Geography in
Year 10 and Year 11
1. Which specification will I be studying?
AQA GCSE Geography A (3031). You can have a look at all the documentation on the AQA website at
www.aqa.org.uk.
The specification is designed to provide students following GCSE geography with a course that develops a sound understanding and knowledge of geographical themes, issues and skills. A people-environment theme is adopted throughout the specification highlighting the importance of this interaction. The use of examples and case studies is fundamental in the delivery of the specification detail in order to achieve meaningful understanding of the themes being studied. The case studies and examples are studies at a variety of scales and in differing environments including areas at various stages of economic development.
2. What topics will I be studying?
People and the Natural Environment | People and the Human Environment |
Geographical skills | · Population |
Tectonic Activity | · Settlement |
Rocks and Landscape | · Agriculture |
· River Landscapes | · Industry |
· Glacial Landscapes | · Managing Resources |
· Coastal Landscapes | · Development |
· Weather and Climate | |
· Ecosystems | |
There is no need for us to cover all these topics since there is a large amount of choice of questions in the exams. Not having to cover the full specification means less content for you to have to learn (good!) and more time in lessons can be spent on coursework (good!). The teaching schedule for the two years is shown on the linked page
Course Summary.
3. How will I be assessed?
i) Paper One: 90 minutes (40%)
People and the Natural Environment
Section A: Geographical Skills
This section examines skills related to Ordnance Survey mapwork, photographs, sketch maps, cross-sections, satellite images and other resources. This section is worth 25 marks.
Section B: People and the Natural Environment
There are seven resource-based, short structured questions, one on each of the topics outlined above. You must answer any three questions. Each question is worth 15 marks.
ii) Paper Two: 105 minutes (35% minutes)
People and the Human Environment
There are three sections, each with two resource-based, structured questions, one on each of the main topics outlined above. You must answer three questions, one from each section.
iii) Coursework (25%)
The coursework component consists of one enquiry or investigation that requires fieldwork and the collection of primary data (ie collected by you). Your work will be assessed by the school with standardisation and moderation procedures to ensure fairness of marking. Much of the work will be teacher guided (with progress checks made by your teacher) but you should also aim for some individual initiative. The coursework will start in May in Year 10 and the final handing in date will be in March of Year 11. It is essential that all the work you do is your own. Copying from others and sharing processed data (in the form of tables, graphs, diagrams etc) is strictly forbidden and you will be excluded from taking the exams, and possibly all other AQA exams. You have been warned!
4. Fieldwork
- Nottingham's CBD – a day of data collection forming the basis for the individual assessed coursework. Scheduled to take place in May at the end of Year 10. The city centre may not be the most exotic of locations but it does provide superb opportunities to collect a lot of data, easily and conveniently. It also allows you to revisit the area to collect further data and make additional observations.
- Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District – a voluntary weekend trip scheduled for September in Year 11. This will be an opportunity to take in some famous landscape features resulting from geology/rock type and glaciation as well as to evaluate the impact of tourism in National Parks.
5. What do I have to do to succeed?
- Learning information and acquiring knowledge is important – but just as important is understanding the ideas and then applying your knowledge to new situations.
- Coursework gives you the opportunity to do well even if you think you are not so good at exams. Work hard right from the start, get organised … and you will be in great shape to keep control of your destiny!
- Be prepared to work out answers for yourself. Don't expect all the answers to be given to you by your teacher – they won't! The ability to work independently (in all subjects) is a vital requirement for all students.
- Keep to all deadlines for handing in items of work. If you are having genuine difficulty preparing some work then by all means see your teacher in advance of the deadline. It does matter if you are disorganised, forgetful or down-right lazy!
- Take pride in your work and be conscientious and thorough in your presentation. Look after your folder and keep the contents in good order. Don't keep all your geography work in one folder – leave completed topics safely at home.
- Be prepared to learn by discussion and respect the views of others.
