IGCSE Geography (0460)
The future is unpredictable; students need to be equipped to deal with changes that are taking place to our planet. Geography stimulates interest in the world and develops an informed concern for the world. Geography creates an understanding and knowledge of where you live, of other people and places. Geography is a popular subject in schools at all levels, and appears regularly among the four or five most popular choices at GCSE and A level. Graduates in the subject have a high success rate in finding employment, a fact which is attributed to the ‘relevance’ of the subject in an ever-changing, environmentally conscious world and to the broad range of skills and knowledge it covers. These skills and awareness of different cultures are highly regarded by international employers. The IGCSE Geography course is designed to encourage a sense of place and an understanding of relative location on a local, regional and global scale. Through a study of the characteristics and distribution of a selection of contrasting physical and human environments, students will come to understand some of the processes which affect the development of these environments. They will gain an insight into the spatial effects of the ways in which people interact with each other and with their environments. Together with a wider understanding of different communities and cultures throughout the world, students will come to appreciate the contrasting opportunities and constraints presented by different environments. Through the Cambridge IGCSE Geography syllabus, learners will develop a ‘sense of place’ by looking at the world around them on a local, regional and global scale. Learners will examine a range of natural and man-made environments, and study some of the processes which affected their development. They will also look at the ways in which people interact with their environment, and the opportunities and challenges an environment can present, thereby gaining a deeper insight into the different communities and cultures that exist around the world.
The following three themes will be studied at IGCSE: • • •
Population and Settlement The Natural Environment Economic Development and the use of resources.
Assessment Paper 1 Geographical Themes (1hr 45 minutes; 75 marks) Paper 2 Geographical Skills (1hr 30 minutes; 60 marks) Paper 4 Alternative to coursework (1hr 30 minutes; 60 marks)
23
