Geography

A Level

This course will encourage you to look at the world in a whole new way. We will inspire you to consider new viewpoints, explore the physical landscape around you and appreciate the complexities of the human environment.

Course Overview

You are encouraged to understand the changing nature of geography in the twenty first century as we study up-to-date examples of hazardous events and globalisation. You will study earth hazards at both a local and global scale, developing an understanding that such hazards are dynamic, that they change over time and space. You will also study globalisation and how it affects individuals and at a broader regional, national and global scale. You will question why the world’s wealth remains so unequally distributed and you will begin to evaluate and analyse why this is still the case today.

You will develop the skills required to complete individual pieces of coursework and will be able to complete this work using ICT and using geographical tools such as GIS to enhance this work. You will develop the skills to interpret and evaluate your findings and link these to the geographical theories and models which you have studied in other topics.

Unit Guide

Unit 1 – Dynamic Landscapes

• Tectonic Processes and Hazards
• Coastal Landscapes and Change
• The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
• The Carbon Cycle and Carbon Insecurity

Assessment for this unit is by examination and worth 30% of the overall A level

Unit 2 – Dynamic Places

• Globalisation
• Regenerating places
• Superpowers
• Migration, Identity and Sovereignty

Assessment for this unit is by examination and worth 30% of the overall A level

Unit 3 Physical Systems and Sustainability

The specification contains three synoptic themes within the compulsory contents area:

• Players
• Attitudes and Actions
• Futures and Uncertainties

Assessment for this unit is by examination and worth 20% of the overall A level

Coursework: Independent Investigation

You will

• Define a question or issue to investigate
• Carry out the fieldwork either individually or collectively
• Write a report of 3000-4000 words evidencing independent analysis, evaluation of data, presentation of data findings and extended writing

Special Features

You will be taught in a small group, generally around six students, and you will be encouraged to develop personal responses to the case studies explored in class. The learning methods adopted on this course are varied and include group discussions, working in pairs, independent study, analysing video and responding to stimulus material.

We will take you out of the college environment to consider geography through fieldwork and also to appreciate, first hand, some of the topics we discuss in the classroom. We do this through visiting new and exciting exhibitions locally in Cambridge and in London as well as completing fieldwork studies at a range of locations.

Progression

Geography will open endless doors for you as it is such a varied subject which will help enable you to study almost any subject at degree level. Geography is also highly regarded by top UK universities as it is considered one of the ‘facilitating’ group of A Levels for university admission. Geography students go onto follow a wide variety of career paths from law to Antarctic exploration to medicine and marketing.

Last year, A Level Geography students progressed onto a wide range of degree programmes including –

Exam Board

Edexcel