Geography

Lower School

Geography is about understanding the world around us, and increasingly, understanding how we interact with that world. Pupils at Cranleigh will benefit from becoming informed about how physical and human environments interact, how their lives are connected with other people and places, and why and how the world’s landscapes and societies are changing in the early part of the 21st century. They also develop skills that are central to modern life, such as independent and team working outside the classroom, using ICT, and analysing and interpreting a wide variety of different data sources, as well as developing a sense of social and environmental responsibility.

Fourth Form

In the Fourth Form, pupils are introduced to geographical processes and skills initially through studying both their local area, and then a place of contrast (examples presently studied include New Zealand, Iceland and Kenya). Skills such as structuring an investigation into local geography and interpreting data sources such as maps and photographs are also central to this year’s teaching, along with analysing ‘new’ geographical topics not often studied at prep school, such as resource management and glaciation.

GCSE

From September 2009 we will teach AQA’s GCSE specification. Whilst retaining a core of traditional geographical content, we believe this course also offers opportunities for pupils to study contemporary themes and events that will enable them to relate their learning to the world they live in and the events they experience. Our aim is for pupils to gain a clear overall view of the world in the 21st century, and to provide a foundation for those who intend to continue to study the subject to a higher level.

The course is examined through two exam papers (one each in Physical Geography and Human Geography) worth a combined 75%. The remainder is a controlled assessment of a local fieldwork investigation. This latter task involves each pupil submitting a piece of written work (around 2000 words long) that has been prepared under supervised conditions.

The Physical Geography paper uses rivers, coasts, glacial landscapes, and rainforest ecosystems to examine natural processes, their consequences for people, the impact of people on such landscapes, and the need for them to be carefully managed. It also considers the relationship between humans and climate, and the impacts of more frequent extreme conditions on the earth. The Human Geography paper is concerned with population growth and movement, processes affecting both urban and rural settlements, development, tourism, and, central to all of these, the concept of globalisation.

Sixth Form

Geography pursues an understanding of mankind's place in the physical environment. It encourages an appreciation of the complex, dynamic world in which we live and, as such, the remit of the geographer is wide. As a discipline it is demanding, intellectually stimulating and relevant.

Geography at Cranleigh is a thriving subject. You study a diverse range of contemporary issues and the processes that cause them: globalisation, the climate crisis, fluvial and tectonic hazards and the population explosion. The consequence is that Geography offers you a broad base of study. The subject straddles the arts and the sciences, combining well with a wide variety of other subjects you may wish to undertake. We take you out to the "real world" as well, with residential fieldtrips in both the Upper and Lower Sixth, so equipping you with sophisticated skills of data collection and analysis.

The breadth of study, range of skills and contemporary nature of the subject make geographers highly employable.

AS

For AS Level, two modules are studied and exams taken in June of the Lower Sixth year:

"Managing Change in Physical Environments", which is divided into four sections: River Environments; Coastal Environments; Cold Environments; and Hot Arid and Semi-Arid Environments. A wide variety of physical environments and the processes that formed them is therefore studied alongside the role of human impact.

"Managing Change in Human Environments", which is also divided into four sections: Managing Urban Change; Managing Rural Change; The Energy Issue; and The Growth of Tourism. The dynamic natures of several human environments are explored; the processes responsible for their formation and how humans have tried to manage change are also analysed.

A2

For A2, two modules are studied:

"Global Issues":

Environmental Issues comprises the study of Earth Hazards and Climatic Hazards. The first of these analyses the processes of, and problems created by, tectonics, mass movements and floods; the second studies atmospheric hazards (tropical cyclones and other extremes of weather) and global climatic change. The relationship between hazard and vulnerability is explored alongside the role of predication and forecast.

Economic Issues focuses on Globalisation and you are invited to question the advantages and disadvantages of the globalisation of economic activity. What is the role played by trans-national corporations? Is globalisation widening or narrowing the development gap? How do trade and aid contribute to the process?

"Geographical Skills":

The module aims to equip you with the sophisticated skills of geographical field research and investigation. You will complete your own fieldwork investigation as part of a residential field trip at the beginning of the Upper Sixth year, which you will use in completing the final examination.