Geography

What is Geography about?

Welcome to the Dynamic realm of Geography! With the growing importance of issues such as climate change, migration, international relations and development, environmental degradation, pandemics and inequality there has never been a more important time to study Geography. Geographers will gain a contemporary insight into our most important global and local systems and challenges whilst also gaining an important appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our unique landscapes, people and cultures. 

What skills will I develop and how?

Through hands-on explorations, field trips, lively discussions, digital mapping and problem solving projects you will cultivate critical thinking, hone spatial awareness, and foster a global perspective - essential in today's interconnected world. 

Where can Geography take me in the future?

Employers and universities love geographers because they are adept at understanding complex spatial relationships, which is crucial in fields like urban planning, logistics, and data analysis. Their ability to analyze and interpret data, combined with a holistic understanding of the environment, makes them valuable assets in various industries and this is particularly important in an era where businesses and organisations operate on a global scale. Overall, the skills and insights that geographers bring to the table make them highly sought-after candidates in both the job market and higher education institutions.

• Inspire a sense of wonder at the beauty and diversity of our world 

• Develop intellectual curiosity

• Foster an understanding that the wellbeing of people, the economy and the environment depends on the interactions between them

• Develop a holistic contemporary insight into our most important physical, human and environmental processes, systems and challenges

• Promote systems thinking mindsets and complex problem solving

• Encourage an exploration of diverse geographic and cultural perspectives

• Generate a sense of moral responsibility towards our planet and its people 

Grade 9

1. Too old? Too young? Too many?

People matter. Populations are dynamic and diverse and their size and structure has implications for society, the economy and the environment. This unit will allow you to make some decisions and solve some complex problems.

2. Can we achieve resource security?

Natural resources are under pressure. A systems thinking approach to investigate tensions involving valuable natural resources and the possibilities for sustainable management. This unit will inspire some rich discussion activities.

3. Can we fix the climate crisis? 

Climate change is happening. Understanding the science, the impacts, perspectives and possible fixes for the global climate crisis. This unit will culminate in a large student led action project.

4. Should rivers have rights?

Rivers need rights. Understanding the importance of our rivers as landscape shapers and life givers but also appreciating their dangers and how humans threaten these water bodies. This unit will involve fieldwork.

Grade 10

1. Are you a responsible tourist?

Tourism can cause harm. A reflective unit that explores the impacts that tourists can have on people and places at different scales and the possibilities for a sustainable approach. This unit will involve Post Formula 1 fieldwork.

2. Are some places more vulnerable to natural disasters than others? 

Natural disasters are deadly. Understanding physical processes, vulnerabilities and Innovative disaster

management strategies. This unit will introduce students to digital mapping software.

3. How does geography shape geopolitics?

Physical geography shapes political geography. A unit which explores the power of physical geography in shaping our current geopolitics. A unit based on the powerful books by Tim Marshall - Prisoners of Geography and the Power of Geography.

4. Is the world getting any better? 

Things are better than you think. A skills based unit focused on developing media and data literacy techniques to break down development misconceptions and help us control dramatic instinct. 

Geography will use a variety of internal assessments that are designed to evaluate learning progress, develop students metacognitive skills, motivate performance and prepare students for the assessment demands of the IB Diploma Programme. Types of assessment will include fieldwork projects, collaborative tasks, verbal presentations, written reports and examinations.