The study of Geography is a structured way of exploring, analysing and understanding the characteristics of places that make up our world. Geographers are interested in key questions concerning places and geographic phenomena: What is there? Where is it? Why is it there? What are the effects of it being there? How is it changing over time and how could, and should, it change in the future? How is it different from other places and phenomena? How are places and phenomena connected?
Students explore these questions through fieldwork and investigation of a wide range of secondary sources. These methods underpin the development of a unique framework for understanding the world, enabling students to appreciate its complexity, the diversity and interactions of its environments, economies and cultures, and the processes that helped form and transform them.
This unit focuses on two investigations of geographical change: change to land cover and change to land use. Land cover includes biomes such as forest, grassland, tundra and wetlands as well as land covered by ice and water. Land cover is the natural state of the biophysical environment developed over time as a result of the interconnection between climate, soils, landforms, flora and fauna, and increasingly with human activity. Natural land cover has been altered by a variety of processes including geomorphological events and climate change. People have modified land cover to produce a range of land uses to satisfy human needs such as housing and agriculture. Students will investigate deforestation and melting glaciers and ice sheets.
Area of Study 1 - Land Cover Change
In this area of study, students undertake an overview of global land cover and changes that have occurred over geological and more recent time scales. They investigate the two major processes that are changing land cover: deforestation and melting ice-sheets and glaciers. They analyse these processes, explain their impacts on land cover and discuss responses to these changes at two different locations around the world. They also evaluate two different global responses to the impacts of land cover change.
Area of Study 2 - Land Use Change
In this area of study, students will use appropriate fieldwork techniques to investigate land use change at a local area. They will complete a fieldwork report that analyses and evaluates land use change.
This unit investigates the geography of human populations. Students explore the patterns of population change, movement and distribution, and how governments, organisations and individuals have responded to those changes in different parts of the world. Students study population dynamics and then investigate the two significant population trends, rapid population growth and ageing.
Area of Study 1 - Population Dynamics
Students undertake a world overview of population distribution and growth. They investigate growth and decline in fertility and mortality rates, together with voluntary and forced population movements. They will refer to examples from various countries around the world with different economic, political and social conditions that illustrate differences in population dynamics. Students will develop an understanding of the Demographic Transition Model and the Malthusian theory of population.
Area of Study 2 - Population Issues and Challenges
In this study, students will investigate two significant population trends that have developed in different countries: a growing population of one country for example Niger and Bangladesh, and an ageing population of another country, for example, Australia and Japan. Students will consider issues arising from these trends such as access to health care and education, immigration, changing role of women and religious and political influences. They will evaluate the effectiveness of strategies in response to these issues and challenges.
Unit 3 School assessed coursework (SACs) for Unit 3 will contribute 25 % to the study score. Unit 3 SACs will consist of:
Outcome 1:
Case Study (20 marks)
Case Study (20 marks)
Outcome 2:
Fieldwork Report (50 marks)
Structure Questions (10 marks)
Unit 4 School assessed coursework (SACs) for Unit 4 will contribute 25 % to the study score. Unit 4 SACs will consist of:
Outcome 1.
Analysis of Geographic Data (30 marks)
Case Study (10 marks)
Outcome 2.
Growing Population Case Study (30 marks)
Ageing Population Case Study (30 marks)
Units 3 and 4 are also assessed by an end of year examination which will contribute 50% to the study score.
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