Margam Discovery Centre. WJEC Fieldwork Options. AS & A Level Geography WJEC FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL

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1 Margam AS & A-Level Discovery Geography Centre WJEC Fieldwork Options FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL is set in 600 acres of deer park, surrounded by a rich diversity of environments, including small catchments and woodland systems. The Centre itself is an example of sustainable building design, and has excellent road and rail links, making Margam an ideal location for any length of course. The surrounding area has an unrivalled range of physical and human environments to investigate, including South Wales Heritage Coastline, Gower Peninsula and Brecon Beacons National Park. Margam Discovery Centre is close to the major urban centres of Cardiff and Swansea, as well as a range of smaller towns and villages. These fieldwork locations, together with South Wales industrial heritage of past and present, make Margam an ideal location to illustrate the interaction between the natural and human landscapes. We offer a number of fieldwork options to match the topics covered within the WJEC AS and A level specifications. These are designed to deepen students understanding of the physical and human topics through exploration and enquiry (assessed in paper 1 and 2). Fieldwork s provide students with the opportunity to develop geographical and fieldwork skills to support them in both papers, and in working on their Individual Investigation. From our options you can build a course that could; Iincorporate a range of qualitative and quantitative geographical skills that students are required to understand, including the use of GIS technologies. Complete the full fieldwork requirements for A level (min. 4 s) and AS level (min. 2 s) consisting of inspiring geographical fieldwork, relating to both the human and physical topics. Develop skills for their NEA Prepare AS level students for fieldwork examination questions in section C of paper 1, with fieldwork opportunities which address the specified fieldwork themes. Deliver a rich practical experience for students through an immersive learning environment of dedicated fieldwork time, carefully facilitated to enable the students to explore the world in which they live, and their values and actions as part of it, through engaging and topical learning. FSC

2 Coastal landscapes The South Wales coast is a diverse landscape; the coastline is dotted with internationally significant natural and historical sites protected for their natural, cultural or scientific importance. The Gower Peninsula AONB, The Heritage Coast, and Kenfig SSSI/ NNR, as well as Special Protected Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) form a stunning backdrop for our fieldwork, punctuated with evidence of centuries of human settlement. Seaside holi destinations, sites of present and bygone industries make our stretch of coastline a fascinating place to do fieldwork. Full Coastal processes and landforms The operation of the Students will visit the beautiful Gower coast, investigating the coast as a system Pwll coastal system, its processes and associated landforms. They will Unit 1: Section A in exam du Bay, Gower assess the impact of coastal processes (with particular reference to Unit 2: changing places Section B Peninsula in exam (fieldwork skills) wave type and longshore drift) on beach shape and dimensions. They will apply sampling techniques to investigate the process of sediment movement along a beach. Field work techniques will include sediment size and shape, field sketches and beach profiles. Patterns of sediment distribution will be analysed using descriptive and statistcal techniques (e.g. spearman s rank/ t test). Please note that there is a 20 minute walk to and from the site over some uneven terrain. If you have any concerns about this then please contact the centre who will be able to advise. Half / Full Dunraven & Southerndown, Glamorgan Heritage Coast Half / Full Newton & Porthcawl Coastal landforms Students will focus on the formation of coastal landforms: They will have the opportunity to observe and measure coastal features along the spectacular Glamorgan Heritage Coastline. Students will be able to see how the coastal processes they have learned show themselves within the landscape. There is opportunity to undertake different fieldwork techniques including beach profiles, cliff stability evaluation, cliff profiles as well as different qualitative techniques. Coastal management Students will undertake fieldwork, investigating the impact of coastal processes on people. They will assess different coastal management strategies using cost-benefit analysis and bi-polar surveys, in order to compare hard and soft engineering structures. Along the stretch of coastline from Newton to Porthcawl, they will investigate how coastal processes modify the beach dimensions and how this relates to coastal management and erosion. Students can also visit Merthyr Mawr SSSI to assess the impacts from all users on the fragile coastal ecosystem. Techniques may include, footpath analysis, litter survey, Hudson s equation and bi-polar analysis Landforms and landscape systems, their distinctive features and distribution Factors affecting coastal processes and landforms Processes of coastal weathering, mass movement, erosion and the characteristics and formation of associated landforms Variations in coastal processes, coastal landforms and landscapes over different time scales Coastal processes are a vital context for human activity The impact of human activity on coastal landscape systems FSC

3 Glaciated landscapes In South Wales, successive glacial advance and retreat over the past 1.8 million years has molded a stunning glaciated landscape with a wealth of erosional and depositional glacial features, making it a fantastic location to study glacial landforms. Full Lowland Glaciation Students will be able to study the post glacial landscape of the Gower peninsular in order to determine the extent of the last glacial Gower maximum in the area. Students will visit a glacial erratic as well as peninsular undertaking till analysis to establish the method of deposition. All this will be linked to the larger landscape systems in the surrounding (Transport area Processes of glacial weathering, erosion and the characteristics and formation of associated landforms and landscapes Processes of glacial and fluvioglacial transport and deposition and the characteristics and formation of associated landforms and landscapes Suites of landforms within glacial landscapes Variations in glacial processes, glacial landforms and landscapes over different time scales Global systems - The carbon cycle strives to be a low-carbon exemplar, having a variety of sustainable features, including a biomass heating system, rainwater capture and solar power. Studying carbon stores and fluxes in the landscape around the centre contextualises this in the wider world picture, allowing students to investigate carbon stores and consider the ways it is moved through the landscape. Half The Carbon cycle Students will be able to take measurements of different areas of Margam woodland to quantify the carbon held within them. Using this data Park the students will then be able to use secondary data to extrapolate up to model the carbon held within the park. not The concepts of system and mass balance The global carbon cycle Carbon stores in different biomes Global systems - The water cycle Positioned between sea and hills, Margam is within reach of a diverse range of catchments at a variety of scales. Past economic activity, current forestry and flood management practices have changed the way our rivers respond to the high rainfall in the area. This makes Margam an ideal location to study the hydrological cycle. Half / The Water cycle Full A local catchment will be investigated to model patterns of water movement within the system through a series of experiments conducted at various locations within Margam Park. Fieldwork Margam techniques may include storm simulations to investigate land use, Park Catchment hydrology the drainage basin as a System Temporal variations in river discharge FSC

