Geography

Geography is the integrated study of the earth's places, peoples, environments and societies. At its core lies the understanding of the relationships and impacts between people and the environment. It is unique in bridging the social sciences (human geography) with its understanding of the dynamics of societies, cultures and behaviour, and the earth sciences (physical geography) in the understanding of physical landscapes and the dynamics of environmental processes. Geography puts this understanding of social and physical processes within the essential context of places and regions - recognising the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world, and the links between them.

About the Geography Department at Fettes College Staff

Mr Barry Welsh is Head of Department. He studied at Loughborough University and his main interests are in Human and Social Geography. He has led expeditions to Iceland, Jordan and Nepal as well as an overland expedition driving from London to Australia. He is a keen traveller and mountaineer, with ascents of Alpamayo and Huascaran in Peru in 2004.

Dr. Adrian Hall studied Geography at St. Andrews. His interests lie mainly in geomorphology and he has written extensively on the landscape of Scotland. He has led field trips and expeditions to Ecuador, Iceland, Norway and Siberia. He is Head of ICT and also Co-ordinator of American Relations at Fettes. He has developed web sites on the Cairngorms and Shetland

Mr. Rupert Heathcote joined the Department in 2002. He studied Geography at Nottingham University. His interests lie mainly in Physical Geography. He is a keen mountaineer with ascents of Kilimanjaro and Kinabalu, the latter which he climbed during a three month stay in Borneo.

Miss Rachel Giles studied Geography at St. John‘s University, York. Her interests lie in both human and physical Geography and the interactions between the two disciplines. She has recently returned from living in New Zealand and has led fieldtrips and expeditions to Kenya, Iceland and Europe.

Why choose Geography?

Geography is the most popular optional GCSE subject in the UK
It is the 4th most popular subject at A Level
It is studied by 16, 000 undergraduates in 103 universities
Geography has one of the highest rates of graduate employability: highly valued by employers for its combination of knowledge, integration and key skills.

At GCSE, we follow the OCR Syllabus A. We study four units of work :

People and the Physical World – We look the interaction between humans and their natural environment; includes, plate tectonics (volcanoes and earthquakes), river and coastal studies.
People and Places to Live – population studies including density, structure and migration.
People and their needs – the differences in quality in life, economic activities and energy.
People and the environment – this is concerned with resource development and local environments and the global environment.

25% of the final GCSE mark is given for project work done on one geographical topic of your choice. The final examination has two papers making up 75% of the final GCSE mark.

In Sixth Form we offer a twin-track route to University entrance through the Scottish system of Highers and the English system of A Levels. We use the OCR AS and A Level. The main topics studied are:

Higher:
- Physical Core:
- Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Lithosphere, Atmosphere
- Human Core: Population, Rural, Urban and Economic Geography
- Applications: Rural Land Resources Urban Change and its Management Drainage Basin Management
- For further information see the Scottish Qualifications Authority web site at http://www.sqa.org.uk/
AS and A Level:
- Physical AS: Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Lithosphere, Atmosphere
- Human AS: Population and Settlement Geography
- A2 Level Options in Physical and Human Geography Glacial and Periglacial Environments; Service Activities.
- People and Environments Rural Land Management; Hazardous Environments.
- A Level also requires the student to undertake a Personal Investigation, involving project work on a topic of their choice. For further information see the OCR web site.

Field Work, Projects and Expeditions

Field investigations are an integral part of Geography. We begin in the Preparatory School with visits to farms and studies of the local environment. We are also involved in outdoor pursuits.

At GCSE we carry out both personal and class investigations. Each student must carry out personal research on a topic of their choice. In addition we undertake river and land use investigations on Third Form Field Week, a week spent in the Cairngorm mountains on outdoor pursuits, geography and biology. In Fourth Form we investigate the Central Business District of Edinburgh and the factors controlling house prices in the city.

Sixth Form studies involve frequent short excursions in Edinburgh and visits to museums, the Botanic Gardens and Royal Scottish Geographical Society lectures . We run expeditions to Iceland for a week to study glacial landforms and volcanoes and to Jordan to study desert environments. In 2005 we are hoping to run an expedition to Iceland, and have begun planning for a 2006 expedition to Wadi Rum and Petra in Jordan. We also visit the Cairngorms for the weekend to study glacial landforms and land use conflicts and carry out other studies of the Scottish landscape.

Geography in the Sixth Form

Geography is a flexible subject which is especially attractive to those who want to maintain strong links with the "real world" outside the classroom. It can be classified as either an arts, science or social science subject. Data collection, handling and information technology is central to the subject. A Level and Higher geographers have subsequently pursued many and varied careers.

What Will Sixth Form Geography Involve?

