Specification

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Specification
(PDF)
(Version 3) For first teaching from September 2009, for first assessment from Summer 2010, for first award in Summer 2011

Related Circulars

Specification - (S/IF/102/09)
(PDF)

There are two tiers of entry for this specification: Foundation and Higher. Students entered for the Foundation Tier are eligible for grades C–G. If students fail to attain a grade G, we report their results as unclassified (U). Higher Tier students are eligible for grades A*–D. We provide an allowed grade E as a ‘safety net’ for Higher Tier students just failing to secure a grade D.

This course is divided into six themes. These are outlined in more detail in the table below.

Theme

Content
Unit 1: Understanding Our Natural World

A: The Dynamic Landscape
  • The Drainage Basin: a Component of the Water Cycle
  • River Processes and Features
  • Coastal Processes and Features
  • Sustainable Management of Rivers
  • Sustainable Management of Coasts

B: Our Changing Weather and Climate
  • Measurement of the Weather Elements
  • Weather Systems in the British Isles
  • The Causes and Consequences of Climatic Change

C: Restless Earth
  • Basic Rock Types
  • Plate Tectonics Theory
  • Tectonic Activity in the British Isles
  • Earthquakes: Can They Be Managed?
Unit 2: Living In Our World

A: People and Where They Live
  • Population Growth, Change and Structure
  • Settlement Site, Function and Hierarchy
  • Urbanisation in LEDCs and MEDCs

B: Contrasts in World Development
  • The Development Gap
  • Factors Contributing to Unequal Development
  • Sustainable Solutions to Deal with the Problems of Unequal Development

C: Managing Our Resources
  • The Impact of Our Increasing Use of Resources on the Environment
  • Increasing Demand for Resources in LEDCs and MEDCs
  • Managing Waste Helps to Protect Our Environment
  • Sustainable Tourism Can Help to Preserve the Environment
For more information, see the specification.