Geography explores the issues affecting the world right now. Geography helps students understand their own lives in our dynamic or ever-changing world and face vital issues relevant to young global citizens growing up in the 21st Century. You will also develop skills which will help you in employment, such as completing investigations and being able to analyse.

Topics covered

The AQA GCSE geography course consists of three units:

1. Living with the physical environment 

This is the natural geography part of the course and includes the topics The Challenge of Natural Hazards, The Living World and Physical Landscapes of the UK. The exam is 90 minutes and is worth 35% of the final grade.

2. Challenges in the human environment

This is the social geography part of the course and includes Urban Issues and Challenges, The Changing Economic World, and The Challenge of Resource Management. The exam is 90 minutes and is worth 35% of the final grade.

3. Geographical investigations

This unit will assess the student’s ability to evaluate a geographical issue, their application of geographical skills and their understanding of fieldwork. Part of the exam will be based on a booklet of resources that relate to a contemporary geographical issue.

Another part of the exam will look at the fieldwork investigations students completed and ask them to apply their understanding of their fieldwork. The exam will also assess the student’s geographical skills, such as map skills, statistical skills and the use of data.

This exam will be 90 minutes and will be worth 30% of the final grade.

Fieldwork

There will be two occasions of fieldwork in contrasting locations. In the past we have attended visits within Sheffield and to the UK’s coastline. Both field visits are compulsory so students must be committed to completing the fieldwork aspect of the course.

In addition to this, we have had the opportunity to complete a further day of fieldwork at Flamborough Head to examine coastal processes and landforms. There will potentially be an exciting opportunity for students to attend a non-compulsory residential.

What next?

Geography is a broad and complementary subject, working well alongside other subject areas. It provides a wealth of different skills relevant to the 21st century and provides students with a wealth of knowledge that future employers value. It provides research, ICT and fieldwork skills, shows students how to present data in a variety of formats, shows students how to make important and justified decisions taking into account many groups of people. Students who complete the course have an up-to-date knowledge of the world around them, the issues that the planet is facing and how they can be overcome.

A level geography is taught at King Edward VII School for students who wish to continue with the subject upon completion of GCSE geography.

Click on the link below to find out more information on the subject.