Geography

Principal Teacher: Mr Hill

In addition to standard S1/S2 courses, the department also offers the following courses:

Standard Grade
Intermediate 1 and 2
Higher

(Click to jump to the relevant section)

Standard Grade

Levels: Foundation, general and credit

(return to the top of this page)

AIMS
To give students an understanding
of  the world in which we live and
the way people use the earth and
its resources.


CONTENT

The Standard Grade course studies 17 topics covering the  Physical Environment, the  Human Environment and International Issues as shown  below.


PHYSICAL AND HUMAN INTERNATIONAL

Land uses                      Landscapes
Town sites                     Town Change
Climates                        World Trade
Economic change           Conservation
Aid                                Farming
Weather                        International Relations
Industry                        Competing Demands
Measuring population    Populaltion Change


ASSESSMENT

The external examination, at the end of S4, will award a grade for Knowledge and Understanding  and a grade for Enquiry Skills.    
The overall grade is the average of the two.

Intermediate 1 and 2

Entry requirements: See description below

(return to the top of this page)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:  Int. 2 - Standard Grade Geography Grade 3 or 4
                                                  Int. 1 - Standard Grade Geography Grade 5 or 6

INTRODUCTION
The Intermediate Geography course aims to expand on the geographical knowledge students have acquired in years S1 - S4. It is intended to develop evaluating and problem solving skills through the identification of key issues around the UK, Europe and Globally.
The course comprises of three 40 hour units with a choice of topics within each unit.
One topic from each unit is studied. The units are designed to ensure that topics covering both physical and human geography will be taught. Geographical Skills such as mapping, graph drawing and interpretation and annotating diagrams are covered in all topics, and are assessed in the external exam.

Unit 1: GEOGRAPHY : PHYSICAL  ENVIRONMENTS
Topics: Candidates will study - the shaping of the British Isles; glacial landscapes (Cairngorms); limestone landscapes (Yorkshire Dales); human use of the land; glacial uplands (Cairngorms); coastal landscapes (Dorset); volcanic landscapes (Edinburgh); the importance of these landscapes for tourism; Land Use conflicts and management; river features.

Unit 2: GEOGRAPHY : HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS
Topics: Candidates will study - population distribution; change; problems; migration; case study two urban and two rural areas; economically more developed and economically less developed countries; industrial location and change.

Unit 3: GEOGRAPHY : ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
Topics: Candidates will study examples of two types of interactions chosen from the following lists :(a) Development and Health
(b) Environmental Hazards
(c) Rural Land Degradation
(d) River Basic Management
(e) European Regional Inequalities.

While both Intermediate 2 and Intermediate 1 candidates study the same topics, the number of case studies that require to be covered for Intermediate 1 is less, as is the length of student response in assessments - both internal and external.


ASSESSMENT
Internal Assessment : students must pass one end of unit assessment for each topic.
Intermediate 2 : assessment is marked out of 25, with a score of 12 ½  being needed for a pass.
Intermediate 1 : assessment is marked out of 20, with a score of 10 being needed for a pass.

External Assessment : In the final exam, students sit one paper and answer four questions from 2 sections.
Intermediate 2 : The paper will be out of 80 marks and will last 2 hours.
Intermediate 1 : The paper will be out of 60 marks and will last 1 hour 15 minutes.
Awards are made at A, B and C levels.

Higher

Entry requirements: See description below

(return to the top of this page)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Credit Pass in Standard Grade Geography OR
                                                  Intermediate 2 Geography ' B' OR
                                                  Pass Higher History or Modern Studies

INTRODUCTION

The Higher Geography course aims to add breadth and depth to the understanding of physical and human environments and their interrelationships. The content of the course is outlined below and is supplemented with Geographical techniques. Since these techniques (skills) form a significant part of Standard Grade geography, students will be very familiar and comfortable with them already.

The course comprises of three 40 hour units, two Core Units and one Applications Unit. At Core level the topics are numerous but short, and put across the basics of a geographical theme. At Applications level the topics are fewer but study in much more depth a particular geographical theme. The three Units to be covered are:

UNIT 1: GEOGRAPHY : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS
This section will study the natural world and the forces that shape it. There are four sub-topics within this unit.

Atmosphere - solar radiation; global warming; heat transfers; world winds and pressure systems.
Hydrosphere - hydrological cycle; river landforms; storm hydrographs; ocean currents.
Lithosphere - processes and landforms of three areas of the UK (Glaciated Uplands; Carboniferous Limestone Uplands and coastal landscapes.)
Biosphere - soil development and characteristics; vegetation changes on sand dunes; problems of forest removal.

UNIT 2: GEOGRAPHY HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS
This section studies a variety of human activities around the globe.

Population Studies - population statistics and global variations (growth rates; demographic cycle; population pyramids; migration patterns).
Rural Geography - different farming systems around the world (shifting cultivation in Amazonia; intensive peasant farming in SE Asia; commercial arable farming in the USA and Canada).
Industrial Geography - to understand the shift in location and the changes in industry across the European Union in recent years; to appreciate the impact of these changes on people and the environment.
Urban Geography - to understand changes taking place within settlements in the UK; the nature of these changes and why they are happening; urban renewal; traffic management; green belt pressures.

UNIT 3: GEOGRAPHY : ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
Two Applications out of a possible six are studied. These are:

RURAL LAND RESOURCES - Human Use of Glacial, Carboniferous Limestone and Coastal Landscapes with reference to three case study areas. (The Cairngorms; Yorkshire Dales and the  Dorset coast).
DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH - Indicators of Development, used to identify differing levels of development around the world; medical geography and its impact on development with reference to the diseases malaria, shistosomiasis and cholera. Developed world diseases.

GEOGRAPHICAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES (GMT's)
These are present throughout the course and will require to be passed internally in two core assessments. Techniques include the construction and interpretation of climate graphs, stonn hydro graphs, cross sections and population pyramids. Students will also use a selection of Ordnance Survey Maps and interpret data from a variety of sources. The annotation of field sketches or diagrams will also be encountered. All of these methods and techniques will have been introduced to the students in S1 to S4 geography courses.

METHODOLOGY

The course is covered by strong teacher led learning - discussion; explanation; OHP's; videos. Many lessons are supported by worksheets and notes.

ASSESSMENT

Internal Assessment - Students will sit three assessments in class.
Core Assessments are based on each of the eight core topics, and are marked out of 25 with a student requiring to score 12 ½  for a pass.

Applications assessments based on the two applications topics are also marked out of 25, with a score of 12 ½ being required to pass.

To complete the internal assessment, a student must pass the Human Core Assessment, the Physical Core Assessment and one Application assessment.

External Assessment - There will be one exam in May or June, consisting of two papers.
The Core Paper (Paper 1) contains an element of choice and is marked out of 50. Students are given 1 hour 25 minutes to complete Paper 1.
The Applications Paper (Paper 2) is also marked out of 50. Students have to complete 2 questions from a choice of 6.

Awards are made at A, B and C levels.