Geography

Course summary

Geography is concerned with the interface between people and their varied environments. In particular, geographers seek to explain human and physical processes and the interaction between them. A considerable amount of modern Geography is based upon current issues and decision-making. Geographers attempt to understand people’s differing values and attitudes, and their interaction with both the human and natural environments. Moreover, they endeavour to understand and explain both physical and human processes as a means of making predictions and judgements. The Geography course is designed to meet this challenge and create an engaging and dynamic curriculum that is relevant and appropriate to learners of today. Year 12 Unit 1 – Dynamic Landscapes: Tectonic Processes and Hazards: Students will study the risk posed by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and secondary hazards such as Tsunamis and how these risks vary. This is especially the case where there is a combination of plate boundaries, high population density and low levels of development. Students will study the causes of these hazards, the impacts and the varying approaches of management techniques that can be taken. Unit 2 – Dynamic Landscapes: Coastal Landscapes: Students will study how these landscapes are developing and how these ongoing processes are the formation of distinctive coastal landscapes. The final consideration in this unit is to understand globally how these areas are threatened and what can be done to manage both the physical and human threats that they face. Unit 3 -Dynamic Places, Globalisation: Students will consider how globalisation and global interdependence continue to accelerate, resulting in changing opportunities for businesses and people. Inequalities are caused as a result of these shifts in wealth and cultures are open to exposure to new ideas and people. They will consider the tensions and pressures that communities and environments face and understand what sustainable solutions are on offer for the future? Unit 4 - Dynamic Places: Regenerating of Places: Both urban and rural areas suffer inequalities for a range of reasons and this unit will give students the understanding of who (key players), how (methods), successes (impacts) and futures of regeneration schemes at a variety of scales. This will include a study of our 'local space' and how this is a contrast to other areas at a range of scales. Year 13 Unit 5 & 6 – Physical Systems and Sustainability, The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity & The Carbon Cycle and Energy Insecurity: The carbon and water cycle are both vital in human survival and with continual physical and human demands on the environment these 2 cycles are changing. In the future our access to both water and energy sources is key for development and they are both a key factor in understanding global climate change. Unit 7 - Global Development and connections, Superpowers: Students will look at how the power of dominance across the globe has changed over time and what the reasons are for these changes. Emerging superpowers can have a significant impact on the global economy, global politics and the environment. Unit 8 - Global Development & Connections, Health, Human Rights and Intervention: Students will consider the need to understand the development of a country cannot be simply based on economic factors- this is outdated and unreliable. This unit also considers the national and global institutions that make decisions and how geopolitical intervention has an impact on both human health and well-being.