Welcome to the Geography Department
Geography teaching staff
- Mrs J O’Neill (Head of Social Studies)
- Mr G Coey
- Miss K Welshman
What is Geography?
Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future. Our world is constantly changing. From where you go on your holidays to the weather we get in our summers. From how you travel to school to where your food and clothes come from. Geography is everywhere.
“Geography is the study of Earth’s landscapes, people, places and environments. It is about the world we live in.”
Barack Obama said “The study of geography is more than just learning places on a map. It’s about understanding how complex our world is and appreciating the diversity of cultures that exist around the world.”
Did you know…?
- If everyone in the world (7.8 billion people) was standing together, we could all fit into the city of Los Angeles, USA
- Africa has 7,500 different languages
- A cargo ship carrying products from all around the world, carries 18,000 containers on the ship – over 1,500 containers fall into the sea every year.
- Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland, but there are 20 more places called Belfast around the world in America, South Africa, UK, New Zealand and Jamaica
Key Stage 3
All pupils will study Geography in Year 8-10. Geography helps to develop skills such as team work, creative thinking, independent research, problem solving and decision making. All of the topics that we teach are relevant and up-to-date with current world issues.
| Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 |
| · What is Geography? | · Weather | · Natural resources |
| · Map skills | · Climate | · Earthquakes and volcanoes |
| · Northern Ireland | · Coasts | · Development |
| · Rivers | · Population | · Urbanisation |
| · Africa | · Migration | · Tourism |
| · The UK | · Countries within Europe | · Countries of the World |
GCSE Geography
Why should I study Geography at Glengormley High School?
There are 5 reasons why Geography gives pupils a good educational experience
- It is an up-to-date and stimulating subject
- Employers seek the skills that are taught
- Geography fits in well with other subjects
- Geographer’s have high standards
- Geography makes you think
Should I study Geography?
YES, if one or all of the following apply to you:-
- You are interested in finding out about the world around you
- You are not afraid of hard work
- The topics studied are of interest to you
- You want a qualification in a subject that will help you in a wide range of careers and areas of study
- You want a future employer to see you as a multi-skilled individual with an understanding of the world around them
| GCSE Geography – AQA exam board | |||
| Content | Content summary | Assessment | Weighting |
| Unit 1
– Living with the physical environment |
This unit covers
– The challenges of natural hazards – The living world – Physical landscape in the UK – Geographical skills |
External written exam
1 hour 30 minutes |
35% |
| Unit 2
– Challenges in the human environment |
This unit covers
– Urban issues and challenges – The changing economic world – The challenges of recourse management – Geographical skills |
External written exam
1 hour 30 minutes |
35% |
| Unit 3
– Geographical applications |
This unit covers
– Issue evaluation – Fieldwork – Geographical skills |
External written exam
1 hour 15 minutes |
30% |
BTEC Level 1/2 & Level 3 Travel and Tourism
Should I study travel and tourism?
The travel and tourism industry is a huge part of our economy. This subject will allow us to look at why we travel, the infrastructure behind travelling and the ins and outs of the travel industry.
We study BTEC Level 1/2 Travel and Tourism in Year 11-12 which is the equivalent to a GCSE and BTEC Level 3 Travel and Tourism in Year 13-14 which is the equivalent to A Level.
Both qualifications assess a wide variation of skills and techniques to prepare pupils for employment within the travel and tourism industry. We introduce guest speakers from the industry who provide pupils with a valuable insight from their world.
Assessments include:-
- External written exam
- Independent research and fact finding
- Mock interviews
- Group projects
- Presentations
- Designing holiday brochures
- Customer service role plays
Level 1&2 (GCSE):
| Pearsons BTEC Level 1/2 First Award in Travel and Tourism (GCSE equivalent) | ||
| Unit | Unit content | Assessment |
| Unit 1 – UK Travel and Tourism | This unit covers –
– UK travel and tourism and its importance to the UK economy – Industries and key organisations, their roles and responsibilities – Role of customer technology in the sector |
External written exam
1 hour 15 minutes 60 marks |
| Unit 2 – UK tourism destinations | This unit covers –
– UK travel and tourism destinations – The appeal of UK destinations for different types of visitors – Plan UK holidays to meet the needs of different visitors |
Internal – coursework |
| Unit 3 – Travel and Tourism customer experience | This unit covers –
– Travel and tourism customer service – The needs and expectations of different types of customer – The importance of customer service to organisations |
Internal – coursework |
| Unit 4 – International Travel and Tourism | This unit covers –
– Major international travel and tourism destinations – The appeal of international destinations to different types of visitor – Plan international travel to meet the needs of visitors |
Internal – coursework |
Level 3 (A-Level):
| Pearsons BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Travel and Tourism (A level equivalent) | ||
| Unit | Unit content | Assessment |
| Unit 1 – The World of Travel and Tourism
|
This unit covers:
– The travel and tourism industry, types of tourism and organisations involved – The factors affecting the industry to real-life travel and tourism scenarios – Identifying trends and the impact of different factors on the industry and its customers – Make connections between the factors that influence the industry and how the industry responds to reduce the potential impact on organisations and customers |
External written exam
1 hour 30 minutes 75 marks. |
| Unit 2 – Global Destinations
|
(Learners are given information two weeks before a supervised assessment period in order to carry out research.)
This unit covers: – The location, features and appeal of global destinations – The features that contribute to the appeal of global destinations and the types of tourism and activities they support – Evaluating factors and trends that influence the popularity and appeal of global destinations, creating ideas and recommendations |
External written exam
3 hours under supervision 60 marks |
| Unit 3 – Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism
|
This unit covers:
– The role of marketing activities in influencing customer decisions and meeting customer needs and the success of different organisations – Market research to identify a new travel and tourism product or service – Producing a promotional campaign for a new product or service to meet goals. |
Internal – coursework |
| Unit 9 – Visitor attractions
|
This unit covers:
– The nature, role and appeal of visitor attractions – How visitor attractions meet the diverse expectations of visitors – How visitor attractions respond to competition and measure their success and appeal. |
Internal – coursework |
Careers in Geography & Travel and tourism:
Careers and opportunity
“Geography prepares for the world of work – geographers, with their skills of analysis are highly employable!” (Michael Palin)
Geographers learn a range of skills
- How to use maps and graphs
- How to work with data
- How to see other points of view
- How to make decisions and think for yourself
- How to make links and see the big picture
- How to appreciate other culture and new places
- How to write concisely and accurately
Careers include:-
| · Urban planning | · GIS | · Hydrologist | · Meteorologist |
| · Transport planning | · Pilot | · Teacher | · UN worker |
| · Archaeologist | · volcanologist | · Seismologist | · Civil service |
| · Foreign journalist | · Charity co-ordinator | · PSNI |
Tourism is the biggest industry in the world. There is a wide range of jobs and opportunities out there.
| · Travel agent | · Air steward | · Event organiser | · Ticket sales |
| · Tour operators | · Holiday rep | · Catering | · Receptionist |
| · Pilot | · Insurance | · Advertising | · Museum curator |
| · Events management | · Hotel staff | · Security |