GCSE Geography (AQA)

This course covers a range of topics across physical and human geography, assessed through three exam papers. Geographical skills are integrated throughout the course and assessed across all three papers. These include cartography (map and photo skills), graph interpretation, numeracy, statistical analysis, and data usage.

Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment

This paper covers physical processes, how they change, and human interactions with them.

• Section A: The Challenge of Natural Hazards: This section explores different types of natural hazards (tectonic, atmospheric, etc.), factors affecting hazard risk (e.g., wealth, location), and the impacts of these hazards on populations.
• Section B: The Living World: This section examines ecosystems, biomes, and the impact of human activity on the environment. Topics include biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable management of resources.
• Section C: Physical Landscapes in the UK: This section focuses on the diverse physical landscapes of the UK, including coastal, river, and glacial landscapes. It covers the formation, characteristics, and management of these landscapes.

Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment

This paper focuses on human geography and the challenges facing different populations.

• Section A: Urban Issues and Challenges: This section explores urban growth, urban problems (e.g., traffic congestion, housing shortages), and sustainable urban development.
• Section B: The Changing Economic World: This section examines global economic development, inequalities between countries, and the factors affecting development. It also covers globalization and its impacts.
• Section C: The Challenge of Resource Management: This section explores the management of resources such as food, water, and energy. It covers issues such as resource scarcity, sustainable resource use, and the impact of resource consumption on the environment.

Paper 3: Geographical Applications

This paper assesses the application of geographical knowledge and skills to real-world issues.

• Issue Evaluation: This section presents students with an unfamiliar geographical issue and requires them to analyze and evaluate the issue using their geographical knowledge and skills.
• Fieldwork: This section assesses fieldwork skills, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Students are required to apply their fieldwork skills to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts.