‘A Window on the World’
Do you want to be able to answer the ‘big’ questions? . . . Why has Japan suffered from an enormous earthquake and tsunami? Should countries have nuclear power stations at all? Why is everyone so worried about the rainforests? Why are oil prices going up? What happens if some of the British coastline falls into the sea? Is it time to stop building more houses in the British countryside? Why are people starving on the African continent? . . .
Ask yourself these questions too . . .
- Are you interested in the world around you?
- Are you interested in explaining how our planet affects us and how we impact upon our planet?
- Do you want to study a subject that bridges the Sciences and the Arts?
- Do you want to study a subject which will make you highly attractive to universities and employers?
- Are you keen to develop and show off your skills of literacy, numeracy, graphicacy, cartography, fieldwork, ICT, enquiry, teamwork and independent initiative?
. . . if the answers are ‘yes’, then A Level Geography is for you!
Studying AS and A Level Geography will give you a unique opportunity to explore the human, physical and environmental interactions of our planet. It is a dynamic discipline which seeks to explain physical landforms and phenomena along with giving us a clearer insight into how human activities are shaping the characteristics of our world. The course offers great variety in content and also encourages you to develop a wide and valuable skills base. By studying Geography you will be engaged and informed about topical issues, as well as developing your capacity to understand our complex world. You will be challenged to discuss, debate and think geographically about the people and places of the 21st Century.
How Geography is taught at Hurtwood
The course requires initiative and an enquiring mind. A positive attitude will be needed to respond to the intellectual demands and the independent learning associated with study at this level. An attractive element of the AS course is our commitment to fieldwork. To support the AS modules and develop your fieldwork skills in readiness for the Unit 2 and Unit 4 papers, you will work as a team on a residential fieldtrip to Dorset. Here your geographical experience should bring your classroom textbooks and work files to life.
Lessons are discussion-based and you will create an extensive portfolio of guided and independent notes, using a variety of resources. At every opportunity, real examination questions are used to develop and test your skills and writing ability. In much of the AS course you will be required to write relatively short, structured answers and at A2 level you will be taught the skill of geographical essay writing.
Background reading and personal research will be expected during the course and you will find there is a breadth of resources out there waiting to capture your interest and imagination about the planet we inhabit. We will seize every opportunity to explore the world that Geography creates beyond the classroom and you will enjoy visiting events and lectures at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
Specification
Examination Board: AQA , code AS Level 1031, A Level 2031
At AS Level, all candidates will study core human and physical geography. In each focus area students will consider their own values and attitudes to the issues being studied and support their learning of ideas through the consideration of specific case studies. Students will also develop a variety of geographical skills, which will broaden and deepen existing knowledge and be employed with a greater degree of independence.
The following topics are covered:
• Physical Geography Rivers, Floods and Management
Coastal Environments
• Human Geography Population Change
Health or Energy or Food Supply Issues
• Geographical Skills Basic investigative, ICT, graphical, cartographical and statistical. Research skills and fieldwork
At A2 Level, the course adopts an issues approach. Concepts, themes and skills covered at AS are extended and developed in A2 in different settings with an opportunity and expectation of higher levels of thinking and empathy.
The following topics are covered:
• Physical Geography Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards
Ecosystems: Change and Challenge
• Human Geography World Cities
• Geographical Skills Advanced investigative, ICT, graphical, cartographical and statistical. Research skills and fieldwork, particularly evaluation
How is it examined?
The successful completion of the following written examinations will lead to an AS (Advanced Subsidiary) award:
- Unit 1 - Physical and Human Geography - 2 hours. Structured short and extended questions.
- Unit 2 - Fieldwork Skills - 1 hour. Structured skills and generic research /fieldwork questions.
The successful completion of the following written examinations (plus the qualifications gained from the AS year) will lead to a full A Level award:
- Unit 3 - Contemporary Geographical Issues - 2½ hours. Structured short and extended questions plus an essay.
- Unit 4A - Geographical Fieldwork Evaluation - 1½ hours. Structured short and extended questions based on candidates’ own fieldwork investigation and fieldwork skills.
What skills do I need?
The AS and A Level courses do not assume a prior GCSE qualification in Geography, but they do demand enthusiasm, positive determination and a genuine interest in the world around you. Naturally, if you have studied Geography at GCSE it will very useful. Summer holiday reading will be provided as supplementary material prior to the course starting in September for those students who have not completed a GCSE course in Geography.
After A Level
Today, Geography is a rapidly developing subject. It has become more theoretical and statistical in its approach and more practical in its application to our use of the environment. Being situated, both in content and in method, on the frontiers between the observational sciences and the humanities, Geography is a qualification which many employers welcome because it requires students to develop the ability to think through problems, analyse situations and present logical solutions. At degree level, Geography may be studied by students with both Arts and Science backgrounds. A wide range of Geography courses are found in Higher Education.
Recently the Russell Group of universities classed Geography among their list of ‘facilitating’ subjects, which together provide a strong foundation for study at the most respected British universities.
Career options are numerous and simply serve to highlight how employable geographers are. Here is a snapshot of the career areas geographers can be found in:
Accountancy, Urban Planning, Botany, Business Management, Computer Sciences, Leisure & Travel, Cartography, Agriculture, Social Services, Retail, Economics, Personnel Management, Transport Management, Banking, Teaching, Estate Management, Commodity Management, Environmental Management, Meteorology, Conservation, Overseas Aid Agencies, Water Management
Suggested Reading
You should read national newspaper articles which have a geographical content. ‘The Geographical’ is an excellent monthly magazine that broadly covers places and issues from all continents. ‘Environment and People’ (An Integrated Course for A and AS Geography) is a good introduction to the breadth and depth of our course. Keep an open mind and read anything which inspires your interest in our world.