; there is a choice of questions. |
1 hour 30 min written paper |
50% |
Results
Percentages of C - A* and A - A* grades have been high in this very popular OCR Geography course.
You will have the opportunity to achieve the best possible grade by showing your ability in three different ways: decision making; personal investigation; written examination. The course allows you to prepare for the assessments at different times during the two years. The controlled assessments are conducted in Y10 Summer and Y11 Autumn, well before the two final written papers.
Fieldwork
You will be involved in fieldwork as part of your course, where you go out and put your skills and knowledge into practice. This is not only a requirement for the Fieldwork Focus investigation but also it is an integral part of the rest of the teaching programme; it helps to enhance your learning and understanding of each key theme. A small charge is made to cover the cost of transport on field excursions.
Examination Board: OCR
What will you study at A-Level?
This course encourages candidates to:
• understand how places and landscapes are formed and how people and environments interact
• understand the processes that produce the diverse features of the physical environment
• discover how different societies, economies and environments are connected
• understand how human and physical environments are managed in a sustainable way
• investigate and think critically about the issues affecting the world and peoples' lives, today and in the future
• learn through fieldwork, use of maps, images and ICT; and, with these, develop the ability to find, present and analyse information
• acquire and apply a wide range of specialist and transferable skills which are important to employers [communication skills (written and oral); teamwork and leadership skills; self--management; powers of analysis; problem posing and solving; literacy; numeracy; computer literacy; spatial awareness].
For what kind of student is this course suitable?
You should be interested in the world around you and in learning about people, places and environments. The course will encourage you to be interested in local and global issues and in fieldwork outside the classroom.
What could I go on to do at the end of this course?
Geography combines well with a large range of other subjects in the sixth form: sciences, languages and humanities. You can then go to one of many universities or institutions of higher education offering degrees in Geography and related subjects. With an AS or A level in Geography you will have access to the widest possible higher education and career opportunities. Geographers develop the skills to work in almost every field of employment.
Year 12 AS Course
Unit 1: Managing Physical Environments (AS 50%, A 25%)
In this unit you will learn about the physical environment of the earth and how it influences peoples' activity and how people influence the physical environment.
You will study three of the four topics:
- River environments
- Coastal environments
- Cold environments (glacial)
- Hot and semi-arid (desert) environments
You will be assessed by an examination lasting one and a half hours. There will be a choice of questions. An answer booklet will be provided to help you structure your answers.
Unit 2: Managing Change in Human Environments (AS 50%, A 25%)
In this unit you will learn about the management problems which arise from the interaction between people and their physical and human environments. You will study three of the four topics:
- Managing urban change
- Managing rural change
- The energy issue
- The growth of tourism
You will be assessed by an examination lasting one and a half hours. There will be a choice of questions. An answer booklet will be provided to help you structure your answers. Fieldwork investigations are incorporated in both the Physical and the Human Environment AS modules.
Year 13 A2 Course
Unit 3: Global Issues (A 30%)
This unit gives you the opportunity to build on the foundations laid at AS; it develops and extends the concepts in the context of wider global issues. Assessment is by a two and a half hour written paper.
You will study three topics:
at least one from
Section A:
- Environmental Issues
- Earth Hazards
- Climatic hazards
- Ecosystems and environments under threat
and at least one from
Section B:
- Economic Issues
- Population and resources
- Globalisation
- Development and inequalities
Unit 4: Geographical Skills (A 20%)
This unit is designed to develop your ability to use a range of skills and techniques that are important in the process of geographical investigation. The module is examined by a one and a half hour written paper partly based on your own investigation / research. Section A contains structured data--response questions. These are based on stimulus material such as OS maps, photographs, satellite images, diagrams and statistical information and the techniques involved in the geographical research that you will have undertaken. Section B includes two extended writing questions which focus on the skills and techniques used during your geographical research including analysis, interpretation, evaluation and drawing conclusions. Fieldwork investigations at a variety of locations are incorporated in both the Global and the Geographical Skills modules for A2.
