Geography

Course summary

The Geography A Level course is designed to challenge perceptions, stimulate investigative skills and allow exploration of the interactions between human and physical processes on our planet. Student will complete six topics over the two year course: 1) Global Connections: This module is broken up into two components: Global Migration and Human Rights. In the first of these, students study the changing patterns of global migration and the reasons for its complexities. They look at the issues that can arise from uneven flows of people through studying examples from contrasting areas of the world. The study of human rights focuses on gender equality and includes a case study on women’s rights and inequality. You will then explore the global strategies for governance of human rights and the influences this has on uneven global development. 2) Changing Spaces; Making Places: This unit explores the connections between people, the economy, society and the environment to explain why places are constantly changing. You will look at how people give meaning to place and then how this can influence behaviours, attitudes and actions. 3) Water and Carbon Cycles: You will examine the way that physical processes control the cycling of water and carbon between the land, oceans and the atmosphere. This includes studying the impact of the carbon and water cycles in tropical rainforests and the Arctic tundra. 4) Landscape Systems: This will involve an in-depth study of the dynamic interactions between winds, waves, ocean currents and sediment along our coastline. You will learn the natural processes that create distinctive landforms, as well as develop an understanding of how humans use and adapt these habitats. 5) Disease Dilemmas: This unit considers the global patterns of diseases and the impact these have on economic growth. You consider the complex causes of diseases and the implications of unequal access to drugs and knowledge across the world. By studying the roles of pharmaceuticals and NGOs you will gain an understanding into the challenges of managing diseases on our increasingly globalised planet. 6) Hazardous Earth: You will study the tectonic processes that occur on our planet with a particular focus on volcanic and seismic activity. Through case studies of tectonic events you then look at the implications of living in tectonically active areas and how people manage to survive and flourish in these challenging environments.