Geography

Geography is a stimulating and dynamic subject which leads us directly to the key questions of today and tomorrow - the wise management of the environment, resources, conservation and development - on scales that range from local to global.

Ours is a fragile world and we are its custodians. If it is to have a future it will be in the hands of the pupils in our school today. It is vital that they develop a keen concern for its wellbeing, an awareness of how decisions are made, and a willingness to make a personal difference.

At a time when events and changes in one part of the world can rapidly effect people and environments elsewhere it is essential that we understand these global interconnections. Geography is the only subject that has as a main focus the relationship between people and their environment.

Key Stage 3

In years 7 to 9 Geography is taught in mixed ability form groups and our Key Stage 3 curriculum is broadly based on the National Curriculum. We build on the skills learnt in primary school and work towards securing a solid foundation for GCSE Geography.

Key Stage 4

Why study GCSE Geography?

The skills studied at GCSE include those that employers deem most important - communication, numeracy, computer literacy, decision making and problem solving. No wonder employers want Geographers.

Course Outline

We are following AQA Specification A. There are two examinations, which include questions on the following topics: Map skills, Tectonics, Coasts, Ecosystems, Settlement, Agriculture, Resources and Tourism

There is a fieldwork investigation that represents 25% of the final mark.

Sixth Form

Why study IB Geography?

The course challenges students to question our use of resources and to predict the consequences of our actions. As IB students you will develop a global perspective and a better understanding of world interdependence. The course should raise concern over the quality of our environment and of the need to plan and manage for the present and the future generations. IB Geography is an important subject in our modern world of globalization and pressures upon cultures and resources. The ability to view issues from a wider perspective is appropriate for working in many different career paths.

If you enjoy hard work, like to challenging yourself academically and have a keen sense of global awareness then geography will appeal to you. It is an ideal subject to take if you want to keep your career path wide open, as it is both a physical and a social science. As recent Year 13 pupils explain: Geography helped me develop the analytical skills I need in my degree course - Emma; Geography combined well with my other AS choices and gave me a good balance - Rebecca; I found GCSE geography very interesting and thought the sixth form course would give me a greater depth of understanding. - Anna.

What does the subject cover?

Paper 1

Studied by Higher and Standard Level students

Pupils answer two questions from three questions on the Core topics of Population, Resources and Development.

The examination is1_ hours and contributes to 25% of the final grade for Higher Level students and 40% for Standard Level students.

Paper 2

Higher Level students answer four questions and Standard Level two.

On this exam students have a choice of either a structured question or essay question.

The examination is 2_ hours and contributes 50% of the final grade for Higher Level students and 40% for Standard Level students.

Internal Assessment

In Geography this is based upon a piece of fieldwork.

Higher Level IB Geography students have a word limit of 2,500 words.

Standard Level IB Geography students have a word limit of 1,500 words.

This contributes 25% of the final grade for Higher Level students and 20% for Standard Level students.

It is important to note that Higher Level Geography is the same level of difficulty as Standard Level. The difference is that Higher Level students study an additional TWO themes.

A Level Geography

Geography is a stimulating and dynamic subject which leads us directly to the key questions of today and tomorrow - the wise management of the environment, resources, conservation and development - on scales that range from local to global. Ours is a fragile world and we are its custodians. If it is to have a future it will be in the hands of the pupils in our school today. It is vital that they develop a keen concern for its wellbeing, an awareness of how decisions are made, and a willingness to make a personal difference. At a time when events and changes in one part of the world can rapidly effect people and environments elsewhere it is essential that we understand these global interconnections. Geography is the only subject that has as a main focus the relationship between people and their environment.

Description of syllabus

At A-level we follow the AQA specification - Geography 2031. You DO NOT have to have studied geography at GCSE, although it does help. More important is that you are committed to hard work, and enjoy a variety of types of work from writing essays, to producing graphs and analysing data. More details can be found at the website below:

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/geography_materials.php?id=10&prev=10

Course content and assessment

AS Unit 1 - GEOG1 - Physical and Human Geography

70% of AS, 35% of A Level - a 2 hour written examination in June of year 12

Structured short and extended questions

AS Unit 2 - GEOG2 Geographical Skills

30% of AS, 15% of A Level - a 1 hour written examination in June of year 12

Structured skills and generic fieldwork questions

A2 Unit 3 - GEOG3 Contemporary Geographical Issues

30% of A Level - a 2 hour 30 minutes written examination in June of year 13

Structured short and extended questions, plus an essay

A2 Unit 4 - GEO4B Geographical Issue Evaluation

20% of A Level - a 1 hour 30 minutes written examination in June of year 13

GEO4B - structured questions based on an Advance Information

Other opportunities

The geography department organises field trips to promote social and environmental understanding. It is likely that, pupils will visit Liverpool, Manchester, the Lake District, the Peak District and Northern Ireland.

Where could the subject lead?

It is an ideal subject to take if you want to keep your career path wide open, as it is both a physical and a social science. As a dynamic subject geography combines well with many other subjects. Our three most typical combinations would be geography + maths and a science, geography + economics and maths, geography + history and English.

Extra Curricular Activities

The Geography department at Liverpool College has a strong tradition of organising field trips to promote social and environmental understanding. In recent years we have visited Northern Ireland, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and Blackpool within the UK. Geography students have also had the opportunity to visit Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia in the past two years on trips run jointly with the Spanish department.

N W Griffith

Head of Geography

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