Course Outline

 

An outline of what is offered in our A Level Geography course:

AS Level

Unit 1 – Physical and Human Geography

 

River, floods and management
Cold environments
Coastal environments
Hot deserts and their margins
Populationchange
Food supply issues
Energy issues 
Health Issues

Unit 2 – Geographical Skills

Unit 3 – Contemporary Geographical Issues

 

Plate tectonics and associated hazards
Weather and climate and associated hazards
Ecosystems: change and challenge
World cities
Development and globalisation
Contemporary conflicts and challenges

Unit 4 – Geography Field Work Investigation

Course Overview

 

This course is split into units, each of which is further divided into separate topics and options, these are explained below. Units 1 and 2 make up the AS section, and Units 3 and 4 make up the A2 section of the course and completion of all units leads to a full A Level qualification.

Unit 1: Physical and Human Geography (GEOG1)

 

The core physical and human sections must be studied, also at least one of the physical options and at least one of the human options.

Core Physical Section

 

Rivers, Floods and Management:
hydrological cycle, river discharge, long and valley profiles, changing channel characteristics, landforms of fluvial erosion and deposition, process and impact of rejuvenation, physical and human causes of flooding, impact of flooding, flood management strategies.

Physical Options

 

Cold environments:

 

Global distribution of cold environments, glaciers as systems, ice movement, glacial processes and landscape development, erosional landforms, depositional landforms, fluvioglacial processes, periglacial processes, exploitation and development in tundra areas, the future of Antarctica.

 

Coastal environments:

 

The coastal systems, coastal processes, landforms of erosion, case study of coastal erosion, sea level change, case study of coastal flooding, coastal protection objectives and management strategies, case studies of two contrasting areas.

 

Hot Desert Environments and Their Margins:

 

Location and characteristics, causes of aridity, arid geomorphologic processes, the effect of wind, the effect of water, landforms, desertification, case study of desertification in the Sahel, managing hot desert environments and their margins.

 

Core Human Section

 

Population Change:

 

Population indicators, populationchange, population structures and different stages of the demographic transition, social, economic and political implications of populationchange, effects on rural and urban areas, settlement case studies.

Human Options

 

Food Supply Issues:

 

Global patterns of food supply, consumption and trade, contrasting agricultural food production systems, managing food supply, changes in demand, food supplies in a globalising economy, potential for sustainable food supplies, case studies of two contrasting approaches to managing food supply and demand.

 

Energy Issues:

 

Types of energy, global patterns of energy supply, consumption and trade, the  geopolitics of energy, environmental impact of energy production, potential for sustainable energy supply and consumption, energy conservation, case studies at national scale of two contrasting approaches to managing energy supply.

 

Health Issues:

 

Global patterns of health, morbidity and mortality, the study of one infectious disease, the study of one 'disease of affluence', food and health, health  matters in a globalising world economy, regional variations in health and morbidity in the UK, factors affecting regional variations in health and morbidity, local case studies.

Unit 2: Geographical Skills (GEOG2).

 

This is an investigative piece of work on a contemporary issue in Geography. It is in the form of an essay of between 1250 and 1500 words. It will be well structured with an introduction, investigation and conclusion. The introduction will have a brief background on the subject and explain why it is being investigated

Unit 3: Contemporary Geographical Issues (GEOG3).

 

Students must study at least three of the six sections, one from the physical options, one from the human options and a free choice.

Physical Options

 

Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards:
Plate movement, vulcanicity, seismicity.

 

Weather and Climate and Associated Hazards:

 

major climate controls, the climate of the British Isles, climate of one tropical region (tropical wet/ dry savannah or monsoon or equatorial), climate on a local scale: urban climates, global climate change.

 

Ecosystems: Change and Challenge:

 

Nature of ecosystems, ecosystems in the British Isles over time, the biome of one tropical region (savannah, grassland or tropical monsoon forest or tropical equatorial rainforest), ecosystem issues on a local scale: impact of human activity, ecosystem issues on a global scale.

Human Options

 

World Cities:

 

Contemporary urbanisation processes, urban decline and regeneration within urban areas, retailing and other services, contemporary sustainability issues in urban areas.

 

Development and Globalisation:

 

Patterns and processes, countries at very low levels of economic development, global social and economic groupings, aspects of globalisation, development issues within the world (each to be studied with reference to contrasting areas of the world).

 

Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges:

 

The geographical basis of conflict, conflict over the use of a local resource (e.g. land, buildings, space), the geographical impact of international conflicts, the challenge of multicultural societies in the UK, separatism within and/or across national boundaries, the challenge of global poverty.

Unit 4A: Geography Fieldwork Investigation (GEO4A).

 

Students have the opportunity to extend an area of the subject into a more detailed fieldwork study.

Unit 4 B: Geographical Issue Evaluation (GEO4B).

 

Students will use their skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation in relation to an advance information booklet.

Summary of Assessments

Unit 1 – Physical and Human Geography

 

• 70 % of AS, 35% of A Level
• 2 hour written examination
• 120 marks
• Structured short and extended questions

Unit 2 – Geographical Skills

 

• 30% of AS, 15% of A Level
• 1 hour written examination
• 50 marks
• Structured skills and generic fieldwork questions

Unit 3 – Contemporary Geographical Issues

 

• 30% of A Level
• 2 hour 30 minutes written examination
• 90 marks
• Structured short and extended questions, plus an essay

Unit 4: either

GEO4A: Geography Fieldwork Investigation – structured short and extended questions based on fieldwork investigation and fieldwork skills

GEO4B: Geographical Issue Evaluation – structured short and extended questions based on an Advanced Information Booklet

 

• 1 hour 30 minute written examination
• 20 % of A Level
• 60 marks

Assignment Information

 

Throughout the course there will be self-assessment questions, and tutor marked questions, to enable students to monitor their progress.

Recommended hours of study

 

It is recommended that 200 hours of your time should be allocated towards study for the A Level Examinations.

Recommended Reading

 

AQA AS Geography: Student's Book
by Smith John, Roger Knill
Publisher: Nelson Thornes Ltd (26 Jun 2008)
ISBN-10: 0748782583
ISBN-13: 978-0748782581

 

AQA A2 Geography
by John Smith, Roger Knill
Publisher: Nelson Thornes (26 May 2009)
ISBN-10: 0748782591
ISBN-13: 978-0748782598