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Geography

OCR

WHY SHOULD I STUDY A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY?

Are you interested in how the world works and the natural environment? Do you have an interest in the economy and global affairs?

Geography is a subject that is useful to any student as it encourages students to develop a range of skills including: essay and report writing, analysing and solving problems, working with statistics, interpreting data and text and presenting data. The department is at the forefront of using ICT in teaching and learning.

The geography department runs a range of field trips and past recent destinations have included Italy, Iceland and Bournemouth.

COURSE CONTENT

The first year of the course is an even split between human and physical Geography. Topics you will cover include:

YEAR 1 PROGRAMME OF STUDY

PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

  • Coasts – There is a focus on coastal landscapes and features along with the factors which affect their formation. 
  • Earth’s Life Support Systems – This topic examines how the water and carbon cycles operate and are important for life on Earth.

HUMAN INTERACTIONS

  • Changing Spaces: Making Places – This ‘Human’ topic explores our changing use of space and place and how towns and cities across the world are changing.
  • Migration – Examining the contemporary patterns and challenges of 21st Century migration.
  • Power and Borders – This topic looks at the state of the World in the 21st Century and reflects on issues of conflict and state fragility.

PROGRESSION ONTO YEAR 2

Progression to the second year of the A Level depends on satisfactory progress in the first year, including achieving at least an E grade in the Year One formal assessment and maintaining good attendance and commitment.

YEAR 2 PROGRAMME OF STUDY

The second year of the course consists of two topics from the Geographical Debates and completion of the NEA. These two topics are selected by the teacher, and will be selected from:

GEOGRAPHICAL DEBATES

  • Hazardous Earth – Focuses on why some places are more at risk from tectonic hazards than others and how managing hazards can reduce their impact.
  • Climate Change – The physical and human characteristics underpinning the climate change debate, and strategies to mitigate or adapt to its impacts.
  • Disease Dilemmas - Exploring geographical patterns, responses and mitigation to disease and the human/physical factors that influence these. 
  • Exploring Oceans – Physical characteristics of oceans, and how humans use and exploit them.

NEA

A Geographical enquiry involving formulating an original research question within the human or physical topic of your interest.  Involving primary and secondary data collection, data presentation and analysis and final conclusions/evaluation.  Normally in the region of 4,000 words. 

FINAL ASSESSMENT AT END OF YEAR 2

Three written exams (80% of the total marks)

Paper 1: Physical systems

Paper 2: Human Interactions

Paper 3: Geographical Debates

All papers are a combination of short answers and extended writing questions. Non-exam assessment – Coursework (20% of the total mark).

MINIMUM ENTRY CRITERIA

Standard College entry requirements (see page 16 of the prospectus) and a minimum of:

Grade required Subject required

Grade 5

GCSE Mathematics
and  

Grade 5 

GCSE English Language or English Literature
and  
Grade 5 In at least one other predominantly written based GCSE subject (from English Language, English Literature, History, Religious Studies or Sociology) 
and  
Grade 4 GCSE Geography (if taken) 

Core Mathematics (Mathematical Studies) is a very useful complementary course for this subject and is strongly recommended as a further (4th) course choice for students who are not taking A Level Mathematics or A Level Statistics options.  See the Core Mathematics subject page for further details (page 78).

 

WHAT CAN I DO AFTER STUDYING A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY?

Geography can lead to a career in many different areas; some jobs may relate directly to a geography degree whereas other jobs will require you to use the skills that you have developed on the course.

FURTHER INFORMATION

All students are required to undertake 4 days of compulsory fieldwork as part of the A Level course.

Although students have access to online resources including our virtual learning environment (Moodle) and textbooks in lessons, it is highly recommended that they purchase the OCR A Level Geography 2nd Edition textbook which is used for both years of the course. Any student concerned about affordability should speak to the department to see what support is available.

 

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