GCSE Geography

OVERVIEW OF COURSE

Students will travel the world from their classroom, exploring case studies in the United Kingdom (UK), higher income countries (HICs), newly emerging economies (NEEs) and lower income countries (LICs). Topics of study include climate change, poverty, deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use. Students are also encouraged to understand their role in society, by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes.

ASSESSMENT

Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment – 37.5% - (Physical Geography)

3.1.1 Section A: The challenge of natural hazards, 3.1.2 Section B: Physical landscapes in the UK, 3.1.3 Section C: The living world Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes (88 marks including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPGST))

Paper 2 – Challenges in the human environment – 37.5% (Human geography)

3.2.1 Urban issues and challenges, 3.2.2 The changing economic world, 3.2.3 The challenge of resource management, 3.4 Geographical skills Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes (88 marks - including 3 marks for SPGST)

Paper 3 – Geographical Applications – 25%

3.3.1 Issue evaluation, 3.3.2 Fieldwork, 3.4 Geographical skills

Written exam: 1 hour (76 marks - including 6 marks for SPGST) Pre-release resources made available from mid March in the year of the exam

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

Regular NCL competitions

External Provider competitions (Royal Geographical Society, Geographical Association)

Two 1-day field trips (Unit 1 Physical – River Chess, Unit 2 Human – Wembley Stadium Complex)