Why choose Geography?
Geography allows the opportunity to develop communication, graphical, mapping, technological, interpersonal, problem solving, and entrepreneurial skills.
Geography provides you with a clear overview of the world in the first part of the 21st Century.
Geography intends to interest you by giving you an insight into future challenges through the study of current issues of local, national and global importance, and their future management.
Geography gives you an appreciation of the significance of values and attitudes to the development and resolution of these issues. This gives you useful preparation for understanding the world in which you are going to live and work.
Geography aims to raise your awareness of your responsibilities to other people, to the environment and to the sustainability of the planet.
“Geography is one of the most relevant subjects on the school curriculum as it affects many current issues relating to our daily lives.”
What will I be studying?
This new curriculum is stimulating, imaginative and flexible.
The course is divided up into 4 units to allow for some units to be taken in January and June of both year 11 and 12. This means that you do not have a big examination at the end of Year 12.
Unit 1: Managing places in the 21st Century – The Urban Environment
(Assessment – written paper 1 hour – 25%)
The world is increasingly urban – it is estimated that by 2020 over 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. This rapid urbanisation creates challenges for urban planners.
Unit 2: The Hostile World – Living with Natural Hazards (Assessment – written paper 1 hour – 25%)
Many people now live in hostile areas around the world. Areas close to plate boundaries and areas that suffer from tropical storms or wildfi res can pose dangers for the people who live there. The causes and effects of these hazards need to understand in order to prepare for and respond to them.
Unit 3: Investigating the Shrinking World – Investigating Global Tourism (Assessment – written paper 1 hour – 25%)
Tourism is a rapidly growing industry. Increased opportunities to travel mean that many people have become global consumers of tourism. This growth impacts on people and places and requires careful management in order to ensure that it is sustainable. The global nature of the modern tourism industry has led to changes in the development gap.
This unit focuses on geographical investigation. Candidates will be given the opportunity to investigate a range of places and to consider how global trends and developments in tourism impact specific localities and groups of people.
Unit 4: Local Investigation including Fieldwork and Geographical Issue Investigation (Assessment – controlled assessment – 25%)
This is the controlled assessment part of the course. Task 1 will involve carrying out a local investigation including fieldwork. (Word guidance 1200) Task 2 involves a geographical issue investigation into either ‘Energy in the 21st Century’ or ‘Water – a Precious Resource’. (Word guidance 800)
There are two tiers of assessment: Higher (grades A* – D possible) and Foundation (grades C – G possible).
If you are good at Geography or enjoy the subject you should seriously consider taking it as one of your GCSE option choices. After all you have already been studying it for a number of years. You know what it is about!
