Geography GCSE at King's is assessed in the following way:

Written Component One (first paper)

40% of total assessment

1hour 45 minutes

Section A: Examines skills related to Ordnance Survey mapwork, photographs, sketch maps, cross-sections, satellite images and other resources. The map will always have a UK context and is worth 25 marks.

Section B: Seven resource-based, short structured questions. Candidates answer three questions (Tectonic Activity, Glacial landscapes and processes and Coastal landscapes and processes at King's). Each question is worth 15 marks.

Written Component Two (second paper)

35% of total assessment

1hour 30 minutes

Three sections, each with two resource-based, structured questions. Candidates answer three questions, one from each section (Settlement, Agriculture and Managing Resources (& Tourism) at King's). Each question is worth 25 marks.

Coursework Component (individual project)

25% of total assessment

2,500 words approx.

Coursework topics may be entirely physical or entirely human or a combination of the two. Part of the fieldwork investigation must include the collection of first-hand (primary) data.

Written Component One:	Written Component Two:
Skills (Section A)	Settlement
Tectonic Activity	Agriculture
Glacial landscapes & processes	Managing Resources (& Tourism)
Coastal landscapes & proceeses
40% of total assessment	35% of total assessment

Tectonic Activity

Global distribution of continental plates. Tensional and compressional margins. Characteristic features and formation of fold mountains, earthquakes (focus, epicentre) and volcanoes (composite and shield volcanoes). Occurance and measurement of earthquakes.

Description and explanation of human activity in one range of young fold mountains. Case study of effects and responses to a volcanic eruption and an earthquake to include primary and secondary effects and the short, medium and long term responses. Settlement issues in areas of tectonic activity - the advantages and disadvatages of settlement in areas of tectonic activity. Variations in the effects and responses to tectonic activity between rural and urban areas, and between MEDCs and LEDCs. A consideration of the values and attitudes of different interest groups.

Glacial landscapes and processes

Freeze thaw and the processes of erosion - abrasion and plucking. Valley glaciers, ice sheets. The characteristics and formation of corries, aretes, pyramidal peaks, ribbon lakes, glacial troughs, hanging valleys, truncated spurs, boulder clay/till, morraines, drumlins.
Recognise and describe glacial features on Ordnance Survey maps and photographs.

The human uses of upland glaciated areas to include farming, forestry and tourism.
The social, environmental and political issues currently affecting upland glaciated areas and the management strategies for contemporary issues re conservation and sustainability.
The conflicts that arise out of the values and attitudes of different interest groups in upland glaciated areas.

Coastal landscapes and processes

Constructive and destructive waves. Processes of erosion (hydraulic power, corrosion, corrasion, attrition). Transport (traction, saltation, suspension, solution, longshore drift) and deposition. Landforms - formation of wave-cut platforms, cliffs, caves, arches, stacks, beaches, spits. Examples of an erosional and depositional coastline.

Recognise and describe coastal features on Ordnance Survey maps.
Coastal management issues to include coastal erosion (e.g. cliff collapse & flooding) and tourism (e.g. problems of resorts).
The strategies used to solve problems such as coastal defences; the different values and attitudes of interested groups.

Settlement

Site - dry and wet point, aspect and shelter, defence, resources and communications. Many siting factors important in the past are now no longer important due to technological change. Settlements with a favourable site especially in respect of communications e.g. gap towns, route centres and bridging points often grew into trading centres. Size - the hierarchy of settlement linked to population size, services and sphere of influence. Function - types of settlements and how their function may change over time. Urban morphology models of an MEDC and LEDC city - contrast in morphology. The characteristics of the urban zones - the CBD, inner city, suburbs and rural-urban fringe in the MEDC and the CBD, high class sector, shanty towns in the LEDC.

Definition and causes of urbanisation. The different patterns of urbanisation in MEDCs and LEDCs. The problems of urbanisation - social, economic, environmental issues in the CBDand inner city in MEDCs and in the shanty towns in LEDCs.

Contemporary solutions to problems of CBD and inner cities in MEDCs and to shanty towns in LEDCs to achieve sustainable development.
The nature of and reasons for urban sprawl in MEDCs e.g. demand for new housing, roads, business parks, leisure facilities and shopping centres etc. The advantages and disadvantages of urban sprawl including the values and attitudes of intererest groups e.g. local residents, commuters, developers and governments. The contemporary effects to manage the growth of urban areas for a sustainable future and to solve environmental conflicts and issues in the rural-urban fringe e.g. transport policies, green belts, conservation, the use of brownfield sites within cities rather than greenfield sites.

Agriculture

Farming as a system - inputs, processes and outputs. Distribution and explanation of farm types in the UK: dairying, arable, hill sheep, mixed farming and market gardening. Explanations are to take account of the social, political, economic and environmental factors affecting farming - relief, soils, climate, market, finance, labour, politics and choice.

Case studies should include commercial, subsistence, intensive and extensive systems. Contrasting case studies of different farming systems should be chosen with at least one from each of the UK, EU and LEDCs and should include the farm as a system, the physical and human factors that affect the type of farming, the nature of farming and recent problems and changes.

Agricultural change in LEDCs and MEDCs - overview of increasing world population, rising demand for food supplied, demands for higher efficiency and political policies such as CAP in the EU. Sample studies of agricultural changes. The social, economic and environmental consequences to be covered e.g. soil erosion and over production in MEDCs and soil erosion, salinisation and inappropriate technology in LEDCs.
The contemporary solutions being suggested to ensure sustainable development in farming regions to include soil conservation, EU policies such as quotas, seta aside, stewardship schemes; organic farming and appropriate technology.

Managing Resources and Tourism

Resources: What is a resource? The reasons for the increased use of resources - overview of world population growth, increased wealth and technological advances. Relationship between resource use and levels of development and population growth.
The social, economic, environmental and political issues and consequences of increased resource use, especially those that are non-renewable. Achieving sustainable development through conservation resource substitution, recycling, pollution control and the use of renewable energy. The importance of this for global citizenship.
On example of renewable energy, explanation of its location and its advantages and disadvantages. The possible causes and solutions for global warming as an example of pollution control. The importance of pollution control for global citizenship.

Tourism: Different environments favour tourism (study of one named UK tourist area and one named tourist area in an LEDC)
The socio-economic and environmental consequences of tourism in LEDCs and MEDCs. The interdependence in the tourist trade.
The need for stewardship and conservation and the growth of green tourism. Sample studies to illustrate ways in which tourism can benefit the environment, the local people and the country.