Students will focus on small scale ecosystems in the UK, large scale tropical rainforests and fragile cold environments. Students will look at the systems which underpin life in each of these environments before considering the impacts of humans at a range of different scales.
Students will sit an assessed exam paper based on the requirements of their GCSE
components in an ecosystem that are non-living environmental factors such as climate (temperature and rainfall), soil, water temperature and light
global-scale ecosystems such as a tropical rainforest or deciduous woodland
components in an ecosystem that are living such as plants and fish
an individual part or element of a wider system
organism that eats herbivores and/or plant matter
organisms such as bacteria or fungi that break down plant and animal material
a community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment
connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely upon one another as their source of food
a complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food
large scale circulation (movement) of the atmosphere
large scale ecosystem, such as tropical rainforest or tundra
lines that run parallel to Earths Equator, measured in degrees
on-going recycling of nutrients between living organisms and their environment
an organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis
a primitive tribe of about 11,000 who live in the Peruvian Amazon
the variety of life in the world or a particular ecosystem
the continuous layer of branches in a forest, which in tropical rainforests hosts the majority of plant and animal species
the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere
the average weather over a long period of time
a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature
managing the environment in order to preserve, protect or restore it
countries are relieved of some of their debt in return for an agreement that they preserve and protect their natural environments
the cutting down and removal of forest
nature tourism usually involving small groups with minimal impact on the environment
an imaginary line that divides Earths surface into a northern and southern hemisphere
the increase of global temperatures
important resource provided by tropical rainforests
native to a particular place, usually living in harmony with the natural environment, using resources without causing long-term harm
soil which is unable to reproduce or sustain life
promises made between countries and/or organisations to mitigate the destruction of natural habitats
heavy rainfall quickly dissolves and carries away nutrients in rainforest soils, leaving behind infertile red, iron-rich soil called latosol
the removal of solid mineral resources from the earth
raw material extracted from tropical rainforests
actions taken before a hazard strikes to reduce its impact, such as educating people or improving building design
sustainable forestry management where only carefully selected trees are cut down
a method of land clearing that involves the use of fire, which creates valuable nutrients to help plants grow, but can grow out of control and destroy large areas of forest
removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (water and wind action), animal, and human activity
a type of agriculture producing only enough food and materials for the benefit of a farmer and their family
actions that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs
people removed from one place and moved to another
global-scale ecosystem mainly found close to the Equator, characterised by high temperatures, high rainfall and huge biodiversity
the ease of access to a place
a type of tourism that involves the travel to a remote or exotic location to pursue physically challenging activities such as hiking or kayaking
ocean located in the northern hemisphere within the Arctic Circle
an organisation that helps protect threatened and endangered environments or wildlife e.g. the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
temperatures that present challenges for people, animals and plants living in in certain environments
vulnerable, or easily damaged
energy generated by heat stored deep in the Earth
promises made between countries and/or organisations to mitigate the destruction of natural habitats
the accidental leakage of oil from rigs or refineries into the surrounding area, resulting in severe environmental damage and pollution
permanently frozen ground, found in polar and tundra regions
the most extreme cold environment with permanent ice, i.e. Greenland and Antarctica
chemicals, noise, dirt or other substances which have harmful or poisonous effects on an environment
a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America where the subsoil is permanently frozen
a natural environment that has not been significantly modified by human activity
This unit helps students to see how they are supported by life on this planet and how their actions either help to support or contradict the sustainability of these systems.
Students consider how the impact from their lives have far reaching consequences.
The unit focus on how a growing percentage of the
world’s population lives in
urban areas. This urban growth can create challenges and opportunities and urban change in cities in the UK leads to a variety of social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges. The unit ends with a focus on sustainable management of resources and transport in urban areas
A GCSE style assessment - approximately 30 marks. Case study evaluation will be needed in detail.
harmful emissions, or other substances, that enter Earths atmosphere
chances for people to improve their standard of living through employment
a squatter settlement in a Brazilian city
the type of employment where people receive a regular wage, pay tax, and have certain rights such as paid holidays and sick leave
urban area with an important role in the global economy
differences between people, in terms of factors such as; poverty, wealth, wellbeing, employment opportunities, housing, education etc.
