Edexcel International GCSE 2012 in Geography (4GE0)
and Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in
Geography (KGE0)
Editable scheme of work
Practical support to help you deliver these Edexcel qualifications
Scheme of work
We have produced this scheme of work to help you implement the Edexcel International GCSE and/or Certificate in Geography qualifications. It is an example of one possible model that you can adapt to meet your needs and is not intended to be in any way prescriptive. It is available in an editable format to make it easy for you to adapt.
Other support for planning a course
You will find other support for planning a course in the Teacher Support Material for these qualifications. This is a free downloadable resource that you can access at
Teaching resource exemplars
This scheme of work gives you suggestions for resources that you can use to support your teaching. You may also want to use a wider range of resources that meet the needs of your students.
Other Edexcel teaching resources include:
- Student Books – full colour textbooks matched to the specification.
- ActiveBook – a digital version of the Student Book.
- Revision guides – that help students to prepare for their examinations.
Further details can be found at
Edexcel Subject Advisors
Edexcel has a team of specialist subject advisors who can help you to implement these qualifications. You can contact them by email or phone.
Email:
Telephone: 0844 3722185.
Edexcel additional support
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Edexcel’s community forum – these message boards are designed to enable you to access peer–to–peer support from fellow Edexcel teaching and delivery staff in schools and colleges.
Health and safety
The practical work and fieldwork suggestions in this scheme of work are those that we believe are not restricted in any way and which are currently used in most schools and colleges.
The International GCSE and Certificatein Geography encourage fieldwork and the development of practical skills within the context of geographical enquiry.Assessment of geographical skills is part of the written examination for the qualifications.
We advise teachers and technicians to discuss the merits of the suggested practical work and fieldwork when deciding what to carry out and how.
You may have other ideas for practical work and fieldwork.
As in all practicalwork and fieldwork, risk assessmentsare an important precursor to ensure health and safety.Schools and colleges may refer to the CLEAPSS service: for guidance and support in conducting practical work and fieldwork.Health and safety in the field is referred to in the specification for these qualifications.
Edexcel International GCSE 2012 in Geography (4GE0) and
Edexcel Level1/Level 2 Certificate in Geography (KGE0)
120–140 guided learning hours are required for these qualifications. This equates to approximately 2 hours per week over 60 weeks and reflects how centres will use time for practical activities differently. Guided learning hours are all the times when a teacher is present to give guidance to students.
Scheme of work overview:
The specification contains four sections :
- Section A: The Natural Environment
- Section B: People and their Environments
- Section C:Practical Geographical Enquiry
- Section D: Global Issues.
Within Sections A, B and D there are topic options as shown below:
Section AThe Natural Environment
(24 weeks) / Choose 2 topics from /
- Topic 1 River environments
- Topic 2 Coastal environments
- Topic 3 Hazardous environments
Section B
People and their Environments
(24 weeks) / Choose 2 topics from /
- Topic 4 Economic activity and energy
- Topic 5 Ecosystems and rural environments
- Topic 6 Urban environments
Section D
Global Issues
(10 weeks) / Choose 1 topic from /
- Topic 7 Fragile environments
- Topic 8 Globalisation and migration
- Topic 9 Development and human welfare
2 weeks at the end of the 2–year course for final revision and exam preparation. Please note the 5 exam skills focus suggestions embedded in assessment weeks.
For Section C, Practical Geographical Enquiry, students are advised to carry out two enquiries per Section A and Section B topic i.e. a total of 8 investigations.
In this scheme of work the time allocated to the Section C enquiries is integrated into the 12–week time periods for each topic in Section A and Section B.In this scheme of work ‘CS’ refers to case study; these are outlined in column 4 of the specification content.‘Assessment’ refers to question numbers in the Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) and the June 2011 IGCSE paper (NB the structure of the 2011 examination paper is slightly different to the SAMs for this specification (4GE0) but centres may find some of the questions are useful for preparing students.)
Section A: The Natural Environment, Topic 1 River environments
- The world’s water supply is contained within a closed system – the hydrological cycle. Water is transferred between its various stores (1.1–1.3).
- Running water has a significant influence on the development of landforms (1.4 &1.5).
- Water is vital to people and varies in its availability and therefore needs careful management (1.6 –1.8)
Week / Content coverage / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
1 / Key idea 1.1 /1.2
The hydrological cycle and drainage basin characteristics / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe the components of the hydrological cycle; stores and transfers.
- Explain how this is a closed system.
- Outline the processes of transfer between stores.
- Name and describe the features of a drainage basin, including watershed and channel network (CS of a drainage basin).
- Labelling an outline hydrological cycle with flows and transfers.
- ActiveBook CD animation on precipitation.
- Card sorting: matching hydrological cycle key terms (stores and transfers) to their definitions.
- Labelling the channel network and watershed on an OS map (use contours to define watershed).
BBC Bitesize Geography:
BBC Bitesize rivers
Encyclopaedia of the Earth:
Hydrological cycle
2 / Key idea 1.3
Hydrograph and river regimes / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe and label the component s of a hydrograph.
- Explain the discharge of contrasting river regimes.
- Explain how precipitation, temperature, land use, water abstraction and dams can affect the shape of the hydrograph.
- Labelling the components on an outline hydrograph.
- Drawing contrasting discharge lines for urban, forested, steep drainage basins.
- Matching river regime graphs to climate zones.
