Geography Syllabus & Revision Outline

Link to Syllabus
Geography Syllabus Outline
GEOGRAPHICAL CONCEPTS Environment | Place | Process | Scale | Space and Time| System


Environment
Geographers are interested in the relationship between humans and the natural environment. The natural environment may be seen as being designed for human purposes, thus legitimising human domination over the non-human world. The natural environment may also be understood as the major influence on human activities, which impose limits on human growth and development. The relationship between humans and the natural environment is recognised to be dynamic and complex, with changes in the former involving changes in the latter and vice-versa.

Place
Geographers investigate real places. Places acquire meaning as a result of an individual’s or a group’s experiences that include sensory perception and memories. Places can also be produced to represent particular identities and express specific ideas through different ways, for example signage, maps, official documents and popular media. Places evolve constantly and are contestable by different social forces. Places are constituted by what is internal to them while being shaped by external forces simultaneously.

Process
Geographers examine the flow or actions that produce or transform a system or structure. Processes can occur sequentially over time or across space. Processes are also understood as mechanisms by which particular outcomes are achieved. Processes are controlled by variables and knowledge of these variables enables some degree of prediction of future values. However exact prediction of physical and human phenomena is impossible because of our incomplete understanding or inaccurate measurements.

Scale
Geographers take care to match the resolution of data collected in relation to the scale of their research question(s) that they have in mind. Issues and phenomena manifest at different scales from the personal to the global. Processes also operate at different scales, with some operating at multiple scales at the same time. The understanding of how processes at one scale can be amplified or diminished through the interaction with other processes from any other scale is important.

Space and Time
Geographers are particularly concerned about the spatial and temporal aspects of what they study. Much attention is placed on the organisation of physical and human phenomena across space and their evolution over time. Location and distance are often understood in relative rather than absolute terms in this context. An examination of spatial and temporal relations and patterns can yield significant insights and enrich our understanding of the environment and humans.

System
Geographers are sensitive to the interrelationships and interdependence of different elements in the world. Systems are hierarchical; the whole system at one level is a component of a higher-order set and the elements of one system are in effect smaller-scale systems. A positive feedback results in a net change in the system while a negative feedback does the opposite. The concept of systems allows for the study of a portion of reality while being aware that what is being studied is part of a larger whole.

Theme 1 (Tropical Environments) helps students to understand the workings of atmospheric, geomorphic and hydrologic processes and associated landforms in the tropics through a systems approach. Students learn about feedback loops to analyse humans’ impact on the environment and how humans are in turn affected by environmental hazards.
Theme 2 (Development, Economy and Environment) introduces students to the underlying political and socio-economic structures that determine what kind of natural resources are transformed into different kinds of useful products in different parts of the world. Through case studies, students gain insights into how political and economic decisions influence the society and our environment.
Theme 3 (Sustainable Development) highlights the importance of exploring how people in different parts of the world are affected when natural environments are exploited. Students confront the contradictions between meeting present needs and achieving intergenerational equity, that is, to pass on the environment in a ‘reasonable condition’ to future generations.
Theme 4 (Geographical Investigation) provides students with opportunities to carry out fieldwork to deepen their understanding of what they have learned from Themes 1–3. They will learn how to craft research questions, plan for their investigations, collect, present and analyse data, evaluate and communicate their findings.

Themes:
Theme 1 - Tropical Environment (Explores physical processes that combine to shape different landscapes in the humid and arid tropics. Current issues in the tropics)
Theme 2 - Development, Economy, and the Environment (Relations between natural resources and human development)
Theme 3 - Sustainable Development (Application of physical and human geography knowledge to analyse how recent climate change and rapid urbanisation implicate our pursuit of sustainable development.)

Topics:
Topic 1.1: Physical Processes in the Tropics
Overall Learning Outcomes
• the dynamism of natural environments in the tropics
• the factors influencing temperature and rainfall patterns in different climate zones in the tropics
• differences and similarities between the hydrological and fluvial systems in the humid and arid tropics
• differences and similarities of geomorphic processes that occur in the humid and arid tropics

Topic 1.2:  Landscape & Issues in the Tropics
Overall Learning Outcomes:
• the evolution of landscapes and nature of topical issues in the tropics
• the formation of landforms in the humid and arid tropics
• the causes, effects and management of floods in the humid and arid tropics
• the causes, effects and management of tropical deforestation

