GEOGRAPHY

Staff Members

I. Aitken - Principal Teacher of Geography
A. Fulton - Teacher of Geography
K. McHaffie - Teacher of Geography

Introduction

Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies that are spread across it. They also examine how humans interacts with the natural environment and the way that locations and places can have an impact on people.

S1&2 Geography

In first year, pupils will learn about:

World Geography and Atlas Skills
Natural Regions: Tropical Rainforests and Desert Climates
Local Area: The physical and human geography of Ayrshire, including coastal landscapes, settlement and Ordnance Survey mapping skills

In second year, pupils study:

Kenya: The physical landscape of Kenya, development indicators, population, migration and shanty towns, trade, tea production and tourism
Earth Forces; including plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis
Weather: Collecting and forecasting weather.
Sustainability of the fashion industry, plastics and waste.

S3 Geography

In third year, pupils study and investigate:

Mapping Skills: including OS map interpretation
Local Area Study: a fieldwork based investigation of the area near the school
Tundra Environment
Climate Change and Energy
Megacities: a case study of Rio de Janeiro
Volcanic Eruptions: including a case study of Iceland
Extreme Weather: including heatwaves, flooding and tropical storms

National 4/5 Geography

Across the National 4 And National 5 courses, pupils study:

Physical Environments: This includes coastal landscapes, glaciated upland landscapes, land use conflicts and weather systems
Human Environments: Includes population, development, urban landscapes and rural landscapes
Global Issues: Climate Change and Health

Higher Environmental Science

Higher Environmental Science, which is made up of three main units, is particularly accessible to pupils with either a Geography or Biology background.

Living Environment: Ecosystems, energy transfers and the impact of humans on ecosystems.
Earth Resources: The geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
Sustainability: Food production, water supplies, waste and climate change.

Higher Geography

At Higher Geography, pupils study:

Physical Environments: This includes lithosphere (coastal and glaciated landscapes), biosphere (soils), hydrosphere (drainage and river systems) and atmosphere.
Human Environments: Population change, urban landscapes (Glasgow and Lagos, Nigeria) and rural landscapes (Skye and the Sahel)
Global Issues: River Basin Management and Development & Health

Advanced Higher Geography

The Advanced Higher Geography course is a skills-based course which is very good preparation for further education. It includes:

Geographical Issues Essay: A literacy-based folio pieces where pupils research and interpret opinions on a controversial issue.
Geographical Study: Where pupils collect data on an aspect of Geography of their choice and present and analyse the data collected.
An external exam which assess skills, including mapping skills, fieldwork techniques and data handling skills, including some statistics.

Travel & Tourism: Skills for Work

A skills for work course which has four main themes:

Scotland
UK and Worldwide
Employability Skills
Customer Service