KS3
KS3 Geography
All pupils study Geography in Years 8, 9 and 10. Our KS3 Programme provides varied and interesting learning experiences under the following headings:
- Geographical Skills (mapwork, research, data handling, presentation and communication skills);
- Geographical Themes (Rocks and Processes of Landscape Development, Weather and Climate, Ecosystems, Population, Settlement, Economic Activities);
- Places and Locational Knowledge (Ireland – the counties, main towns, rivers, loughs and mountains; the capital cities of England, Scotland and Wales; the member states and capital cities of the European Union; the continents and oceans and major lines of latitude and longitude of the world.;
- Issues (Environmental Issues; World Development Issues);
- Contribution to Educational Themes (ICT, Careers, Cultural Heritage, Health Education, Economic Awareness).
ICT is used extensively to enhance learning and the pupils are given many opportunities to research information, create presentations,create podcasts, analyse data and record findings using the school's ICT network.
Promoting Careers
The geography department promotes careers in their curriculum by taking out all year 9 students to a local industry such as Seagate, Coolkeeragh, Axa, Derry city airport etc
All year 10 students will go to the Giant's Causeway in collaboration with the Science department.
GCSE
At St Mary's College at
GCSE level we follow the CCEA specification for geography. At GCSE level ( new specification) the subject is divided into 3 modules:
- Unit 1 - Understanding our Natural World (40%)
- Unit 2 - Living in Our World (40%)
- Unit 3 - Fieldwork(20%)
In
Year 11 at St Mary's College, the pupils complete module 2 which consists of 4 themes:
- Theme A - Population and Migration
- Theme B - Changing Urban Areas
- Theme C - Contrasts in World Development
- Theme D - Managing Our Environment
In
Year 12 at St Mary's College, the pupils complete module 1 which consists of 4 themes:
-
- Theme A: River Environments
- Theme B: Coastal Environments
- Theme C: Our Changing Weather and Climate
- Theme D The Restless Earth
Also in year 12 the pupils complete an exam paper based on their fieldwork study which will be about the Curly Burn river.
Post 16
At St Mary's College we study the NICCEA new specification for A Level Geography. The subject is divided into Physical and Human Geography modules that are examined in May/June of each year. Currently, Mrs Mulligan and Miss Curran teaches geography at both AS and A2 level.
New Specification
Geography at AS level is composed of 3 modules:
AS1 --
Physical Geography ( 40% of AS) , AS2 --
Human Geography ( 40% of AS) and AS3 --
Fieldwork Skills and Techniques in Geography ( 20% of AS).
At St Mary's College, AS geography pupils study the following topics in detail as part of the
physical module (AS1):
- Rivers,
- Ecosystems,
- Weather and Climate a
As part of the
human module (AS2) in geography, AS students study:
- Population,
- Settlement and
- Development
As part of the
Fieldwork Skills and Techniques in Geography module the pupils will answer two questions. The first question will require the pupils to present, analyse, interpret and evaluate the primary data they collected whereas the second question will require the pupils to apply their geographical skills to qualitative and quantitative data that the pupils are provided with.
Pupils will be examined in this module in the May/June of their AS year.
Geography at A2 level is composed of 3 modules: A21 -- Human Geography ( 40%) and Global Issues and A2 2 (40%) -- Physical Geography and A23 (20%) Decision Making.
Year 14 pupils will complete all 3 modules
in the June of year 14.
There are 3 parts to this module.
Section A: Human Geography - you must choose two questions to answer about three human geography topics. We will be studying
- Population and Development.(Parts 1 and 2)
Section B: Global Issues - in addition we must consider one question that concerns a particular urban issue. We will be looking at Tourism for this (Part 3)
Year 14 pupils will complete this module
Physical Geography and Decision Making in the June of year 14.
There are 3 parts to this part of the course.
Section A: Physical Geography - you must choose two questions to answer about three physical geography topics. We will be studying Ecosystems and earthquakes and volcanoes.(Parts 1 and 2)
Section B: The pupils will also have to complete a decision making exercise which will take the form of a casestudy.