Topic 2.1: Development & The Global Economy
Overall Learning Outcomes:
• the reciprocal relationship between global economic growth and human development
• the critique of different perspectives on development and ways to measure and monitor it
• the nature of the global economy and the impact of economic activities on society and the environment
• the role and influence of different actors in governing the global economy

Topic 2.2: Environment & Resources
Overall Learning Outcomes:
• how different factors interplay to influence society’s extraction of value from the environment
• different ways of valuing the environment, perspectives about population-resource relationships and resource appraisal
• the challenge of managing natural resources and extractive industries
• the strategies used to manage water scarcity, transboundary water resources and the implications of privatising water resources

Topic 3,1: Climate Change & Energy
Overall Learning Outcomes:
• the contested nature of sustainable development and alternative energy
• the processes underlying contemporary climate change in particular the influence of human activities
• the effects of climate change on sustainable development
• the responses to climate change in particular the use of alternative energy sources

Topic 3.2: Sustainable Urban Development
Overall Learning Outcomes:
• the goals of sustainable development as applied to cities
• the difficulties of measuring sustainable urban development
• the issues that confront cities in achieving sustainable development and liveability
• the range of strategies to achieve sustainable urban development and liveability

Theme 4: Geographical Investigation
A | Living with Rivers
• Factors influencing flood risk and ways to mitigate it
• Impact of wind direction on rainfall
• Influence of land use on infiltration rates

B | People and the Economy
• Impact of industries on local communities
• Impact of industries on the environment
• Linkages between TNCs and local enterprises

C | Urban Living Today
• Liveability of urban neighbourhoods
• Needs analysis of the elderly living in an urban neighbourhood
• Impact of urban imaging on urban dwellers

1. Craft Research Question or Hypothesis: 
• at a suitable scale
• capable of research
• clearly defined
2. Develop a Plan for the Investigation: 
• establish the data needed to examine the question/hypothesis posed
• identify appropriate methods for collecting primary and secondary data (including sampling when required)
• consider research ethics and understand limitations imposed by resources
• minimise potential risks in undertaking investigation
3. Collect Data: 
• make use of primary and secondary data as appropriate to the question/hypothesis posed
• consider issues of accuracy and reliability in relation to the data being collected
4. Present and Analyse Data:
• organise and represent data using appropriate methods (see Additional Notes on Data)
• analyse and interpret the data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods
• interpret the results in relation to the question/hypothesis posed
5. Evaluate and Communicate Findings:
• present a summary of the findings, relating back specifically to the question/hypothesis posed
• present an evaluation of the investigation, including the methods used, data collected and possible limitations and improvements that could be made

Additional Notes on Data
Making sense of data and representing ideas using different graphical/tabular methods should be an integral part of learning Geography, including geographical investigations.
Maps | contour maps, choropleth maps, isoline maps, dot maps, flow-line maps, proportional symbols maps and cartograms
Graphs | pie charts, bars, histograms, scatter graphs, dispersion diagrams, triangular graphs, line graphs
Photographs | landscape photographs, aerial photographs and satellite images
Others | tables, diagrams, illustrations and cartoons

Highest order answers:
Response is consistently analytical and comprises purposeful explanations. Response addresses the question fully using accurate and detailed knowledge. Depth of relevant knowledge and understanding is evident throughout. Response is coherent and use of terminology is accurate throughout.

Response is perceptive, logical and has strong evaluative elements. Evaluation is relevant and comprehensive. Strong evidence of synoptic thinking where knowledge from different topics is synthesised purposefully. Response fully addresses the demands of the question and features detailed and accurate knowledge reflecting depth of understanding of the subject content. The argument or discussion is coherent and well supported by relevant material. Use of terminology is accurate.

Response demonstrates a clear knowledge and understanding of the context in the question. Uses relevant, detailed and accurate factual information and conceptual understanding. Reflects strong critical thinking skills and may include perceptive insights for the strongest responses. Source(s) is well used to support the response. • Provides a logical and well-developed evaluation well founded on evidence and/or different viewpoints. OR • Makes a decision which clearly addresses different elements of the issue and/or interest of different stakeholders

Response demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding of geographical investigation skills and methods relevant to the given context. Provides a logical and well-developed evaluation, which may include perceptive insights for the strongest responses. Reflects strong critical thinking skills and a good understanding of the requirements of the question.