S5-6 Geography
Ambition, Confidence, Happiness and Respect.
Higher
Entrance Requirement: National 5 in Geography. Pupils with a National 5 pass in both English and another social subject may be accepted at the discretion of the department.
Candidates are required to study two out of five Environmental Interactions. Candidates must also complete an Assignment as part of the course.
All courses last for the duration of the year. Learners will attend classes 5 periods a week.
Course Content – Three mandatory units (40 hours each)
Unit 1: Physical Environments: Coasts and Glaciation, Rivers, Soils and Atmosphere
Unit 2: Human Environments:Population, Urban Landscape, Rural Land Degradation (how farming changes the landscape)
Unit 3: Global:Development and Health and Climate Change
Advanced Higher
Entrance Requirement: While entry is at the discretion of the department, candidates would normally be expected to have attained either a course or the component units at Higher in Geography.
Course Content: 2 mandatory units
Unit 1: Geographical Skills
Unit 2: Geographical Issues
How Higher and Advanced Higher courses can help you
Learners will develop higher order writing, thinking, analytical and processing skills. Learners will be expected to evaluate and comment on sources; to draw relevant information from sources and texts in order to write cogent and evaluative pieces of work. We will encourage learners to express articulate and informed opinions, and to write technically literate answers, using diagrams where appropriate. Learners will also develop skills that will allow them to make links across seemingly disparate subjects, and to understand at the same time why these inter-dependent links exist.
Criteria for Progression to the Next Level of Certification
Higher – Possible progression to Advanced Higher
Advanced Higher - The qualification will also assist with the progression to Higher Education.It loeads directly onto first year study at university.
Assessment
Assessment will include the course assessment and folio work.
The course assessment consists of two units on Skills and mapwork that are assessed in the exam.
The folio consists of two pieces of work including
(i)a critical evaluation essay looking at a geographical issue of choice and assessment of research. (ii)a fieldwork study on a subject of choice.
For those pupils who are not sitting the course assessment, there are three mandatory stand alone units that
are internally assessed on a pass/fail basis within centres and by the SQA. To gain the stand alone units, the learner must pass all of the units as well as the dissertation.
Expectations of the Department
Homework will be issued on a regular basis. Homework involves completing work or extension work from class lessons or the completion of past paper questions. Generally candidates should read over notes from class, complete work/homework on a nightly basis. Assignments should be completed by the date given.
