@CrawshawGeog A Level Geography Crawshaw Academy
Why study Geography? Students who choose geography will gain a deeper understanding of how the world works and how the people in it interact. Geography is a great choice of subject to study at a time of growing concern about climate change, shrinking resources and global poverty; it is one of the most relevant courses people could choose to study for our times. What careers link with Geography? According to the Royal Geographical Society, Geography graduates have some of the highest rates of graduate employment. Employers like Geographers because of their broad and transferable skills, environmental and social awareness and their understanding of the World that we live in. Geography is great for any kind of career that involves the environment, planning, or collecting and interpreting data. Popular careers for people with geography qualifications include: town or transport planning, surveying, conservation, sustainability, waste and water management, environmental planning, tourism, and weather forecasting. The army, police, government, research organisations, law and business world also love the practical research skills that geographers develop. Because geographers learn about human and population development, geography can be useful for jobs in charity and international relations too. What skills will I get from studying Geography? Geography will help you develop your communication and teamwork skills, as you ll often work on group projects. You ll also develop your research and analysis skills including in ICT, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and fieldwork, which means you will be able to collect and look for patterns in data. Employers love the mix of technical and social skills people get from studying geography, which they see as very transferable, i.e. useful for a whole range of jobs. What will I study in Geography? You will follow the AQA A level Specification for Geography. During the AS year (Y12), you will study the following topics: 1 Water and Carbon Cycles This is a compulsory topic which focuses on the major stores of water and carbon at or near the Earth s surface and the dynamic relationships between them. It is an important topic to study as water and carbon are major elements in the natural environment and understanding them is a fundamental element of Geography. You will begin by learning how both water and carbon circulates and flows at different scales to then assessing the impact of humans on these cycles, with a particular emphasis on tropical rainforests and a UK drainage basin system.
2 Hazards This topic focuses on how the Earth regularly presents natural hazards to human populations, often in dramatic and sometimes catastrophic fashion. By exploring the origin and nature of these hazards and the various ways in which people respond to them, you will engage with many dimensions of the relationships between people and the environments they occupy. You will explore the natural hazards posed by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical storms and wildfires. 3 Changing Places This topic focuses on people's engagement with places, their experience of them and the qualities they ascribe to them, all of which are of fundamental importance in their lives. You will acknowledge this importance and engage with how places are known and experienced, how their character is appreciated, and the factors and processes which impact upon places and how they change and develop over time. As such, you will gain an understanding of the way in which your own lives and those of others are affected by continuity and change in the nature of places which are of fundamental importance in your lives. You will study two contrasting places, one to be a local place (e.g. Pudsey) and the other to be a contrasting distant place. If you continue to study Geography during Y13, you will study the following topics: 1 Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes This topic focuses on drylands which occur at all latitudes and are characterised by limited soil moisture caused by low precipitation and high evaporation. The focus is on hot deserts and their margins, where the operation of characteristic Aeolian (wind) and episodic fluvial (water) processes with their distinctive landscape outcomes are readily observable. In common with water and carbon cycles, a systems approach to study is specified. Student engagement with subject content fosters informed appreciation of the beauty and diversity of deserts and the challenges they present as human habitats. 2 Global systems and Global Governance This topic focuses on globalisation the economic, political and social changes associated with technological and other driving forces which have been a key feature of the global economy and society in recent decades. Increased interdependence and transformed relationships between peoples, countries and environments have prompted more or less successful attempts at a global level to manage and govern some aspects of human affairs. You will investigate this phenomena with particular emphasis on international trade and access to markets. In addition, you will examine the governance of Antarctica as global common. This in turn will be mean that you will contemplate many complex dimensions of contemporary world affairs and your own place in and perspective on them. 3 Contemporary Urban Environments This topic focuses on urban growth and change which present significant environmental and social challenges for human populations across the globe. The topic investigates the processes of urbanisation whilst also examining and challenges and the issues associated with them, in particular the potential for environmental sustainability and social cohesion. Engaging with these themes in a range of urban settings from contrasting areas of the world affords the opportunity for you to appreciate human diversity and develop awareness and insight into profound questions of opportunity, equity and sustainability
How will I be assessed in AS level Geography? Component 1 Physical Geography Exam This will be examined in a 1 hour and 30 minute exam and will comprise 50% of the AS level. Water and carbon cycles Hazards Component 2 Human Geography This will be examined in a 1 hour and 30 minute exam and will comprise 50% of the AS level. Changing places Geographical Skills and Fieldwork How will I be assessed in A level Geography? Component 1 Physical Geography Exam This will be examined in a 2 hours and 30 minute exam and will comprise 40% of the A level. Water and carbon cycles Hot Desert Systems and Landscape Hazards Component 2 Human Geography This will be examined in a 2 hours and 30 minute exam and will comprise 40% of the A level. Global Systems and global governance Changing places Changing Urban Environments Component 3 Geographical Investigation Students complete an individual investigation which must include data collected in the field. The individual investigation will be based on a question defined and developed relating to part of the specification content. The student will produce a 3,000 4,000 word report which will comprise 20% of their A level mark. Will I do any fieldwork? The Year 12 students will complete two evenings and two days of fieldwork in February at the Cranedale fieldstudy centre in North Yorkshire. Both days bring to life the work done inside the classroom whilst also providing you with the opportunity to develop your Geographical skills. Students have always enjoyed this fieldwork and often comment on how well the visit brings Geography to life. If you only sit the AS in Geography, you will use some the Geographical Skills and fieldwork used at Cranedale for the second exam. It is important to note that there is a charge related to the fieldwork which will be identified early in the autumn term. If you continue Geography through to Year 13, you will have to complete your own fieldwork project which is worth 20% of your overall A level mark. You will therefore do an extra two of days of fieldwork at a yet unknown destination to help you prepare for this.
How can I succeed in A level Geography? Step 1: Organisation of your notes and hand-outs You will need to buy a sturdy arch lever file and a set of plastic wallets. All the hand outs you receive from both your Geography teachers should be dated and labelled as to which part of the A level they are relevant to. You will be given topic dividers to help you with this. The folders will be inspected on a regular basis. Step 2: Further reading It is important that you make additional notes to those made in class by doing further reading using both recommended textbooks and websites, additional books from the library but also newspapers, magazines and that cover stories about the geography you study. Step 3: Carrying out additional research It is crucial that you research the topics that you are studying by using the internet to look at related sites and make notes from. BBC News website is a great starting point to find the latest on events we are learning about but also to look at other events that are different to those learnt about in class. This is VERY important to mark out your answers in the exam as being different to those with just the standard text book information. Step 4: Meeting Deadlines It is essential that you hand homework tasks in on time. Failure to hand in homework in on time will result in your Geography teacher contacting your achievement tutor, contacting home and possible being placed Back on Track (BOT). Step 5: Attendance It is essential that you have good attendance to lessons. If you miss any lessons it is your responsibility that you catch up on any notes that are missed this is VERY important. What transition task do I need to do over the summer holidays for Geography? Read the article about the Eyjafyallajokull volcanic eruption. Produce a factfile using ICT to show the following: The location of the Eyjafyallajokull volcano. The causes of the eruption (i.e. types of plate boundary involved etc). The nature of the eruption (i.e. what happened when the volcano erupted?) The effects (both long and short term) of the eruption The responses of the eruption. Try and be creative to show your case study and remember to include lots of detail such as place names, facts and figures. Do not simply copy out text from the article into a powerpoint presentation. It is important that you include other research from additional sources as well. Extension Compare the causes, nature and effects of the Eyjafyallajokull volcano with the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991.