Geography

Qualification - A Level

Exam Board - Edexcel

WHY CHOOSE GEOGRAPHY?

Geography is a highly topical subject, ever changing as world events unfold. Universities are extremely interested in Humanities subjects because of the skills that are learnt during the course. An A Level in Geography can lead to exciting job opportunities and develop skills in communication and thinking.

 

COURSE INFORMATION

Your Geography course will cover both the physical and human environments and the complex interaction of processes that shape our world. It will also, importantly, show the applied side of the subject - how human intervention affects the environment and how people adapt and mitigate the effects of processes on their environment. This is complex and dynamic and varies from place to place depending on people’s resources, technology and culture. There is plenty of room for discussion and extended research, which will help you become an independent thinker and learner. By the time you get to your exams, you will be able to show your understanding of a range of opinions and be able to illustrate your answers with case studies from local, national and international examples. You also will get out of the classroom undertaking both human and physical fieldwork putting theory into reality.

 

HOW WILL YOU BE ASSESSED?

‘PHYSICAL’ PAPER 1 - DYNAMIC LANDSCAPES 2 hour 15 minute written exam TOPICS: Tectonic Process and Hazards, Coastal Landscapes and Change, The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity, The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security.

CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL GRADE: 30%

‘HUMAN’ PAPER 2 - DYNAMIC PLACES 2 hour 15 minute written exam TOPICS: Globalisation (acceleration, impacts and challenges on people and the environment), Regenerating places (how, why and success), Superpowers, Migration, Identity and Sovereignty.

CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL GRADE: 30%

PAPER 3 - SYNOPTIC THEME

2 hour 15 minute written exam. Students apply themes to an undecided geography topic. THEMES: • Players – who are the stakeholders involved • Attitudes and uncertainties – people differing viewpoints and how this influences actions • Futures and uncertainties – how geographical decisions will affect the future.

CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL GRADE: 20%

NON-EXAMINATION ASSESSMENT (NEA) A core element of this section is 4 days of fieldwork and producing a piece of coursework between 3000- 4000 words. TOPICS: Data Collection, Data Interpretation – Analysis and Conclusions, Evaluative Techniques, Secondary Data Research.

CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL GRADE: 20%

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

A minumum of five grades of 4 – 9 at GCSE, including English and Maths.