A Level Geography
Entry Requirements: Grade 6 GCSE Georgraphy
Exam Board: AQA
Course content:
Unit 1: Physical Geography Section A – Water & Carbon Cycles Section B – Hot Deserts OR Coastal Environments Section C – Hazards OR Ecosystems OR Cold Environments
Unit 2: Human Geography Section A – Global Systems & Global Governance Section B – Changing Places Section C – Contemporary Urban Environments or Population and the Environment OR Resource Security
Unit 3: Geographical Investigation Students complete an individual investigation which must include data collected in the field. The individual investigation must be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student relating to any part of the specification content. The investigation must be completed independently (although this does not necessarily require students to complete data collection alone.) Teachers will be available for consultation about what is an appropriate focus for the investigation. Fieldwork Requirements: 4 days of fieldwork which covers both Human & Physical Geography
Key Skills
As well as covering advanced level study of Geography, this course will enable you to develop some key skills, which will be essential to you whatever you go on to do afterwards. The key skills you can develop during this course are:
- Understanding the nature and use of different types of information · Collecting, analysing and interpreting information · Undertaking informed and critical questioning · Identifying and using appropriate data reporting and presentation skills · Communicating and evaluating findings · Drawing well-evidenced conclusions informed by wider theory · Statistical skills · Graphical skills · Literacy skills · ICT skills · Cartographic Skills
Assessment
Students sit the following exams at the end of the 2 year programme
Unit 1: Physical Geography Written exam -2hr 30 96 marks 40% of A Level Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response and extended prose
Unit 2: Human Geography Written exam -2hr 30 96 marks 40% of A Level Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response and extended prose
Unit 3: Geographical Investigation 3,000–4,000 words 35 marks 20% of A-level marked by teachers; moderated by AQA
Career Value
Geography can be used for a wide range of jobs including advertising, agriculture, banking, cartography, commerce, education, engineering, environmental management, estate agency, finance, horticulture, journalism, law, local government, marketing, meteorology, planning, public relations, radio, retailing, sales, social and health services, surveying, transport, travel, tourism, TV. It is widely recognised that Geographers are one of the most employable graduates due to the wide range of transferable skills developed throughout its study.
2 Year Programme
Year 12: · Changing Places (Unit 2) · Coastal Systems (Unit 1) · Hazards (Unit 1) · Fieldwork & NEA prep (Unit 3)
Year 13: · Water & Carbon Cycle (Unit 1) · Global systems and global (Unit 2) · Population & environment (Unit 2)
