Geography National 4

Vale of Leven Academy

This Course has four mandatory Units, including the Added Value Unit. Within each Unit there is a considerable degree of flexibility in contexts which can be studied to allow personalisation and choice.

Units are statements of standards for assessment and not programmes of learning and teaching. They can be delivered in a number of ways.

The principles above will be applied in the Units below:

Geography: Physical Environments (National 4)

In this Unit, learners will develop geographical skills and techniques in the context of physical environments. Learners will develop a straightforward knowledge and understanding of the processes and interactions at work within physical environments. Key topics include: location of landscape type; formation of key landscape features; land use management and sustainability; and weather. Learners will study a selection of landscape types from contexts within Scotland and/or the UK. Landscape types will be chosen from: glaciated upland; upland limestone; coastal landscapes; and rivers and valleys. Personalisation and choice is possible through the landscape types and areas chosen for study.

Geography: Human Environments (National 4)

In this Unit, learners will develop geographical skills and techniques in the context of human environments. Learners will develop a straightforward knowledge and understanding of the processes and interactions at work within human environments. Learners will study and compare developed and developing countries drawn from a global context. Key topics include: contrasts in development; world population distribution and change; and issues in changing urban and rural landscapes. Personalisation and choice is possible through contexts chosen as case studies.

Geography: Global Issues (National 4)

In this Unit, learners will develop skills in the use of numerical and graphical information in the context of global issues. Learners will develop a straightforward knowledge and understanding of significant global geographical issues. Key topics include climate change; the impact of human activity on the natural environment; environmental hazards; trade and globalisation; tourism and health. Learners will study major global issues and the strategies adopted to manage these. Personalisation and choice is possible through the issues selected for study.

Added Value Unit: Geography Assignment (National 4)

In this Unit, learners will choose an issue for personal study drawn from geographical contexts. They will research their chosen issue and present their findings. Through this activity they will have opportunities to experience challenge and application as they further develop and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired in the other three Units of the Course.

Unit assessment

All Units are internally assessed against the requirements shown in the Unit Specification.

They can be assessed on an individual Unit basis or by using other approaches which combine the assessment for more than one Unit.

They will be assessed on a pass/fail basis within centres. SQA will provide rigorous external quality assurance, including external verification, to ensure assessment judgments are consistent and meet national standards.

The assessment of the Units in this Course will be as follows:

Geography: Physical Environments (National 4)

The learner will be required to give evidence of:

♦ ability to use a limited range of mapping skills in geographical contexts

♦ straightforward descriptions and brief explanations demonstrating knowledge and understanding, which is mainly factual, of physical environments and weather drawn from Scottish and/or UK-wide contexts

Geography: Human Environments (National 4)

The learner will be required to provide evidence of:

♦ ability to use a limited range of research skills, applied to developed and developing countries

♦ straightforward descriptions and brief explanations demonstrating knowledge and understanding, which is mainly factual, of human environments in developed and developing countries

Geography: Global Issues (National 4)

The learner will be required to provide evidence of:

♦ ability to use a limited range of numerical and graphical information in the context of global issues

♦ straightforward descriptions and brief explanations demonstrating knowledge and understanding, which is mainly factual, of global issues

If Units are taken as part of a Course, then the evidence for ‘mapping skills’ or ‘research skills’ may be presented in the context of either the Physical Environments Unit or the Human Environments Unit.

Added Value Unit

Courses from National 4 to Advanced Higher include assessment of added value. At National 4, added value will be assessed in an Added Value Unit. The Added Value Unit will address the key purposes and aims of the Course, as defined in the Course Rationale. It will do this by addressing one or more of breadth, challenge or application.

In the National 4 Geography Course, the Added Value Unit will focus on:

♦ challenge

♦ application

The learner will extend and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding they have acquired during the Course. This will be assessed by an assignment in which learners will research and present findings on a geographical topic or issue. The assignment will be sufficiently open and flexible to allow for personalisation and choice