Geography – Ge.4 Full course

Head of Department: Mrs M Brown

Why study Geography?

• Geography is everywhere! Geography lessons build on current affairs and events, so you will have an excellent understanding on the world around you. • You will learn about different places and environments within the classroom and through fieldwork opportunities. • You will become a critical thinker learning about challenges and opportunities posed to people and the environment to investigate solutions that are sustainable for future generations. • You will develop a range of transferable skills, including map work, problem-solving, group work, communication skills (presentation, writing, debating) and ICT. • Lots of our content has cross-curricular links with other subjects across the school.

What will you study?

In Years 10 and 11 you will study a range of human and physical topics, including:

Human Geography

• Urban issues and challenges- explore cities around the world and analyse their opportunities and challenges. • The changing economic world- learn about the development gap between rich and poor countries and discover how the gap could be reduced. • The challenge of resource management- study food, water, and energy to discover where there is a surplus and deficit and how these resources can be sustainably managed for the future.

Physical Geography

• The challenge of natural hazards including earthquakes, typhoons, and extreme weather events. Discover how hazard events have impacted people and the environment. • The physical landscapes of the UK - explore the river Tees and the landforms along it and the Lake District to study the glacial landforms that were created during the ice age. • The Living World - studying ecosystems with particular focus on the tropical rainforest and hot deserts investigating the opportunities and challenges in these environments.

Fieldwork

You will have the opportunity to develop geographical skills through fieldwork, including a local rivers study and a visit to an urban area. All compulsory fieldtrips are subsidised for students eligible for Free School Meals or Pupil Premium.

How will you be assessed?

You will sit three written papers at the end of Year 11 which are worth 100% of your final grade. Paper 1 is the physical geography paper, Paper 2 is the human geography paper and Paper 3 is based on geographical research and application including the fieldwork. Every paper has a mixture of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questioning. We will carry out internal assessments throughout the year to monitor progress.

Something to consider…

There has never been a better or more important time to study Geography. Geography helps you to make sense of the world around you. In a supportive classroom environment and plenty of different learning materials, we hope you enjoy Geography GCSE!