Geography National 5

Vale of Leven Academy

There are three areas of study. Each area focuses on particular skills.

Physical environments

Candidates develop geographical skills and techniques in the context of physical environments, together with a detailed 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. Candidates study a selection of landscape types from contexts within Scotland and/or the UK. Landscape types are chosen from: glaciated upland, upland limestone, coastal landscapes, and rivers and their valleys. Personalisation and choice is possible through the landscape types and areas chosen for study.

Human environments

Candidates develop geographical skills and techniques in the context of human environments, together with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the interactions at work within human environments. Candidates 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.

Global issues

Candidates develop skills in using numerical information in the context of global issues, together with a detailed knowledge and understanding of significant global geographical issues. Key topics include: climate change, natural regions, environmental hazards, trade and globalisation, tourism, and health. Personalisation and choice is possible through the issues selected for study.

Course assessment is based on the information provided in this document.

The course assessment meets the key purposes and aims of the course by addressing:

 breadth — drawing on knowledge and skills from across the course

 challenge — requiring greater depth or extension of knowledge and/or skills

 application — requiring application of knowledge and/or skills in practical or theoretical contexts as appropriate

This enables candidates to:

 draw on and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired during the course, assessed in the question paper and the assignment

 demonstrate breadth of skills, knowledge and understanding from across the course, assessed in the question paper

 demonstrate challenge and application related to an appropriate geographical topic or issue, assessed in the assignment

Course assessment structure: question paper

Component 1: question paper 80 marks

The question paper allows candidates to demonstrate application of the following skills and breadth of knowledge and understanding from across the course:

 using a limited range of mapping skills

 using a limited range of numerical and graphical information

 giving detailed descriptions and explanations with some interpretation

The question paper has 80 marks out of a total of 100 marks. The question paper is therefore worth 80% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

The question paper has three sections:

 Section 1: physical environments (30 marks) — candidates have a choice of question on landscape type; they must answer all other questions

 Section 2: human environments (30 marks) — candidates answer all questions

 Section 3: global issues (20 marks) — candidates answer two from six options. The options are: climate change, natural regions, environmental hazards, trade and globalisation, tourism, and health. There is parity of demand between the options.

All sections comprise restricted/extended-response questions requiring candidates to draw on the knowledge and understanding and skills described in ‘Skills, knowledge and understanding for the course assessment’.

There is differentiation within each question.

The question paper has a greater emphasis on the assessment of knowledge and understanding than the assignment. The other marks are awarded for demonstration of skills.

Candidates complete this in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Specimen question papers for National 5 courses are published on SQA’s website. These illustrate the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers candidates sit. The specimen papers also include marking instructions.

Course assessment structure: assignment

Component 2: assignment 20 marks

The assignment allows candidates to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and understanding within the context of a geographical topic or issue:

 choosing, with minimum support, an appropriate geographical topic or issue

 collecting information from a limited range of sources of information

 processing the information gathered, using geographical skills/techniques

 drawing on knowledge and understanding to explain and analyse key features of the topic or issue

 reaching a well-supported conclusion, supported by evidence, about the topic or issue studied

The assignment has 20 marks out of a total of 100 marks. The assignment is therefore worth 20% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

Candidates use specified resources during the production of evidence stage. A structured template is available for the production of evidence; use of the template is not mandatory.

The assignment has a greater emphasis on the assessment of skills than the question paper.

Setting, conducting and marking the assignment

The assignment has two stages:

 researching

 production of evidence

SQA provides a brief for the generation of evidence to be assessed. Candidates have an open choice of geographical topic or issue. They research the topic/issue and organise and process their findings to address it, using the specified resources (Processed Information) collected during their research to support them in the production of evidence.

Teachers/lecturers should provide reasonable guidance on the types of topic or issue which enable candidates to meet all the requirements of the assignment. They may also guide candidates as to the likely availability and accessibility of resources for their chosen topic or issue.

Candidates undertake the research stage at any appropriate point in the course, normally when they have developed the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding. Candidates should undertake the production of evidence stage in time to meet the submission date set by SQA.

Assessment conditions

Time

The research stage is designed to be capable of completion over a notional period of 8 hours. The production of evidence stage must be completed within 1 hour and in one sitting.

Supervision, control and authentication

The research stage is conducted under some supervision and control. This means that, although candidates may complete part of the work outwith the learning and teaching setting, teachers/lecturers should put in place processes for monitoring progress and ensuring that the work is the candidate’s own and that plagiarism has not taken place. For example:

 interim progress meetings with candidates

 questioning

 candidate’s record of activity/progress

 teacher/lecturer observation

Group work approaches are acceptable as part of the research stage. However, there must be clear evidence for each candidate to show that they have met the evidence requirements.

The production of evidence stage is conducted under a high degree of supervision and control and should be carried out:

 independently by the candidate

 within 1 hour

 in one sitting

 with the use of the two single-sided A4 Processed Information sheets or one single-sided sheet of A3 only

 in time to meet a submission date set by SQA

 when the candidate is ready

If the production of evidence is word-processed, centres must ensure that candidates do not have access to the internet or any other files (either on hard drives or portable storage).

During the period of the assessment, candidates must:

 be in direct sight of the teacher/lecturer (or other responsible person)

 not communicate with each other

 have access only to the Processed Information sheet (two single-sided A4 Processed Information sheets or one single-sided A3 Processed Information sheet)

 not receive any assistance from the teacher/lecturer

Evidence is submitted to SQA for external marking. All marking is quality assured by SQA.

Resources

During the researching stage there are no restrictions on the resources to which candidates may have access.

During the final production of evidence stage, candidates should have access only to the Processed Information sheet. This comprises material collected and processed during the research stage on up to two single-sided sheets of A4 or one single-sided sheet of A3.

Reasonable assistance

Candidates must undertake the assessment independently. However, reasonable assistance may be provided at the research stage and prior to the production of evidence taking place. The term ‘reasonable assistance’ is used to try to balance the need for support with the need to avoid giving too much assistance. If a candidate requires more than what is deemed to be ‘reasonable assistance’, they may not be ready for assessment or it may be that they have been entered for the wrong level of qualification.

Reasonable assistance may be given on a generic basis to a class or group of candidates, eg advice on how to develop a project plan. It may also be given to candidates on an individual basis.

When reasonable assistance is given on a one-to-one basis in the context of something the candidate has already produced or demonstrated, there is a danger that it becomes support for assessment. Teachers/lecturers must be aware that this should not go beyond reasonable assistance.

In the researching stage, reasonable assistance may include:

 directing candidates to the instructions for candidates

 clarifying instructions/requirements of the task

 advising candidates on the choice of a topic or issue

 advising them on possible sources of information

 arranging visits, including fieldwork, to enable gathering of evidence

 interim progress checks

In preparing for the production of evidence stage, reasonable assistance may include:

 advising candidates of the nature and volume of specified resources which may be used to support the production of evidence

At any stage, reasonable assistance does not include:

 providing the topic or issue

 directing candidate to specific resources to be used

 providing model answers

 providing detailed feedback on drafts, including marking

Evidence to be gathered

The following evidence is required for this assessment:

 Processed Information (two single-sided sheets of A4 or one single-sided sheet of A3)

 candidate evidence produced under a high degree of supervision

If a candidate does not submit Processed Information, a penalty of 4 marks out of the total 20 marks is applied.