WHY STUDY GEOGRAPHY? In a time of intense climate change, weather extremes, natural disasters, terrorist attacks across the world, conflicts in the Middle East and Africa and global economic crisis, Geography is becoming increasingly important and relevant as a subject. Geography allows those who study it to bridge the two concepts of human behaviour and the natural world by investigating the causation between them. As a subject, it can take you across the world on fieldwork, look at the causes, impacts and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues and study the patterns of our dynamic planet. CONTENT OF THE COURSE: In the first year, students will study Physical Systems where they will explore coastal landscapes as well as the carbon and water cycles. They will look at inter-relationships between the land, oceans and atmosphere, the processes that shape them over time and the issues that arise when attempting to manage them. Alongside the physical environment, students will also study Human Interactions. They will look at ‘Places’ as dynamic and multi-layered spaces and study how the history and culture of a nation can be found in its buildings, public spaces and towns and cities. They will also study Migration and Human Rights, exploring the relationships and connections between people, the economy, and society. In the second year, students will complete an independent investigation consisting of a written report, recommended to be between 3,000 and 4,000 words in length. This can be an area of personal interest related to any area of the specification. Finally, they will study in two Geographical Debates: Climate Change and Disease Dilemmas. Each topic engages learners through an enquiry approach. They will be able to articulate opinions and provide evidence-based arguments across a range of situations. The concepts of inequality, mitigation and adaptation, sustainability, risk, resilience and threshold underpin the Geographical Debates component.