| Term 1/2 | Water and Carbon Cycles | |
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| This section of the specification focuses on the major stores of water and carbon at or near the Earth’s surface and the dynamic cyclical relationships associated with them. These are major
elements in the natural environment and understanding them is fundamental to many aspects of physical geography. This section specifies a systems approach to the study of water and carbon cycles. The content invites students to contemplate the magnitude and significance of the cycles at a variety of scales, their relevance to wider geography and their central importance for human populations. Areas of study focus on factors affecting the water and carbon cycles and their influence on climate and surroundings from tropical rainforests to rivers |
| Assessment: Students will sit an A-level exam paper - 45 minutes. This has a range of Short and Long answer questions as well as specific questions on Analysis. | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 1/2 | Global Systems and Global Governance | |
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| This section focuses on globalisation – the economic, political and social changes associated with technological and other driving forces which have been a key feature of global economy and society in recent decades.
Increased interdependence and transformed relationships between peoples, states and environments have prompted more or less successful attempts at a global level to manage and govern some aspects of human affairs. Students engage with important dimensions of these phenomena with particular emphasis on international trade and access to markets and the
governance of the global commons, such as Antarctica. Students contemplate many complex dimensions of contemporary world affairs and their own place in and perspective on them. |
| Assessment: 45 minute - end of unit assessment | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 3/4 | Coastal Systems and Landscapes | |
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| Here we focus on coastal zones, which are dynamic environments in
which landscapes develop by the interaction of winds, waves, currents and terrestrial and marine
sediments. The operation and outcomes of fundamental geomorphological processes and their association with distinctive landscapes are readily observable. Areas of study range from coastal processes and landscape development to the management of a variety of differing coastal zones |
| Assessment: | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 3/4 | Changing Places | |
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| This study of two contrasting places, one local and one international, focuses on people's engagement with places, their experience of them and the qualities they ascribe to them, all of which are of fundamental importance in their
lives. Students acknowledge this importance and engage with how places are known and experienced, how their character is appreciated, and the factors and processes which impact upon places and how they change and develop over time. Through developing this knowledge, students will gain understanding of the way in which their own lives and those of others are affected by continuity and change in the nature of places which are of fundamental importance in their lives. |
| Assessment: A 45 minute end of unit assessment. | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 5/6 | Contemporary Urban Environments | |
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| This optional section of the specification focuses on urban growth and change which are seemingly ubiquitous processes and present significant environmental and social challenges for human populations. We examine these processes and challenges and the issues associated with them, in particular the potential for environmental sustainability and social cohesion. |
| Assessment: A 45 minute end of unit assessment | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 5/6 | Hazards | |
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| This section focuses on the lithosphere and the atmosphere, which intermittently but regularly present natural hazards to human populations, often in dramatic and sometimes catastrophic fashion. By exploring the origin and nature of these hazards and the various ways in which people respond to them, students are able to engage with many dimensions of the relationships between people and the environments they occupy. Areas of study include volcanic, seismic, storm and fire hazards and the different elements of managing and responding to these events. |
| Assessment: A 45 minute end of unit assessment. | Key Words and Terms |
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