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GCSE Geography New Specification Launch Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

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Geography under the spotlight – why change? Changes at KS3 RGS and GA Changes at GCSE And GCE All specifications are rewritten every 5 to 8 years Feedback from teachers Universities DfE subject content For some time now geography has been under the spotlight, and there have been pressures from many directions to update the content of GCSE specifications. The most important factor has been the publication of the DfE subject content for geography published in April last year Government Core curriculum, more rigorous assessment , stretch and challenge Slide 2 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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Page 1: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

GCSE GeographyNew Specification Launch

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Page 2: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Geography under the spotlight – why change?

Changes at KS3

Universities

Changes at GCSE And GCE

RGS and GA

Government

Feedback from teachers

DfE subject content

Core curriculum, more rigorous assessment , stretch and challenge

All specifications are rewritten every 5 to 8 years

Slide 2 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Page 3: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

GCSE Timeline

Start teaching reformed

GCSE

Final exams for legacy specs and controlled

assessment

First assessment reformed

GCSE

Reformed GCSE specification availableAutumn 2015

Reformed GCSE subject content (DfE) publishedApril 2014

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 3

Page 4: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

GCSE content

1. Living with the Physical Environment

2. Challenges in the Human Environment

3. Geographical Applications

Challenge of Natural Hazardstectonic hazards, tropical storms, extreme weather in the UK, climate change.

Urban ChallengesGlobal patterns, two contrasting cities, sustainable urban futures.

Issue Evaluation Theme of issue selected by AQA from any part of the specification. Based on secondary sources.

The Living WorldLocal ecosystems, tropical rainforests, one from hot deserts or cold environments.

The Changing Economic World Global patterns, closing the development gap, contrasting studies of economic development. Fieldwork

Two fieldwork enquiries, contrasting environments,Physical and human geography, enquiry process.

Physical Landscapes in the UKTwo from coastal, river, glacial or landscapes.

The Challenge of Resource ManagementOverview of resources in the UK, global resource security, one from food, water or energy.

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 4

Page 5: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

GCSE AssessmentUnit 1Living with the Physical Environment

35 % The study of physical processes and patterns Exam - 1 hour 30 minutes Candidates answer 5 questions out of 7 (2 compulsory)88 marks, including 3 SPAGMultiple choice, short answer and extended response (9 marks)

Unit 2Challenges in the Human Environment

35 % The study of human geography themes and issuesExam - 1 hour 30 minutesCandidates answer 4 questions out of 6 (3 compulsory)88 marks, including 3 SPAGMultiple choice, short answer and extended response (9 marks)

Unit 3Geographical Applications

30 %* Issue evaluation (based on a pre-released resource booklet) and fieldwork Exam - 1 hour 15 minutes Candidates answer all questions76 marks, including 6 SPAGMultiple choice, short answer and extended response (9 marks)

• Assessment of fieldwork represents 15% of total assessment.• Assessment of maths and statistical skills must be 10% of total assessment• Total marks 240 (plus 12 SPAG-5% of total)

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Page 6: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Key Features of the specification

• Balanced understanding of physical, human and environmental geography• Thematic approach to the subject, with an emphasis on contemporary

issues and future changes• Flexibility: centres are free to choose their own exemplars and case study

material• Choice of optional content in selected themes, including landscapes,

ecosystems and use of resources• The use of a wide range of investigative skills and approaches, including

mathematics and statistics and modern information technologies• An issues evaluation and decision making exercise, contributing a problem

solving element to assessment• An assessment structure that is manageable and realistic, with 3 short

papers totaling 4 hours 15 minutes

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Page 7: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Principal changes made between draft submission and second submission to OFQUAL

x of x Version 3.0

• Slight changes to content-global circulation moved from Living World to Weather Hazards. Additions: effects of climate change, effects of rock type on coastal forms, maximum extent of ice cover in the UK, Demographic transition model and development, rural geography of the UK. Some deleted content eg Population policy.

• Reduced numbers of case studies (now 5) and examples (now 12).• More emphasis on theory: plate tectonics, atmospheric circulation model,

nutrient cycle, DTM, push-pull theory of migration.• Increased range of command words in all three examination papers:

assess, discuss, evaluate, justify.• Issue evaluation is more synoptic, addressing more than one theme. • More resources in the pre-release material, and less in paper (Unit 3).• Increased assessment time for Paper 3 (from 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes)• Greater maths content in Paper 3. Includes dispersion graph and

interquartile range.• Simplification of rubric for Paper 1. Questions re-ordered.

Page 8: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Papers 1 and 2

• Familiar command words. Higher level commands include evaluate, discuss, justify.

• Mark tariffs range from 1-9 marks aimed at all levels of ability

• Mark schemes that are detailed, clear, consistent and include indicative content.

• Assessment covers issues such as extreme weather, tropical storms, tectonic hazards, fracking, water transfer problems, resource insecurity, Fairtrade, urban congestion management.

• Several opportunities to use examples and case study information in extended writing questions.

• A wide range of stimulus materials - comprising photographs, OS map, world/UK/Africa maps, graphs, table of statistics, diagrams etc.

