Hello Geographers!
It is great that you are considering studying Geography at A Level. There are some ideas below for your transition into the world of A level. It is important to have a wider geographical knowledge than at GCSE and you need to start to read around the subject. Hopefully these resources below will spark your interest and start you on that journey. Try to do one idea each week to see you through to the end of the term.
Idea 1: Scrapbook challenge
You need to start collecting a bank of current news stories that can be related to Geography as you will receive a scrapbook at the start of the course which you will be expected to update on a regular basis. Try to look at more than one source for a particular current news event. Different newspapers, news channels, magazine articles might take a different angle to the event or use different statistics. Why might that be? Annotate the articles and ensure you define any words that are new to you. An example might be a volcanic eruption that occurs, urban greening in cities, effect of globalistion, coastal erosion to even looking at articles on the geography of the coronvirus.
Idea 2 : Geography websites
There are some great geography websites out there to expand your knowledge. Have a look at the one below and check out the videos especially on volcanic hazards, wildfires, water and carbon and multiculturalism as we will be looking at these in the A level specification.
https://timeforgeography.co.uk/
Can you find any others that you could recommend?
Idea 3: Know your local area
Using Google Earth (an example of GIS) to look at the Holderness Coast. Coasts are one of our topics studied in Paper 1 too so this will be useful also. What is GIS? Find out!
1 . Draw two field sketches of contrasting coastlines on the Holderness Coast and annotate. You might first want to 'visit', Hornsea where you went for your GCSE field trip.
2. Annotate images from google earth to show a range of approaches to coastal management and their environmental impact along the Holderness Coast. Think of sea walls, groynes, rock armour..... Find out why coastal management is needed on this stretch of coastline.
3. Can you work out how to measure sea defences on Google Earth?
Idea 4: Prepare for Geog.Soc
Each half term, we have Sixth form Geography Society debates that cover a range of geographical issues. Can you think of any topics that we could discuss next year?
Examples of ones we had this year are below. Have a go at drafting out arguments for both sides. A key skill at A level is being able to evaluate.
- The High Street is dead
- Eating bugs is the answer
- Environmental concerns should be the responsibility of individuals
Idea 5: Listen to a podcast...or two
Another way to gain a greater awareness of geography is to listen to a podcast. Use the link below to explore. A conversation with Tim Marshall is a good start and I also strongly recommend his book -'Prisoners of Geography'
https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/ask-the-expert-podcasts/
Can you find any other podcasts that you could recommend to others?
Idea 6: Using diagrams and photographs
One of the many skills that you will develop in Geography is improving your analytical skills. This will be in terms of writing (don't worry you will get plenty of practice on longer essay writing during the course) but also analysing diagrams such as one below:
Try to interpret this diagram. Maybe start with a country that you are aware of first..Can you describe and explain the trade flows of that country....
Photographs are another source that are used to analyse. Have a look at the picture below that will be useful for our topic of Changing Places. Have a think about the character of this place, media representation of place, how and why this area developed, how it has changed over time, the reasons for regeneration and relative success of the regeneration.