Geography

Geography

Course Length

Two years (or one year depending on individual circumstances).

The course

Geography at GCSE aims to give you an understanding of the interactions between people and their environments, investigating case studies from the UK and the wider world in social, political and cultural contexts. You will gain an appreciation of your role in society by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes in order to be able to assess the need for a sustainable approach to managing geographical issues. In addition, you will develop a range of skills including those used in fieldwork, maps, and geographical enquiry. Topics of study include tectonics, climate change, poverty, deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use.

What skills do I need?

You will be required to develop and demonstrate a range of geographical skills, including cartographic, graphical, numerical, statistical, and literacy skills. You must have the ability to be able to draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study in order to be able to answer a range of differing style exam questions: multiple- choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose.

How is the course assessed?

This course consists of three written exam papers:

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment consists of the topics: The challenge of natural hazards; The living world; Physical landscapes in the UK. This course is assessed by a written paper which lasts for 1 hour 30 minutes in duration. This paper is worth 35% of the total marks for this course.

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment comprises the topics: Urban issues and challenges; The changing economic world; The challenge of resource management. This course is assessed by a written paper which lasts for 1 hour 30 minutes in duration. This paper is worth 35% of the total marks for this course.

Paper 3: Geographical applications; Issue evaluation; Fieldwork; Geographical skills. Part of the assessment will be based around a pre-release resources booklet, which is made available 12 weeks before the examination. This course is assessed by a written paper which lasts for 1 hour 15 minutes in duration. This paper is worth 30% of the total marks for this course.

Reading

(provided by college)

GCSE Geography for AQA Student Book
By D. Payne, A. Rae, J. Rutter, H. Young, R. Kitchen, E. Rawlings-Smith
Published by CUP, ISBN 9781316604632

Exam Board and Specification Codes

AQA Geography 8035