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Page 9: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Paper 3Section A Issue Evaluation

• Assessment is synoptic, requiring students to use their learning across the specification so they can analyse an issue, consider and select proposed solutions and justify choices.

• The issue can be selected from any part of the core specification and can cover more than one topic

• A resource booklet will be sent to centres 12 weeks prior to the summer examination so students can become familiar with the source materials which could include maps, photographs, satellite images, factfiles, statistics, graphs, newspaper extracts, quotes from interest groups etc.

• A fresh copy of these materials will be issued at the start of the examination. Assessment will consist of a series of shorter questions related to the issue, based on the interpretation of the resources. These lead to a more extended piece of writing (9 marks).

• Time spent on pre-release in advance of the exam is 2 lessons. The enhanced Scheme of Work will go into greater detail.

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 9

Page 10: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Paper 3

Section B Fieldwork

• Students need to undertake two geographical enquiries, each of which must include the use of primary data, collected as part of a fieldwork exercise

• The two enquiries must be carried out in contrasting environments and show an understanding of both physical and human geography

• In at least one of the enquiries students are expected to show an understanding about the interaction between physical and human geography

• Students need to go out on two separate occasions (not necessarily two separate days.)

• The fieldwork can take place in the same location, but the environments must be contrasting.

• Fieldwork cannot take place on the school grounds.

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Page 11: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Paper 3

Section B Fieldwork

Students’ understanding of the enquiry process will be assessed by:• Questions based on the use of fieldwork materials from an unfamiliar context• Questions based on candidates’ individual enquiry work. (For these questions candidates will

have to identify the titles of their individual enquiries).

A written statement is required from centres, providing the date, location, numbers of students participating, the main issues/questions investigated during fieldwork, and the relationship of the fieldwork to the specification content

There will no longer be Controlled Assessment in GCSE Geography

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 11

Page 12: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Fieldwork enquiry process

Identifying suitable question for geographical enquiry

Selecting, measuring and recording data appropriate to the chosen enquiry

Selecting appropriate ways of processing and presenting fieldwork data

Describing, analysing and explaining fieldwork data

Evaluating the geographical enquiry

Reaching conclusions

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 12

Page 13: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Geographical SkillsSkills will be assessed in all three written exams. Ordnance Survey maps or other map extracts may be used in any of the three exams.

Cartographic-atlas maps, OS maps,

maps with photographs

Graphical skills-selecting and

constructing appropriate graphs, charts, maps

Numerical skills-number, area,

scale, proportion, ratio

Statistical skills-central tendency,

spread, scatter plots

Use and interpretation of qualitative and

quantitative data from primary and secondary sources, including GIS

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Page 14: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AQA ongoing support and resources AQA/subjects/geography/skip to (subject level)/draft spec/teaching resources

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 14

General GCSE

AQA website Summary of Changes (spec A and B)

e-AQA/Secure Key Materials (SKM) Switching Guides

Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA) Command words and Subject Specific Vocabulary

CPD training course Teachit – Tropical Storms

AQA family of business (Exampro, Teachit, Alfie) Enhanced Scheme of Work with embedded resource lists

Examiner Reports 2nd set of SAMS and 3rd set of Paper 3 with exemplar answers and commentaries

Launch Events 3 AQA approved publishers (OUP, Hodder, Cambridge University Press.)

Preparing to teach Events (2016) Digital specification, including links to lesson plans and other items.

Direct access to subject teams Fieldwork Toolkit

Page 15: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Contact points for more information and guidance

Geography Subject Team:

Tony Floyd, GCSE Geography Qualifications Developer

Tel: 01483 477 791 [email protected]

Teacher Support and CPD Managers:

Robert Kirkham and Marion Bristow

Tel: 0161 957 [email protected]

(AQA Website) www.aqa.org.uk

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 15

Page 16: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Thank you

Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

We are an independent education charity and the largest provider of academic qualifications for all abilities taught in schools and colleges.

Our aim is to enable students to realise their potential and provide teachers with the support and resources they need so that they can focus on inspiring learning.  

Page 17: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AS/A-Level GeographyNew Specification Launch

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Page 18: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AS/A-level Timeline

Start teaching new GCE

Final exams for existing AS and A-

Level course. First exams for new AS

First assessment of new A-Level

New specifications

available

5

Page 19: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Content and Options

4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

1 Physical Geography 2 Human Geography Non-examined assessment

Core • Water and carbon cycles• Physical landscapes: Either

Hot desert environments and their margins or Coastal systems and landscapes

Core • Global systems (International

trade and access to markets), and Global governance (Antarctica)

• Changing Places Independent Investigation, based on fieldwork. Report of 3000 - 4000 words.Non-core (one from)

• Hazards• Ecosystems under stress• Cold environments

Non-core (one from)• Contemporary Urban

Environments• Population and the

Environment• Resource Security

Page 20: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

A-level Assessment

4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Component 1:Physical Geography

