Edexcel – AS & A2 Level Studies Geography

We’ve refreshed our geography courses in line with the latest A-level requirements, maximising the strengths of our existing studies and using new locations and technology where appropriate.

Studies are focussed on the ‘route to enquiry’ with students being encouraged to find out about the topic and location, making predictions before going out into the field and collecting data to prove or disprove these. Students will use geographical information systems as a key part of their follow-up work, displaying their own results and using secondary data to help analyse patterns. We then carry out follow-up sessions to find out if their predictions were correct, consider the study’s limitations and think about how they may have affected results.

Students focus on the ‘route to enquiry’, making predictions before going out into the field to collect data. We then carry out a follow-up session using the latest geographical information system technology, where students will analyse
their results to find out whether their predictions were correct. We finish each module with a review of the study, encouraging students to question the study’s limitations and consider how they may have affected results.

	Extreme Weather – Flooding	Crowded Coast – Coastal Erosion	Crowded Coast – Resort Management	Crowded Coast – High Value Areas	Unequal Spaces -Urban	Unequal Spaces -Urban	Rebranding Places - Rural	Rebranding Places - Rural	Geographical Research
Colomendy
Isle of Wight
Overstrand

Unit 2: Extreme Weather – Flooding

Flooding events in the UK are having an increasingly devastating effect on many people. Students observe how part of a river catchment can suffer increased flood risks resulting from the physical characteristics of the area and growing urbanisation.

Unit 2: Crowded Coasts – Resort Management

Many sea-side towns in the UK reached their peak in the 1960’s. Students investigate the physical features that made them popular with holiday makers and assess their potential futures as resort managers diversify their products in order to compete with foreign competition as well as preserve the natural environment.

Unit 2: Unequal Spaces – Rural

Although a separate study, this module complements student’s work on urban settlements. Many of the same fieldwork methods and techniques are used in a number of small rural settlements. This allows students to use this data in direct comparison to that of the urban area therefore creating the opportunity for patterns of spatial inequality to be identified.

Unit 2: Rebranding Places – Rural

Research into strategies for rebranding rural settlements is carried out prior to students’ visits to a selection of locations. The theoretical implementation of a range of strategies is then discussed & analysed with reference to contrasting locations that have been viewed, and in light of secondary information regarding the scale of success of similar rebranding projects.

Unit 2: Crowded Coasts – Coastal Erosion

Coastal retreat is a significant issue facing many people in Britain today. Students visit a section of coastline where rates of coastal erosion are having major impacts on both the natural and human environments. The success of coastal defence schemes is evaluated with students comparing different types of defence strategies used to protect areas of varying value in monetary terms.

Unit 2: Crowded Coasts – High Value Areas

Students visit a sand dune system to investigate what makes these areas important, how human and physical factors are threatening them and the management strategies being used.

Unit 2: Unequal Spaces – Urban

Students collect primary data from one major urban area to show variations in land-use, environmental quality and accessibility. Spatial inequalities can then be highlighted and discussed in relation to secondary data from sources such as census statistics.

Unit 2: Rebranding Places – Urban

Advertising comes in many forms when a settlement is being rebranded. Students visit areas that have been rebranded, or are in need of rebranding in order to analyse & evaluate different strategies. Having identified these, students are encouraged to think of their own settlement rebranding ideas.

Unit 4: Geographical Research

The use of rural areas for tourism can be investigated, including consideration of strategies used to manage areas such as National Park designation. Students are encouraged to consider issues such as carrying capacity and resilience of rural areas.

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