Geography

Group 3 subject

“Simply put, geography is our future. When we look at any issue with the balance and scrutiny that geographical study offers, we move beyond the media hype or political spin. Geography allows us to see the world more clearly.” (Tom Biebrach, Geographical Association)

Geography is an academically robust subject that spans the human and natural sciences and promotes a lifelong interest and fascination in how the world works. It is the study of places and people with an emphasis on how the environment plays a role in their interaction. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions. It also investigates the way in which people adapt and respond to change, and evaluates actual and possible management strategies associated with such change. Geography describes and helps to explain the similarities and differences between places. These may be defined on a variety of scales and from the perspectives of a different range of actors, with varying powers over decision-making processes.

Within the Group 3 subjects, Geography is distinctive in its spatial dimension and occupies a middle ground between the human sciences and natural sciences. The Diploma Programme Geography course integrates physical, environmental and human geography, and ensures that students acquire elements of both socio-economic and scientific methodologies. Geography takes advantage of its position to examine relevant concepts and ideas from a wide variety of disciplines. This helps students develop life skills and have an appreciation of, and a respect for, alternative approaches, viewpoints and ideas.

Course content

The aims of the course at SL and HL are to enable students to:

1. Develop an understanding of the dynamic interrelationships between people, places, spaces and the environment at different scales.

2. Develop a critical awareness and consider complexity thinking in the context of the nexus of geographic issues, including: acquiring an in-depth understanding of how geographic issues, or wicked problems, have been shaped by powerful human and physical processes – synthesising diverse geographic knowledge in order to form viewpoints about how these issues could be resolved.

3. Understand and evaluate the need for planning and sustainable development through the management of resources at varying scales.

• Paper 1: Geographic themes

  • Leisure, tourism and sport

  • Geophysical (tectonic) hazards

  • Oceans and coastal margins

• Paper 2: Geographic perspectives— global change

  • Population distribution— changing population

  • Global climate— vulnerability and resilience

  • Global resource consumption and security

• Paper 3: Geographic perspectives— global interactions (HL only)

  • Power, places and networks

  • Human development and diversity

  • Global risks and resilience

For Geography HL and SL syllabus, click here.

Skills developed

• developing a ‘sense of place’

• map interpretation skills and analysis of other sources of secondary sources of spatial data (such as satellite images and infographics)

• primary data collection techniques (in the ‘field’)

• independent investigation and report writing

• data manipulation and presentation

• collaboration and teamwork

• oral presentation skills

Assessment

External assessment – 80% (HL), 75% (SL)

• Paper 1: 35% (HL and SL)

each option has a structured question and one extended answer question from a choice of two

• Paper 2: 25% (HL), 40% (SL)

three structured questions, based on each SL/HL core unit

• Paper 3: 20% (HL only)

choice of three extended answer questions, with two parts, based on each HL core unit

Internal assessment – 20% (HL), 25% (SL)

A fieldwork report (up to 2,500 words) based on a fieldwork question, primary data collection , analysis and evaluation.

University courses and careers

Geography is part of the academic group of English Baccalaureate GCSE subjects and the Russell Group of universities which have recognised Geography as one of their preferred ‘facilitating subjects’. This means that ability in Geography supports an application into a wide range of undergraduate courses.

The knowledge and transferable skills that Geographers gain from their degree studies are highly relevant to the workplace and Geography graduates experience some of the lowest levels of graduate unemployment. You will find Geographers working in every sector of the global economy including financial hubs, local businesses, not-for-profit organisations, leading highly relevant research or as key decision-makers in local and national governments.

Studying Geography also helps us to understand many of the issues we face globally, such as how we might respond to the impact of climate change or be better prepared for natural hazards. It is the new research undertaken by Geographers that is informing the debate about these challenges and helping us to navigate through the world’s geographically complex people, places and environments.