4 measures of discharge and infiltration rates. Links will be drawn with seasonal variation and patterns at different scales. Aspects of; The concepts of system and mass balance Precipitation and excess runoff within the water cycle Ecosystems Our diverse range of ecosystems offers students the opportunity to examine, in detail, how factors such as climate, geology and human activities interact to shape the landscape around us. Half / Full Crymlyn Burrows SSSI Half / Full Margam Park not Succession in a sand dune ecosystem Students will consider the process of succession in a psammosere. Concepts of succession, from pioneers to climax community, will be investigated by sampling through the dunes. Students will survey vegetation, considering the adaptations of flora and fauna to the changing conditions. Soil samples and abiotic factors will also be measured. The management of this important SSSI and how this has influenced characteristics of the ecosystem, may be considered. Ecosystems woodland Students will investigate the characteristics of a climatic climax community. Through collecting quantitative data, they will be able to consider the nature of ecosystems, their structure and the flow of energy (including trophic levels and food webs). They will consider this as a system and makes links between climate, soil, vegetation and topography, as well as human influence. As a half option the nature of ecosystems, their structure and the flow of energy (including trophic levels and food webs) may be investigated in a freshwater ecosystem Ecosystems at a local Scale Aspects of; Biodiversity under threat; Aeolian, fluvial and biotic processes and the characteristics and formation of landforms in coastal environments The structure and functioning of ecosystems Aspects of; Conserving biodiversity FSC

5 Changing places Incorporating the two contrasting cities of Swansea and Cardiff, this is an area with diverse economic history and a strong cultural heritage. South Wales continues to change and evolve, and offers a fascinating location in which to explore the nature of place. Full /Half Swansea OR Porthcawl Full Swansea Full Afan Valley Changing places Students will have the opportunity to develop their near or fart location case study in order to contrast it with their near or face place. Students will undertake some research and fieldwork to assess the lived experience of the chosen location. Students will collect both qualitative and quantitative data while designing a comprehensive methodology. Urban rebranding (regenerating places) Since the collapse of industry in the Lower Swansea Valley the city has been faced with many challenges environmentally, socially and economically. Students will be assessing how regeneration projects have sought to address these challenges through top down and bottom up initiatives. Students will consider what a well regenerated area would look like and assess against this criteria. Rural rebranding (regenerating places) Since the closure of the Collieries of the 1960s, the Upper Afan Valley has suffered years of decline. However, through the efforts of local community groups, the council and the Welsh Assembly, there have been a number of initiatives to tackle this and to prompt regeneration. In order to assess both the needs of the community and evaluate the strategies used, students will use a range of qualitive and quantative techniques. These may include stakeholder interviews, service provision and environmental quality surveys and analysis of text and pictoral representations, as well as using secondary sources such as census data and the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation Changing place; changing places relationships and connections Changing place; changing places meaning and representation The rebranding process and players in urban places Urban management and the challenges of continuity and change The rebranding process and players in rural places Rural management and the challenges of continuity and change Full / Half Swansea (Transport Changing places - Urban inequality Using the WIMD as a starting point students will study patterns of deprivation within Swansea. They will use the indicators from the WIMD to collect data on a range of measures to further understand the causes and consequences of inequality within the urban environment. There will also be opportunity for the students to investigate the strategies used to help combat this inequality within different areas of Swansea Economic change and social inequalities in deindustrialised urban places FSC

6 The Course options listed in this booklet can be selected to put together a programme designed to meet the requirements of your specification. However, if you need something that is not catered for in the field work investigations we can discuss possible alternatives. Contact us: If you would like to discuss course options in more detail or have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact our team at enquiries.mp@fieldstudies-council.org, or by phone What is included in the fee? Up to 10 hours of expert tuition a, with fully trained staff Full board accommodation. Catering includes cooked breakfast, packed lunch, homemade cakes and evening meal Use of facilities including workrooms, recreational space, ICT and centre grounds Established health and safety procedures and 24 hour emergency cover Access to specialist equipment and resources Support before and following the course Quality tuition The tutor delivering the course plays a vital role in ensuring successful learning outcomes are achieved. This is why we have taken care to develop a team of highly trained and CRB checked field tutors, working full time, throughout the year. Not only are they talented tutors, with an expert knowledge of their subject and field work locations, but a real passion for the subject being taught. External Recognition of Quality has been awarded the Quality Badge by The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. The badge is awarded to organisations that have demonstrated that they consistently deliver high quality teaching and learning experiences and manage risk effectively. This means that you will have to complete less paperwork when visiting our centre. Protecting Fieldwork Opportunities Growing pressures on outdoor learning has led the FSC to take on an important role; championing the rights and opportunities for people of all ages to experience the environment at first hand. The FSC has led in campaigns to reverse the continuing decline in fieldwork within secondary schools and to build opportunities for out-of-classroom learning. The FSC continues to work closely with the Government and other partners to develop out-of-classroom learning. As a registered charity, the FSC receives no statutory funding. It relies solely on fees charged for courses and membership. Therefore, by visiting an FSC Centre not only are you receiving a high quality educational experience for your students, you are also helping to protect fieldwork opportunities for everybody. FSC