Exam Board: Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Syllabus Code: 0976
What will I be studying?
The syllabus aims are to encourage the development of a ‘sense of place’ and an understanding of relative location on a local, regional and global scale, with an awareness of the characteristics and distribution of a selection of contrasting physical and human environments. This is done by encouraging an understanding of some of the processes affecting the development of such environments, the spatial effects of the ways in which people interact with each other and with their environments, and the development of an understanding of different communities and cultures throughout the world, with an awareness of the contrasting opportunities and constraints presented by different environments.
Students are encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a wide range of processes, spatial patterns and interactions, and the importance of scale and changes through time, contributing to the development of physical, economic, social, political and cultural environments and their associated effects on the landscape.
The IGCSE specification places considerable emphasis on skills and analysis, particularly the analysis and interpretation of a wide range of geographical data, including use of maps, and to recognise patterns and deduce relationships through the techniques of observing, collecting, organising and presenting data.
The syllabus allows the opportunity for judgement and decision making in personalised and independent learning; students should be able to reason and make judgements (including evaluation and conclusions), gain aesthetic appreciation of the Earth, as well as an appreciation of the attitudes, values and beliefs of others in cultural, economic, environmental, political and social issues which have a geographical dimension, and develop a willingness to review their own attitudes in the light of new knowledge and experiences, through the processes of decision making within a geographical context.
The key text used for this specification is Cambridge IGCSE Geography Coursebook, Second Edition, Gary Cambers and Steve Sibley, Cambridge University Press (2015), ISBN978-1-107-45894-9.
Fieldwork is carried out in Lower Fifth involving a three-day residential field trip to a field studies centre. This will aid students in their completion of the coursework. The field studies centres have expert staff with a wealth of experience in geographical fieldwork. Field trips are not just about work however, they are very popular with the students as they also learn good team work skills and make good friendships within their peer group.
Topics Covered in Lower Fifth
Theme 1 – Population & Settlement
Topic 1: Population & Migration – population growth/over & underpopulation
Case Study 1: Kuwait
Case Study 2: Australia, causes of a change in population size, population change
Case Study 3: Bangladesh
Case Study 4: Singapore, migration, the impacts of migration
Case Study 5: Mexico-USA, population pyramids
Case Study 6: Somalia, population density
Case Study 7: Ganges River Basin
Case Study 8: Mongolia
Topic 2: Settlement – settlement patterns, settlement growth, site and function, settlement hierarchy
Case Study 9: South Cambridgeshire, urban land use, urban problems & solutions
Case Study 10: Bristol, rapid urban growth, impacts of urban growth
Case Study 11: Rio de Janeiro.
Theme 2 – The Natural Environment
Topic 3: Tectonics – features of earthquakes and volcanoes, plate tectonics, causes and effects of earthquakes and volcanoes, hazards and opportunities of earthquakes and volcanoes
Case Study 12: Sichuan Earthquake
Case Study 13: Eyjafjallajokull (E15) Iceland
Topic 4: Rivers – drainage basins, the work of rivers, river landforms, river hazards & opportunities, managing river flooding
Case Study 14: Mississipi Rive, USA.
Topic 5: Coasts – the work of the sea, coastal landforms, mangrove swamps, hazards & opportunities on the coast, coastal erosion
Case Study 15: North Norfolk Coast
Topic 6: Weather & Climate – collecting weather data, using weather & climate data, the equatorial climate, tropical rainforests
Case Study 16: Borneo Tropical Rainforest, hot desert climates, desert ecosystems
Case Study 17: Namibia, Namib Hot Desert
Coursework – Residential field trip to Leeson House Field Studies Centre, completed over two weeks and handed in for marking over the summer break.
Topics Covered in Upper Fifth
Theme 3 – Economic Development
Topic 7: Development – indicators of development, classifying production, employment structure, globalisation
Case Study 18: Nike, USA
Topic 8: Food Production – agricultural systems
Case Study 19: Arable Farm, food shortages
Case Study 20: Madagascar
Topic 9: Industry – industrial systems
Case Study 21: Silicon (M4) Corridor, UK
Topic 10: Tourism – the growth of tourism, benefits and disadvantages of tourism, sustainable tourism
Case Study 22: Kenya
Topic 11: Energy – energy use varies, nuclear power or renewables
Case Study 23: Iceland
Topic 12: Water – managing water
Case Study 24: California USA
Topic 13: Environmental Risks of Economic Development – economic activities pose risks, sustainable development
Case Study 25: Fracking in California.
*Please note that case studies may change
How will I be assessed?
Paper 1 – Geographical Themes (1 hour 45 minutes, 45%)
Paper 2 – Geographical Skills (1 hour 30 minutes, 27.5%)
Coursework – 2000 word project completed over 2 weeks (27.5%)
Further information
Please contact Claire Meek
claire.meek@sidcot.org.uk