Geography

Main Aims:

The Geography department enables its students to:
• Explore and examine the local and contrasting environments and the human impact upon them.
• Explore concepts of causation, continuity and change within physical and human environments
• Understand how natural events can impact on physical and human environments.
• Analyse and interpret a wide range of secondary sources e.g. maps and photographs.
• Use a variety of methods to present geographical information, including graphs, field sketches and ICT.
• Compare countries in the developed and developing worlds.
• Become more active and independent learners
• Play a more independent and active role in fieldwork investigations.

Curriculum:

In each year group a broad and balanced curriculum of physical and human geography is provided:

Year 8 Year 9
 Year 10

Map skills Difficult Environments Ecosystems

Settlement Economic Activities, Farming & Food Rivers/Floods

Weather & Climate Population & Migration Plate Tectonics
Geography of Crime Resources & Energy Development

 Acid Rain Geography of Football
 UK National Enquiry 
 Global Issues 

GCSE

All GCSE students follow the CEA specification. It is divided into the following themes:
• Atmosphere and Human Impact
• Physical Processes and Challenges
• Ecosystems and Sustainability
• Economic Change and Development
• Settlements and Change
A Level

Years 13 and 14 follow the CEA AS and A2 syllabus. Year 13 will study the revised curriculum from September 2008.

AS A2
Physical Geography (including fieldwork skills) Physical Processes & Human Interactions
Human Geography (including assessment of skills & techniques)  Processes & Issues in Human Geography
 Skills & Decision Making in Geography

Visiting lecturers from the School of Geography, Queen’s University Belfast helps to enhance their studies.

Fieldwork:

• Pupils at Key Stage Three are given the opportunity to engage in fieldwork. This enhances their skills in the collection, collation, presentation, analysis and interpretation of data. Year 8 students undertake their own weather study and research their local area/town. Year 9 investigate acid rain in the surrounding area and examine migration in their own locality. 

• Pupils at Key Stage Four/GCSE complete one piece of coursework for their GCSE examination. This year it involved an urban study of Downpatrick.

• A Level students partake in a residential fieldtrip to Magilligan Field Centre in Co. Derry. This is undertaken in preparation for the fieldwork and skills sections in AS.

The Globetrotters meet on a weekly basis to discuss current events, participate in debates, enter competitions, inter-house quizzes, play games, solve puzzles and much more. In the past they have successfully entered the Worldwise Quiz at Queen’s University Belfast and have successfully introduced a recycling scheme in the school.