AQA GCSE

Geography

Key Contact: Miss Kempson

CAREER OPTIONS

Aid Worker, Environmental Scientist, Meteorologist, Architect, Volcanologist, Travel Agent, Disaster Management, Surveyor, Civil Engineer, Advertiser.

AQA GCSE Geography offers students an opportunity

to explore the world from their classroom, visiting the United Kingdom, low (LICs) and high income countries (HICs) as well as newly emerging economies (NEEs).

They will study a broad range of geographical issues

and challenges and how these affect our world.

They will gain an insight into future challenges through the study of current issues of local, national

and global importance.

An awareness of humankind’s responsibilities to other people, the environment and the sustainability of the planet. It also provides the opportunity to study the physical geography of different places and

environments.

Study of this course will give students of all

backgrounds the opportunity to develop:

communication skills
graphical and cartographical skills
technological skills, including ICT and GIS
interpersonal skills through debate and discussion, literacy and numeracy skills
an awareness of complex inter relationships
between business and the environment,
international borders and global economics

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment.

(Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes / 88 marks, 3 of which are for SPaG, 35% of GCSE)

Section A (33 marks): The challenge of natural hazards tectonic hazards, tropical storms, extreme weather in the UK, climate change.

Section B (25 marks): The living world ecosystems,

tropical rainforests and either hot deserts or cold

environments.

Section C (30 marks): Physical landscapes in the UK

two of the following units: coastal landscape, river

landscapes, glacial landscape.

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment

(Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes / 88 marks, 3 of which are for SPaG, 35% of GCSE )

Section A (33 marks): Urban issues and challenges

Section B (30 marks): The changing economic world

Section C (25 marks): The challenge of resource

management with an in depth study of one of the

following: water, energy or food.

Paper 3: Geographical applications

(Written exam: 1 hour and 15 minutes / 76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG) / 30% of GCSE

Section A: Issue evaluation (37 marks)

Section B: Fieldwork (39 marks)

Statistics show that students who study Geography are amongst the most employable. Skills that are taught include problem solving, graphical and ICT, discussion and entrepreneurial skills as these are the qualities which employers look for.

Geography will help students to be more aware of everyday life and current up to date issues facing the people who live in the local area, as well as other parts of the United Kingdom, and within Europe and the rest of the world.

Geography is a highly topical subject, ever changing as world events unfold. Studying Geography explains how and why it is changing and helps you prepare for those changes.