KNOWLEDGE

A and AS Level and Higher courses cover a wide range of relevant knowledge that provides a useful background to life in today's world. Geography is studied at various scales of enquiry from the local, through national to the global scale. Many new themes appear in Sixth Form courses so that whilst a background at GCSE. is desirable it is not essential. Internal assessment is by essays, data-response exercises, practicals and tests.

Traditionally, Geography is divided into Physical and Human Geography.

Physical Geography includes topics such as the influences of geology on landforms; landscape development; river processes; glaciation and climatology.

Human Geography includes topics such as population growth and distribution; settlements; agricultural and industrial development; area studies.

Many courses now integrate physical and human geography in a man-environment approach.

CURRENT ISSUES

The modern emphasis of Geography is increasingly on issues of concern at any of the scales of enquiry, e.g. the problems of newly industrialising countries; famine and poverty; man's impact on the environment; landscape management; the challenge of the rapid changes occurring in the cities of the developed and the developing world; local and national planning issues; global climate changes; problems of unemployment and changes in the type and location of industry.

SKILLS

A wide variety of useful skills is developed by the student of geography. These are the basic skills of communication, numeracy and graphicacy (the drawing and interpretation of maps and diagrams) together with those of a more specific nature, including:

Problem solving e.g. in landscaping management and planning issues Data collection, analysis and presentation of statistics Information Technology, e.g. use of data bases and CDs. Use of instruments e.g. in surveying and sediment analysis Gaming and simulations e.g. in environmental issues Social skills e.g. through working in groups in the field. Remote sensing, e.g. use of satellite imagery.

FIELDWORK

Fieldwork is an integral part of Sixth Form courses and involves afternoon, day and weekend excursions to locations around Scotland. A project based on personal research is required for A Level as a substantial part of the final public examinations. Fieldwork increases self-reliance and develops the ability to work on your own, as well as co-operating in group data collection exercises. Students have carried out field studies in Iceland and Morocco in recent years.

REALITY

Geography is concerned with the real world - past, present and future. It integrates a number of subject areas and can be usefully combined with science subjects, e.g. Maths, and Biology; arts subjects, e.g. History, English and Modern Languages, and Social Sciences, e.g. Economics. It allows the "science" specialist to develop important literacy skills and the "arts" specialist to develop important numeracy and graphical skills. Geography avoids the problems inherent in over-specialisation.

CAREERS

There are numerous careers where Geography is an important qualification:

Cartography and Surveying
Armed Services
Leisure and recreation work
Town Planning
Publishing
Civil Engineering
Civil Service and Local
Marketing
Government
Environmental Health
Banking
Landscape Architecture
Teaching
Estate Management
Agriculture

The world is at your feet!

Many A Level and Higher geographers have entered seemingly unlikely careers, e.g. Accountancy and Law. Others have been successful in careers where a broad vision is required rather than technical specialisation, e.g. Social Services and Personnel Management. The versatility of Geographers is highly valued by employers.

In short, Geography in the Sixth Form is a stimulating but demanding subject which numerous Fettesians in recent years have chosen to continue at university.

ASSESSMENT AS Level

AS is short for Advanced Subsidiary in Geography. Most students will continue to the full A Level but some students will join the Geography class for the Lower Sixth only. The course is assessed by external examination. One AS paper is sat in June of Lower Sixth and the remianing two papers are sat in January of the Upper Sixth. The course comprises four physical options and two human options. It also includes a 1000 word project and an examination on Geographical Investigation skills.

A Level

The student must pass the AS examination modules on the way to A Level, but it is possible to retake these modules in June in the Upper Sixth. The student will sit core papers and two option papers at the end of the course. In addition, there is a compulsory piece of project work based on a personal investigation of a topic in Geography which interests you. This is worth 20% of your final mark.

Highers

The Higher syllabus began in September 1998. Soon after you have completed a topic you will sit a straightforward test. This is to check that you have understood the topic. A pass on all topic tests is required if you are to gain a Higher pass. You are allowed one resit of any topic tests if you fail but most students will pass first time. Your grade at Higher, however, is determined entirely by your performance on the examination at the end of the course.

What are the set sizes?
In 2004 the largest set at Higher has 10 students and the A Level set has 10 students. Geography is one of the most popular Sixth Form subjects.

How good are the geography results?
We expect that all students accepted on to A or AS level courses will gain grade B or better and that all Highers students will gain grade C or better. In June 2003, 100% of our A2 candidates gained either an A or B grade

Where can I find further information on Geography as a university course?
The Head of Department has a range of prospectuses and The Directory of University Geography Courses 2002. Alternatively you can check the web sites of the Royal Geographical Society and The Geographical Association.

Mr. B. G. Welsh
Head of Geography.

Email: geography@fettes.com