Geography

Course summary

Why choose this course? This course is aimed at students who are interested in finding out about the modern world and the changes and challenges that face us in an uncertain future. Students will need to be interested in both the physical environment as well as the political and economic changes that affect people living near and in distant lands. You will need to know how and why the world around us is changing and want to understand what we as global citizens can do to manage the challenges ahead. What will I learn? Year 12 You will begin with an in-depth look at the dynamic processes taking place in coastal environments alongside a study of urban areas and the way that changes in cities impact on people around the world. This will be followed by the study of a range of natural hazards that afflict people around the world. There will also be two fieldwork days. The fieldwork is a vital part of the course, equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to conduct independent investigations that account for 20% of their final grade. These independent investigations will begin in the summer term of Year 12. Year 13 You will start with the unit Changing Places. This unit looks at how people respond to and are affected by changes taking place in their localities and is a chance for students to use a lot of their own lived experiences in their studies. During physical geography lessons, students develop an understanding of carbon and water cycles operating at a global scale. You will also examine the processes operating in the global economic and governance system. During the autumn and spring of Year 13, some lesson time will be allocated to the independent investigation that was begun in the summer term. This investigation will be on a topic that personally interests students and is related to the units we study.