Geography

Overview Geography is a discovery subject, it provides a way of thinking about the world: looking at it, investigating it, perhaps even understanding it in new ways. We only have to open a newspaper to understand the relevance of studying geography. Headlines of war, tsunamis, climate change and complexities of world trade are all major issues our world is currently facing. Geography provides a means to comprehend these issues and understand how they will impact on our everyday lives. To further understand these issues, students will take part in frequent fieldwork across Thailand, Asia and the rest of the world. Geography topics cover a range of social, ethical, political and environmental issues including climate change, poverty, deprivation, tsunami/volcanic disturbances, global shifts in economic power and the challenges we face in the future. The range of skills that geography helps to develop is so diverse that geography graduates today have the highest employment of all university leavers. In an increasingly competitive world, geography opens the door to a wide range of career paths. Not to mention the 20 billion dollar GIS industry that underpins almost all economic activity in the modern world.

Syllabus Cambridge IGCSE Geography (0460) Course Aims The course aims to enable students to develop: • an understanding of location on a local, regional and global scale • an awareness of the characteristics, distribution and processes affecting contrasting physical and human environments • an understanding of the ways in which people interact with each other and with their environment • an awareness of the contrasting opportunities and constraints presented by different environments • an appreciation of and concern for the environment • an appreciation of the earth including its people, places, landscapes, natural processes and phenomena Course Content Theme 1: Population and settlement • Population Dynamics, Migration, Population Structure, Density & Distribution, Settlement • Patterns, Urban Settlements, Urbanisation. Theme 2: The Natural Environment • Earthquakes & Volcanoes, Rivers, Coasts, Weather, Climate and Vegetation Theme 3: Economic development • Development, Food Production, Industry, Tourism, Energy, Water, Environmental Risks of Economic Development Assessment Exams: Paper 1 - Geographical Themes 45% (1 hour 45 minutes), Paper 2 - Geographical Skills 27.5% (1 hour 30 minutes) Component 3: Coursework 27.5% Centre Based Assignment of up to 2000 words