employment outside the official knowledge of the government
the way in which land is used, or has been modified or managed by people
an urban area with a total population of more than ten million people
when people move from one area to another
birth rate minus the death rate of a population
the presence of chemicals, noise, dirt or other substances which have harmful or poisonous effects on an environment
the attractions and opportunities of a place that encourage people to move there
the negative aspects of a place that encourage people to move away
how good a persons life is, measured by such things of housing and environment, access to education, healthcare, how secure people feel and how happy they are with their lifestyle
when people move from rural to urban areas
measures designed to protect public health, such as providing clean water and disposing of sewage and waste
the economic activities that provide various services ? commercial, professional, social, entertainment and personal
where a local authority provides land and services for residents to build homes
an area of (often illegal) poor-quality housing, lacking in services like water supply, sewerage and electricity
when there is too great a volume of traffic for roads to cope with, and traffic slows to a crawl
the increase in the area covered by cities
when an increasing percentage of a country's population live in towns and cities
Students will develop an understanding of urban areas and the effects of cities on people and the environment.
Students will develop a sense of empathy for other communities and differences in the way that people live as well as the challenges that people face.
Coasts are shaped by a variety of processes, creating landforms by both deposition and erosion. The topic also looks at management of the coastal zone to protect the area from both human and physical damage.
Rivers are shaped by a variety of processes, creating landforms by both deposition and erosion. The topic also looks at management and flooding prevention.
A GCSE style 30 mark assessment.
(1) rocks carried along a river wear down the river bed and banks
a wave-eroded passage through a small headland. This begins as a cave which is gradually widened and deepened until it cuts through
rocks being carried by the river smash together and break into smaller, smoother and rounder particles
a wide coastal inlet, often with a beach, where areas of less resistant rock have been eroded by the sea
a zone of deposited material that extends from the low water line to the limit of storm waves
adding new material to a beach artificially, through the dumping of large amounts of sand or shingle
a low ridge on a sandy beach created by swash, usually marks the high tide line
a type of weathering caused by flora and fauna, such as plant roots growing in cracks in the rock or animals burrowing into weak rocks
weathering of limestone and chalk by acidic rainwater
a large hole in a cliff caused by waves forcing their way into cracks in the cliff face
the explosive force of air trapped in the cracks of rock
the decomposition (or rotting) of rock caused by a chemical change within that rock
a steep high rock face formed by weathering and erosion
strategies used to defend coastal environments, divided into three different approaches: hard engineering, soft engineering and managed retreat
the establishment of a new coastline as part of managed retreat, often allowing flooding to occur over low-lying land to protect farmland, roads and settlements
a straight coastline with a single rock running parallel to the coast
a powerful wave with a strong swash that surges up a beach
chemical erosion caused by the dissolving of rocks and minerals by sea water
occurs when material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy
a wave formed by a local storm that crashes down onto a beach and has a powerful backwash
an indented coastline made up of headlands and bays formed when different rocks reach the coast
deposit of sand which has been blown inland by onshore winds
fences constructed on sandy beaches to encourage the formation of new sand dunes to protect existing dunes
building up dunes and increasing vegetation to prevent excessive coastal retreat
wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a breaking wave
a crack or line of weakness in rock
the distance of open water over which the wind can blow
a common process of weathering in a glacial environment involving repeated cycles of freezing and thawing that can make cracks in rock bigger
steel wire mesh filled with boulders used in coastal defences
the way that layers of rock are folded or tilted
a map reference that indicates a location using numbered vertical and horizontal lines that run up and down, and increase in value from bottom to top of the map
a wooden barrier built out into the sea to stop the longshore drift of sand and shingle, and allow the beach to grow
a rocky coastal promontory (highpoint of land) made of rock that is resistant to erosion: headlands lie between bays of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded by the sea
process where breaking waves compress pockets of air in cracks in a cliff; the pressure may cause the crack to widen, breaking off rock
a 154km stretch of coast in East Devon and Dorset which was made a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological importance
a physical feature of the Earths surface
the movement of rock, earth or debris down the slope of a hill. Also known as a landslip
transport of sediment along a stretch of coastline caused by waves approaching the beach at an angle
type of grass that is adapted to windy, exposed conditions and is used in coastal management to stabilise sand dunes
downhill movement of weathered material under the force of gravity
physical disintegration or break up of exposed rock without any change in its chemical composition, i.e. freezethaw
areas of fine sediment deposits which over time can develop in saltmarshes
when saturated soil and weak rock flow down a slope
highly accurate maps drawn by Ordnance Survey, the national mapping agency for Great Britain
strong winds or tidal current cause the end of a spit to become curved
increasing the height and width of beaches by dumping and shaping of dredged sand or shingle
large boulders deliberately dumped on a beach as part of coastal defences
a fragment of rock breaks away from the cliff face, often due to freeze-thaw weathering
slump of saturated soil and weak rock along a curved surface
a weathering process where salt crystals grow and expand in the cracks and holes of rock, creating pressure which eventually causes fragments of rock to break away
hopping movement of pebbles along a river or sea bed
important natural habitats often found in sheltered river estuaries behind spits where there is very little flow of water
accumulation of fragments of weathered rock
concrete wall aiming to prevent erosion of the coast by reflecting wave energy
loose surface material becomes saturated and the extra weight causes the material to become unstable and move rapidly downhill
the dissolving of rocks such as limestone and chalk by sea water
depositional landform formed when a finger of sediment extends from the shore out to sea, often at a river mouth
isolated pillar of rock left when the top of an arch has collapsed
small particles carried in river flow or sea water, i.e. sands, silts and clays
the forward movement of a wave up a beach
heavy particles rolled along the sea bed
the movement of eroded material
huge waves caused by earthquakes
wave energy is reduced in bays as the water gets shallower
ripples in the sea caused by the transfer of energy from the wind blowing over the surface of the sea
rocky, level shelf at or around sea level representing the base of old, retreated cliffs
Students will consider the balance between social, economic and environmental costs and benefits.
