Specification/Exam Board

Edexcel Geography B.

In Component 1 we study Global Geographical Issues, which includes the topics of Hazardous Earth, Development Dynamics and Challenges of an urbanising world. This is examined through a written examination lasting 1 hour 30minutes and comprising 37.5% of the qualification.

In Component 2 we study UK Geographical Issues, which includes the topics of the UK’s evolving physical landscape, the UK’s evolving human landscape and Geographical Investigations. The Geographical Investigations unit involves two pieces of fieldwork. This is examined through a written examination lasting 1hour 30minutes and comprising 37.5% of the qualification.

In Component 3 we study for a Decision-Making Paper, which includes the topics of People and the Biosphere, Forests under Threat and Consuming Energy Resources. This is examined through a written examination lasting 1hour 30minutes and comprising 25% of the qualification.

Curriculum Allocation

GCSE Geography is taught for three 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1:

Curriculum content

Topic 2: Development Dynamics (12 lessons)

In this topic we study development and inequality covering areas such as:

  • Different ways to define development
  • How differences in development affect a country's demographics (population)
  • How factors like location, environment, colonialism and international relations have created global inequalities
  • Theories of how countries develop (Rostow and Frank)
  • Different types of development strategy (top-down and bottom-up) and how effective they are

Also within this topic we do a country study of India.

  • India's rapid economic growth and how that has altered quality of life in the country
  • Impacts on growth on the people, the environment and the geopolitics of Asia.

Assessment

The Year 10 Assessment 1 will mostly focus on Topic 2: Development Dynamics. There will be small number of questions recalling Topic 1: Hazardous Earth from Year 9.

Curriculum Period 2:

Curriculum content

Topic 5: The UK's evolving human geography (10 lessons)

  • The differences in wealth and population between different parts of the UK
  • How the UK's economy has changed and become more globalised
  • How migration has shaped the UK

Also within this topic we do a study of a major UK city (Greater Manchester)

  • The situation and structure of the city
  • The influence of migration on the city
  • Variations in inequality across the city
  • How the city has changed due to deindustrialisation, decentralisation and e-commerce.
  • How successful have been attempts at regeneration and rebranding in the city?
  • How successful have been strategies to make the city more sustainable
  • Changes in rural areas

Topic 6: Geographical Investigations (8 lessons)

Pupils complete two pieces of fieldwork in Geography. The first is an investigation into how and why quality of life varies within urban areas. As detailed in the table below, pupils must learn about formulating enquiry questions, selecting fieldwork methods and finding secondary data.

This is accomplished by pupils following the stages of enquiry below:

Pupils will then be asked to evaluate at least two of these stages in the final examination.

Assessment

The Year 10 Assessment 2 will focus on Topic 5 and Topic 6 (approximately 80%) and then approximately 20% will be recalling content from Topic 2 from the previous term.

Curriculum Period 3:

Curriculum content

Topic 3: The challenges of an urbanising world (11 lessons)

  • The urbanisation of the world, leading to the growth of megacities
  • Urbanisation resulting from migration and economic change
  • How cities have changed over time through processes such as suburbanisation, deindustrialisation, counter-urbanisation and regeneration.
A study of an example of a megacity - Mumbai, India
  • The situation and structure of the megacity.
  • Reasons for the megacity's rapid growth.
  • The Opportunities and Challenges of rapid urbanisation for the people who live in the megacity. Focus on Dharavi slum.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of both city-wide and community-based strategies to improve quality of life and sustainability in the megacity.

Coastal change and conflict RECAP (3 lessons)

The content for coasts has been covered in Year 9 but also recapped at this point:

  • How geological structure (concordant/discordant, joints and faults) and rock type (hard/soft rock) influence erosional landforms (headlands and bays, caves, arches, cliffs, stacks, wave cut platforms) in the formation of coastal landscapes of erosion.
  • How UK climate (seasonality, storm frequency, prevailing winds), marine (destructive waves) and sub-aerial processes (mass movement, weathering) are important in coastal landscapes of erosion as well as the rate of coastal retreat.
  • How sediment transportation (longshore drift) and deposition processes (constructive waves) influence coastal landforms (spits, beaches and bars) on coastal landscapes of deposition.
  • How human activities (development, agriculture, industry, coastal management) have direct or indirect effects on coastal landscapes
  • How the interaction of physical and human processes is causing change on one named coastal landscape (North Wales coast)
  • Why there are increasing risks from coastal flooding (consequences of climate change on marine erosion and deposition, including an increased frequency of storms and rising sea level) and the threats to people and environment.
  • Why there are costs and benefits to, and conflicting views about, managing coastal processes by hard engineering (groynes and sea walls) and by soft engineering (beach replenishment, slope stabilisation) as well as more sustainable approaches (‘do nothing’ and ‘strategic realignment’ linked to Integrated Coastal Zone Management).

Topic 6 part 2: Geographical Investigations - Coastal fieldwork (8 lessons)

Pupils complete two pieces of fieldwork in Geography. The second is an investigation into coastal management along the North Wales coast. As detailed in the table below, pupils must learn about formulating enquiry questions, selecting fieldwork methods and finding secondary data.

This is accomplished by pupils following the stages of enquiry below:

Pupils will then be asked to evaluate at least two of these stages in the final examination.

Assessment

The Year 10 Assessment 3 will focus on Topic 3 and Topic 6 (approximately 70%) and then approximately 30% will be recalling content from Topics 2 and 5 from previous terms.

Revision resources

We provide booklets of knowledge organisers for all the units covered through Year 10. Pupils should use these to revise for recall tests throughout the year and for the three formal assessments.

There are four revision guides which have been published for this course by Pearson, Hodder, OUP and CGP. Whichever publisher, it is important that pupils use a revision guide specifically for Edexcel B (9-1). Periodically we do make a school order for the CGP guide via ParentPay.

Subject advice and guidance

If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s Geography teacher via email:

r.cartlidge@endon.shaw-education.org.uk

r.ball@endon.shaw-education.org.uk/j.best@endon.shaw-education.org.uk

a.skelding@endon.shaw-education.org.uk