Key Stage 5

Autumn

Population

1.        Population indicators : BR, DR, NI, IMR, FR, MR

2.        Population change: the demographic transition model

3.        Population structures at different stages of the demographic transition.

4.        The impact of migration in population structure.

5.        The implications of different structures for the balance between population and resources.

6.        Social, economic and political implications of population change.

7.        Attempts to manage population change to achieve sustainable development with reference to case studies of countries at different stages of  development.

8.        The way population change and migration affects the character of rural and urban areas.

9.        Settlement case studies – comparing two (or more) of the following areas – an inner city area, a suburban area, an area of rural/urban fringe and an area of rural settlement. To include reference to characteristics such as: housing, ethnicity, age structure, wealth and employment and the provision of services.

10.     The implications of the above for social welfare.

Spring

Energy

1. Types of energy – primary energy mix considered in a national context.
2. Global patterns of energy supply, consumption and trade. Recent changes in these patterns.
3. The geopolitics of energy – conflict and co-operation in world affairs.
4. The role of transnational corporations in world energy production and distribution.
5. Environmental impact of energy production – fuel wood gathering; nuclear power and its management.
6. The use of fossil fuels – acid rain, the potential exhaustion of fossil fuels.
7. The potential for sustainable energy supply and consumption.
8. Renewable energy – bio-mass, solar power, wind energy, wave energy and tidal energy.
9. Appropriate technology for sustainable development.
10. Energy conservation – designing homes, workplaces

and transport for sustainability.

11. Case studies at national scale of two contrasting

approaches to managing energy supply

Summer

Geographic Skills

1.        Writing a hypothesis.

2.        Choosing a sampling technique.

3.        Using fieldwork equipment.

4.        Forms of graphical representation.

5.        Use of statistical tests : Spearmans and Mann Whitney U.

6.        Fieldwork in North Wales.

Rivers

1. The drainage basin hydrological cycle.
2. The flood hydrograph and factors affecting river discharge.
3. Changing channel characteristics – cross profile, WP, HR, Mannings
4. Channel processes.
5. The Hjulstrom curve.
6. Valley profiles – long profile and changing cross profile
7. Landforms of fluvial erosion and deposition
8. Process and impact of rejuvenation.
9. Physical and human causes of flooding – location. LEDC vs. MEDC case study, magnitude, frequency.
10. Calculating flood frequency.
11. Impact of flooding – two case studies.
12. Flood management strategies – to include soft and hard engineering.

Coasts

1. The coastal system – constructive and destructive waves, tides, sediment cells.
2. Coastal processes – marine erosion, transportation and deposition; land-based sub-aerial weathering.
3. Landforms of erosion: headlands and bays.
4. Landforms of deposition.
5. Case study of coastal erosion – specifi c physical and human cause(s)
6. Sea level change – eustatic and isostatic change.
7. Coastlines of submergence and emergence and associated landforms.
8. Case study of coastal flooding – specific physical and human cause(s) and its consequences.
9. Coastal protection objectives and management strategies.
10. Case studies of two contrasting areas – hard engineering and soft engineering.
11. To investigate issues relating to costs and benefits of schemes.

1.        Ecosystems

Nature of ecosystems

Structure of ecosystems, energy fl ows, trophic levels,

food chains and food webs.

Ecosystems in the British Isles over time

Succession and climatic climax: illustrated by one of

lithosere, psammosere, hydrosere or halosere.

The characteristics of the climatic climax: temperate

deciduous woodland biome.

The effects of human activity on succession

– illustrated by one plagioclimax such as a heather

moorland.

The biome of one tropical region (savanna,

grassland or tropical monsoon forest or tropical

equatorial rainforest)

The main characteristics of the biome.

Ecological responses to the climate and soil moisture

budget – adaptations by vegetation and animals.

Human activity and its impact on the biome.

Development issues in the biome to include aspects

of biodiversity and the potential for sustainability.

Ecosystem issues on a local scale: impact of

human activity

Changes in ecosystems resulting from urbanisation.

Urban niches. Colonisation of wasteland: the

development of distinctive ecologies along routeways

(eg roads and railways). The planned and unplanned

introduction of new species and the impact of this on

ecosystems.

Changes in the rural/urban fringe.

Ecological conservation areas. One case study

should be undertaken.

Ecosystem issues on a global scale

The relationships between human activity, biodiversity

and sustainability

The management of fragile environments

(conservation versus exploitation): two contrasting

case studies of recent (within the last 30 years)

management schemes in fragile environments should

be undertaken.

Following Easter Holidays.

Development and globalisation

1.        Development – economic, demographic, social, political and cultural changes associated with development; the development continuum.

2.        Globalisation – factors and dimensions: fl ows of capital, labour, products and services; global marketing; patterns of production, distribution and consumption.

3.        Newly industrialised countries (NICs): their initial growth, the ‘Asian Tiger’ economies.Further growth of NICs, with particular reference to China.

4.        Globalisation of services, with  reference to India.

5.        Growth in the 21st century – the impact of new markets and new technologies (Russia and oil-producing countries).

6.        Countries at very low levels of economic development.

7.        Characteristics and issues – quality of life, debt, social problems.

8.        The concept of the North/South divide, and its relationship to the development continuum.

9.        Reasons for the social and economic groupings of nations, with particular reference to the European Union.,.he consequences.

10.     Transnational corporations (TNCs): characteristics and spatial organisation. Reasons for the growth and the spatial organisation.

11.     Case study of one TNC, development issues within the world, ‘Trade versus aid’, ‘Economic sustainability versus environmental sustainability’.

‘Sustainable tourism, myth or reality’.

Revision and Booster sessions

Exam !!!!!!!!!!!

Students required to complete and enquiry which they will use a basis for answering questions relating to fieldwork techniques.

Plate tectonics and associated hazards

1. Earth structure, plate tectonics theory: convection currents and sea-fl oor spreading. Evidence: continental drift and palaeomagnetism.
2. Destructive, constructive and conservative plate margins. Processes: seismicity and vulcanicity. Associated landforms: young fold mountains, rift valleys, ocean ridges, deep sea trenches and island arcs.
3. Hot spots associated with plumes of magma and their relationship to plate movement.
4. Variations in the type and frequency of volcanic activity in relation to types of plate margin and types of lava.
5. Minor forms of extrusive activity – geysers, hot springs and boiling mud. Major forms of extrusive activity – types of volcanoes.
6. Two case studies of recent (ideally within the last 30 years) volcanic events should be undertaken from contrasting areas of the world.
7. The causes and main characteristics of earthquakes.

Two case studies of recent (ideally within the last 30 years) seismic events should be undertaken from contrasting areas of the world.