BGE
S1
As part of the Broad General Education students will complete two units:
•Hot Deserts
Students will learn about the hot desert climate. They will gain an understanding of these areas by learning about their climate, landscape and ecosystems. They will also gain knowledge of the traditional way of life in these areas. Students will also be given a chance to investigate the issues of conflict, sustainability and management in these areas by looking at the impact of desertification.
•Comparing Countries: Scotland and Kenya
This unit gives students the opportunity to examine the differences between developed and developing countries. Students will compare the countries of Scotland and Kenya by looking at their locations, climate, farming and urban areas. Students will also look at issues facing these countries and how these issues are managed.
S2
As part of the Broad General Education students will complete two units:
•Volcanoes
Students look at the causes of plate tectonics and volcanoes. They will also study the impacts of volcanic activity – both positive and negative. The prediction and management of volcanic events will also be investigated.
•Climate Change
This unit focuses on increasing students’ understanding of climate change. They will examine the natural and human causes of climate change, as well as looking at the local and global impacts of climate change. Students will also investigate the different strategies employed to slow the process of climate change and manage its impact. Students are also given the opportunity to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills through a decision-making exercise.
S3
As part of the Broad General Education, students will undertake five units. As well as meeting the criteria of Broad General Education, these units also aim to prepare students for the demands of national qualifications, as well as helping them to develop the knowledge and techniques needed to deal with skills/problem-solving based questions.
•Map Skills
Students will learn about range map skills, focusing on the use of Ordinance Survey Maps.
These skills include: direction, scale, grid referencing, symbols, landforms and relief.
•Glaciation
Students study the formation of glacial landscapes and learn to identify key feature on maps. Students develop an understanding of land use, conflict and sustainability in these areas. The manner in which these issues are managed is also analysed and evaluated.
•Rain Forest Climate
In this unit, students learn to read and interpret a variety of graphs and maps. This unit also looks at the causes of the rain forest climate and the ecosystems found within it. Students develop an understanding of the traditional way of life, modern land use, conflict and sustainability in the rain forests. The manner in which these issues are managed is also analysed and evaluated.
•Tundra Climate
This unit also looks at the causes of the tundra climate and the ecosystems found within it. Students will also gain experience of how to read and interpret a range of graphs and maps. Students develop an understanding of the traditional way of life, modern land use, conflict and sustainability in the tundra. The manner in which these issues are managed is also analysed and evaluated.
•Environmental Hazards
This unit examines the causes and impacts of a variety of environmental hazards including volcanoes, earthquakes and tropical storms. Students will also examine the strategies used to predict and manage these events. The effectiveness of these strategies is also studied. Students will also develop their graph and map skills.
National 4
Students looking to secure certification at National 4 level will complete the same units as National 5 candidates and Added Value Unit instead of an assignment. They will not have to sit the final exam.
National 5
Aims of the course
The National 5 course introduces students to the changing nature of our world, its physical processes and the way in which humans interact with these. This course aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills, which will help them contribute to their local communities and wider society. The study of Geography fosters positive life-long attitudes of environmental stewardship, sustainability and global citizenship. Practical activities, including fieldwork, provide opportunities for students to interact with their environment. This course looks at issues at the local, national, international and global scale. The course consists of three units:
•Unit 1: Physical Environments
Students develop geographical skills and techniques by examining physical environments. They also learn about the processes and interactions at work within these physical environments.
Topics within this unit include formation of key landscape features, land use management and sustainability, and weather.
•Unit 2: Human Environments
Students learn about the interactions at work within human environments. They are also given the opportunity to develop their geographical skills and techniques through the examination of human environments. In this unit, students compare developed and developing countries.
Topics within this unit include contrasts in development, world population distribution and change, and issues in changing urban and rural landscapes.
•Unit 3: Global Issues
In this unit, students increase their knowledge and understanding of current and significant global issues. They are also able to develop skills in using numerical information.
Topics within this unit include natural regions and environmental hazards.
Assessment
The course assessment has two components:
•Component 1: Question Paper
Marks – 80
Duration – 2 hours 20 minutes
•Component 2: Assignment
Marks – 20
Duration – 1 hour
Higher
Aims of the course
This course aims to increase students’ understanding of our changing world, its human interactions and physical processes. Students are also encouraged to interact with their environment through practical activities such as fieldwork. The study of Geography encourages positive lifelong attitudes of environmental stewardship, sustainability and global citizenship. As they move through the course, students develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to contribute effectively to their local communities and wider society. This course looks at issues at the local, national, international and global scale.
Course Details
The course consists of three units:
•Unit 1: Physical environments
Students develop and apply knowledge and understanding of the physical environment by examining physical processes and interactions on a local, regional and global scale.
Topics within this unit include atmosphere,hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
•Unit 2: Human environments
Students develop and apply knowledge and understanding of the processes and interactions at work within developed and developing countries through the study of urban and rural environments.
Topics within this unit include population, rural land degradation and management, and urban change and management.
•Unit 3: Global issues
Students develop and apply knowledge and understanding of the interaction of physical and human factors by examining key global geographical issues, and evaluate the strategies adopted to manage these issues.
Topics within this unit include river basin management, development and health.
Assessment
The course assessment has three components
•Component 1: Question Paper 1 (Human and Physical Environments)
Marks – 100
Duration – 1 hour and 50 minutes
•Component 2: Question Paper 2 (Global Issue and Application of Geographical Skills)
Marks – 60
Duration – 1 hour 10 minutes
•Component 3: Assignment
Marks – 30
Duration – 1 hour 30 minutes
Advanced Higher
Aims of the course
This course aims to develop skills which are transferable to other areas of study and which can be used in everyday life. This course aims to help students carry out independent research and take responsibility for their own learning. By the end of the course, students will have increased their understanding of:
•the ways in which people and the environment interact in response to physical and human processes
•how to develop a critical understanding of the changing world
•environmental and social issues and their significance
•independent research, fieldwork, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentation
•skills and techniques to collect, extract, analyse and interpret information to explain geographical events using appropriate terminology
•the use of maps, diagrams, statistical techniques and written accounts
Course Details
The course consists of three units:
•Unit 1: Map Interpretation
Students develop and then demonstrate their skills in mapping skills techniques through their ability to use evidence from maps and other supplementary items.
•Unit 2: Gathering and Processing techniques
Students develop and then display their knowledge and understanding of gathering and processing techniques in the context of research and/or fieldwork, and the analysis and/or evaluation of data which might be obtained as a result of using those techniques.
•Unit 3: Geographical data handling
Students develop and then apply their skills by interpreting and analysing a given set of data, including statistical data, to evaluate any techniques used and their effectiveness in order to explain geographical relationships.
Assessment
The course assessment has three components:
•Component 1: Question Paper
Marks – 50
Duration – 2 hours and 30 minutes
•Component 2: Project–folio — geographical study
Marks – 60
Duration – N/A (course work)
•Component 3: Project–folio — geographical essay
Marks – 40
Duration – N/A (course work)