Written Paper

40% • 2 hours 30 minutes

• Section A: Water and carbon cycles

• Section B: either Hot desert environments and their margins or Coastal systems and landscapes

• Section C: either Hazards or Ecosystems under stress or Cold environments

Multiple choice, short answer, extended response (30 marks)

(Total - 96 marks)

• 27 marks

• 27 marks

• 42 marks

Component 2:Human Geography

Written Paper

40% • 2 hours 30 minutes

• Section A: Global systems and global governance

• Section B: Changing places

• Section C: either Contemporary urban environments Population and environment or Resource security

Multiple choice, short answer, extended response (30 marks)

(Total- 96 marks)

• 27 marks

• 27 marks

• 42 marks

Component 3:Geographical investigation (NEA)

20% • 3000 – 4000 words

• marked by teachers

• moderated by AQA

(Total - 35 marks)

Page 21: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Fieldwork

4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

• A-level specifications require students to undertake a minimum of 4 days of fieldwork. Awarding organisations must require evidence of this fieldwork in the form of a written statement from centres.

• This fieldwork must be undertaken in relation to processes in both physical and human geography, but the fieldwork which is part of the individual investigation may be either human, physical or integrated.

• A-Level specifications must ensure that each students undertakes one independent* investigation that involves, but is not restricted to, fieldwork.

*Independent does not mean lone working. Students may incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations collected individually or in groups.

Page 22: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Non-exam assessment

4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

• Fieldwork skills should be assessed in a non-exam assessment at A-level. Ofqual propose that 20 per cent of the marks should be allocated to this assessment.

• It will draw on different aspects of the course and will result in a written report, the marking of which can be moderated by exam boards.

The independent* investigation must:• be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student individually to address aims, questions and/or hypotheses relating to any part of the core or non-core content• incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations• draw on the student's own research and/or secondary data• require the student to independently contextualise, analyse and draw conclusions• involve presentation and analysis of data and findings, and extended writing.• be approximately 3000 – 4000 words in length.

*Independent does not mean lone working. Students may incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations collected individually or in groups.

Page 23: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AS Assessment

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Component 1: Physical geography and people and environmentWritten Paper

50% • 1 hour 30 minutes

• Section A: either Water and carbon cycles or Hot desert environments and their margins or Coastal systems and landscapes

• Section B: either Hazards or Contemporary urban environments

Multiple choice, short answer, extended response (18 marks)

(Total 80 marks)

• 40 marks

• 40 marks

Component 2: Human geography and geography fieldwork investigation Written Paper

50% • 1 hour 30 minutes

• Section A: either Global systems and global governance or Changing places

• Section B: Geography fieldwork investigation and geographical skills

Multiple choice, short answer, extended response (18 marks)

(Total – 80 marks)

• 40 marks

• 40 marks

Page 24: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Fieldwork

4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

• AS specifications require students to undertake a minimum of 2 days of fieldwork. Awarding organisations must require evidence of this fieldwork in the form of a written statement from centres.

• This fieldwork must be undertaken in relation to processes in both physical and human geography (some, but not all of this, may be within the context of people-environment questions and issues).

Page 25: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AS Fieldwork Assessment

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• Fieldwork is assessed in Section B of Paper 2. Section B also includes the assessment of geographical skills and overall this section comprises 25% of the AS.

• Geographical skills can also be assessed across any part of paper 1 or paper 2.

• Students will not be asked to hand in a completed enquiry, although for the examination they do need to be familiar with all the stages of fieldwork based enquiry.

• Questions could be asked so as to test the candidates’ general understanding of the fieldwork enquiry process and/or they could ask for specific details of each candidate’s own individual fieldwork enquiry.

Page 26: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

AQA ongoing support and resources AQA/subjects/geography/skip to (subject level)/draft spec/teaching resources

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 26

General A-Level

AQA website Summary of Changes

e-AQA/Secure Key Materials (SKM) Switching Guides

Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA) Command words and Subject Specific Vocabulary

CPD training course Exam Changes and Co-teaching Guide.

AQA family of business (Exampro, Teachit, Alfie) Scheme of Work with embedded resource lists

Examiner Reports 2nd set of SAMS with exemplar answer and commentaries (including coursework)

Launch Events 3 AQA approved publishers (OUP, Hodder, Cambridge University Press.)

Preparing to teach Events (2016) Digital specification, including links to lesson plans and other items.

Direct access to subject teams Fieldwork Toolkit, Coursework Advisers and Face to Face Coursework standardisation

Page 27: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Contact points for more information and guidance

Geography Subject Team:

Michelle Atherton, A-level Geography Qualifications Developer

Tel: 01483 477 791 [email protected]

Teacher Support and CPD Managers:

Robert Kirkham and Marion Bristow

Tel: 0161 957 [email protected]

(AQA Website) www.aqa.org.uk

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 27

Page 28: GCSE Geography New Specification Launch

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Thank you

Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

We are an independent education charity and the largest provider of academic qualifications for all abilities taught in schools and colleges.

Our aim is to enable students to realise their potential and provide teachers with the support and resources they need so that they can focus on inspiring learning.