Geography

Component 1

Global Geographical Issues

This component draws across physical and human processes and people-environment interactions to consider key contemporary global geographical issues. The component is divided into three sections:

• Topic 1: Hazardous Earth – an understanding of the global circulation of the atmosphere and changing climate. Plus two depth studies of an extreme weather hazard (tropical cyclones) and tectonic hazards at contrasting locations.
• Topic 2: Development dynamics – an understanding of the scale of global inequality. Plus a depth study of how one emerging country is developing and the consequences for people, environment and the country’s relationship with the wider world
• Topic 3: Challenges of an urbanising world – an overview of the causes and challenges of rapid urbanisation across the world. Plus one depth study of a megacity in a developing or emerging country.

Component 2

UK Geographical Issues

This component draws across physical and human processes and people-environment interactions to consider key contemporary geographical issues for the UK. The component is divided into three sections:

• Topic 4: The UK's evolving physical landscape - an overview of the varied physical landscapes in the UK resulting from geology, geomorphic processes and human activity over time. Plus two depth studies of distinctive landscapes – Coastal change and conflict and River processes and pressures
• Topic 5: The UK's evolving human landscape - an overview of the changing and varied human landscape of the UK, including the socio-economic and political processes that influence it. Plus a case study of a major UK city - Dynamic UK cities.
• Topic 6: Geographical investigations - two investigations, including fieldwork and research, carried out in contrasting environments, one on 'River processes and pressures' and one on 'Dynamic urban areas'.

Component 3

Component 3: People and Environment Issues – Making Geographical Decisions Overview In this component, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of the processes and interactions between people and environment and investigate related issues at a variety of scales. This component has three sections:

• Topic 7: People and the biosphere – an overview of the global distribution and characteristics of large-scale ecosystems, why the biosphere is important to human wellbeing and how humans use and modify it in order to obtain resources
• Topic 8: Forests under threat – a detailed study of tropical rainforests and the taiga, looking at processes and interactions and issues related to their biodiversity and to their sustainable use and management
• Topic 9: Consuming energy resources – a study of renewable and non-renewable energy, its supply and demand, access and energy security issues, its sustainable use and management.