Geography

 The AQA GCSE Geography course is split into three main papers, covering a balance of physical and human geography, and the interaction between them. 

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment 

• The challenge of natural hazards: Studying tectonic hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes) and extreme weather (tropical storms, droughts, climate change). 
• Physical landscapes in the UK: Focusing on two distinct environments—either coastal landscapes and river landscapes—to understand their formation and management. 
• The living world: Studying ecosystems, with a focus on tropical rainforests and hot deserts, looking at the impact of human development on these environments. 

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment 

• Urban issues and challenges: Investigating a major city in the UK and a city in a Newly Emerging Economy (NEE) or Low Income Country (LIC), focusing on issues like housing, transport, and sustainability. 
• The changing economic world: Looking at global variations in development, the role of transnational corporations (TNCs), and how economic change is managed, including a study of a UK-based economic landscape. 
• The challenge of resource management: Examining the global distribution and security of food, water, and energy resources, with an in-depth focus on one of these resources (e.g., global food security). 

Paper 3: Geographical applications 

This paper draws on all topics and includes an assessment based on two compulsory fieldwork enquiries (one physical and one human). Students will be tested on their geographical skills, data analysis, and interpretation.