This helps students to develop a sense of empathy.
This unit is concerned with human processes, systems and outcomes and how these change both spatially and temporally. They are studied in a variety of places and at a range of scales and must include places in various states of development, such as higher income countries (HICs), lower income countries (LICs) and newly emerging economies (NEEs).
A 30 mark GCSE style assessment
intensive farming aimed at maximizing the amount of food produced
measurement of the greenhouse gases individuals produce, through burning fossil fuels
the progress of a country in terms of economic growth, the use of technology and human welfare
reducing energy consumption by using less energy and existing sources more efficiently
the range of energy sources of a region or country, both renewable and non-renewable
uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price
the distance covered supplying food to consumers
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms
the process of extracting gas from gas shale where fluids at high pressure are injected to fracture the shale rock, allowing the gas to escape
recycled domestic waste water
goods and services bought by residents of a country from another country
food produced without the use of chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides
a resource that cannot be exhausted, e.g. wind, solar and tidal energy
a stock or supply of something that has value or a purpose
control and monitoring of resources so that they do not become exhausted
a food intake below that needed to sustain a healthy life
when people do not eat enough nutrients to cover their needs for energy and growth, or to maintain a healthy immune system
when demand for water is greater than supply
measured in terms of the chemical, physical and biological content of the water
when the demand for water exceeds supply in a certain period, or when poor quality restricts its use
when the supply of water is greater than demand for water
matching supply with demand by moving water from an area with water surplus to another area with water deficit
underground water source
a small dam which diverts water away from a stream to irrigate fields, usually made of stones and lined with leaves to make it waterproof
a barrier built across a valley to interrupt river flow and create a man-made lake to store water and control river discharge
the process of removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water
a long, continuous period of dry weather
the process of water changing from liquid to vapour
recycled domestic waste water
freshwater source that is found beneath the Earths surface
regulation and control of water levels, pollution, ownership and use of groundwater
the basic equipment and structures (such as roads, utilities, water supply and sewage) that are needed for a country or region to function properly
artificial application of water to the land or soil
small earth dam for catching rainwater as a drinking water source, found in the Thar Desert, Pakistan
when groundwater is used more quickly than it is being replaced
irrigation channels that transfer water to the fields
rocks that allow water to pass through them
chemicals, noise, dirt or other substances which have harmful or poisonous effects on an environment
actions that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs
underground storage systems about 3m in diameter and 3-4m deep which collect surface water from roofs
disputes between different regions or countries over the distribution and use of water
the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and groundwater, and prevention of pollution
when the demand for water is greater than the supply of water
when water availability is insufficient to ensure the good health and livelihood of a population, due to short supply or poor quality
the contamination of water by substances that are harmful or poisonous to the environment, and make water supplies unsuitable for drinking
measured in terms of the chemical, physical and biological content of the water
process of extracting and reusing useful substances found in waste
availability of a reliable source of acceptable quantity and quality of water
when the demand for water exceeds supply in a certain period, or when poor quality restricts its use
when the supply of water is greater than demand for water
matching supply with demand by moving water from an area with water surplus to another with water deficit
diseases like cholera and typhoid caused by microorganisms in contaminated water
The aims of this unit are to develop an understanding of the factors that produce a diverse variety of human environments; the dynamic nature of these environments that change over time and place; the need for sustainable management; and the areas of current and future challenge and opportunity for these environments.
Students consider the concept of sustainability.
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