USGS water cycle, streamflow and hydrographs:
USGS streamflow
3 / Key idea 1.4
Physical processes in drainage basins / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe and explain weathering processes (e.g. chemical, biological and mechanical).
- Describe and explain how material is moved downslope by mass movement (e.g. creep, slumping).
- Writing definitions of weathering types.
- Drawing a fully labelled diagram of a slump.
- Spider diagram of factors affecting mass movement risk/rate.
BBC Bitesize weathering:
Weathering
4 / Key idea 1.4
Physical processes in drainage basins / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe and explain how sediment is eroded (abrasion, corrosion, hydraulic action), transported (traction, saltation, suspension, solution) and deposited in rivers.
- Link these processes to differences in climate, stream velocity, slopes and geology.
- Card matching: definition of erosion and transportation processes to key terms.
- Drawing a diagram of the four river transport processes.
- Considering how the relative importance of the processes varies from source to mouth.
BBC Bitesize erosion types:
Erosion in rivers
5 / Key idea 1.5
River landforms formation /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe landform change along a river long profile (valley shape, interlocking spurs, waterfalls, meanders, oxbow lakes, flood plains and levees.
- Explain how the named landforms are formed by physical processes
- ActiveBook CD animation on formation of oxbow lakes.
- Labelling a river long profile outline with landforms and mini–diagrams down its course.
- Use of OS maps to ‘spot’ landforms / valley shape from source to mouth.
Scottish Agricultural College on long profiles:
Long profile
6 / Key idea 1.6
Human use of water supplies, and supply variation /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Outline the different, and vital, uses of water (agriculture, industry, human hygiene and leisure)
- Contrast the pattern of areas of water shortage with those with a surplus e.g. globally and within a country.
- Outline the rising demand for water, and its causes, in one country (CS).
- Spider diagram of personal water use over a week (+ consider virtual water on page 21, Fig 1.29).
- Labelling a world map of water deficit / surplus (see page 18 in textbook) to explain the differences.
- ActiveBook CD animation on precipitation linked to research into the UK CS.
World Water Council:
Water facts
UNEP trends in water use:
Water statistics
7 / Key idea 1.7
Water quality variations and management /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Explain why water quality varies due to pollution (sewage, industry, agriculture)
- Explain how clean water is supplied (pipelines, treatment works), and how it is stored (dams and reservoirs) with respect to a CS of a water storage project to include construction, management and impacts (e.g. Three Gorges Dam)
Assessment: SAMs Question 1d
- Draw a flow diagram summarising the supply of water from source to tap.
- Use a table to evaluate the eco/soc/env costs and benefits of a water storage project e.g. the Three Gorges Dam.
International Rivers, Three Gorges Dam:
Three Gorges Dam
China’s Three Gorges Corporation:
CTG.com.cn
Week / Content coverage / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
8 / Key idea 1.8
Flooding: causes and control /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Explain the causes of river flooding (rainfall intensity, snowmelt, steep slopes, impermeable surfaces, human activities.
- Outline ways in which flooding can be controlled.
- Rank the factors in Table 1.3 page 27 in order of importance in terms of flood risk.
- Classroom debate: can Bangladesh be protected from floods?
Environment Agency flood management plans:
Flood planning
The Geographical Association flood risk pages:
GA Floods
9 / Fieldwork investigations / Pre–fieldwork planning – designing a Fieldwork investigations, as per the qualification content. / (1)Measuring water quality
(2) Measuring channel characteristics
- Location (maps/GIS) and site choice
- Question and aims linked to theory
- Background research
- Equipment, recording sheets
- Health and safety
See pages 20–23 in the specification.
Assessment: SAMs Question 7
10 / Fieldwork investigations / Primary field skills – undertaking a field investigation; the need for sampling, data collection and recording techniques. / (1)Range ofindicators e.g. pH, turbidity/colour, nitrates, odour. Also kick sampling to determine invertebrates.
(2)Width, depth, discharge ,gradient, bedload etc. / ●FSC fold–out key to rivers fieldwork and guide to water qualitysee –studiescouncil.org
●BBC Bitesize for a useful introduction to rivers in the landscape
●Environment Agency online GIS maps for water quality
11 / Fieldwork investigations / Presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation skills – using the range of data presentation techniques; analysis of data and drawing conclusions; evaluating the techniques used and the conclusions drawn. / (1)
(2) / Controlled Assessment exemplars from Edexcel GCSE Spec A or B (see Edexcel website) are a good source of ideas for presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation techniques and ideas.
12 / Assessment week / Consolidation and assessment
Exam skills Focus 1:
Focus on interpreting Figure (data stimulus skills) and answering short 1–2 mark questions, including multiple choice questions. /
- Use some of the Examination questions indicated in the table above.
- There are consolidation questions at the end of each chapter in the student book (also in the ActiveBook CD).
Section A: The Natural Environment, Topic 2 Coastal environments
- Physical processes give rise to characteristic coastal landforms (2.1–2.3).
- Distinctive ecosystems develop along particular stretches of coastline (2.4–2.6).
- Management of both physical processes and human activities is needed to sustain coastal environments (2.7 & 2.8).
Week / Content coverage / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
1 / Key idea 2.1
Coastal processes: marine and sub–aerial /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Explain the physical processes that affect and shape coastlines including marine processes (wave action (constructive/ destructive), erosion, longshore drift, deposition).
- Explain sub–aerial processes of weathering and mass movement.
- ActiveBook CD animations of constructive and destructive waves.
- Draw a fully labelled diagram of longshore drift.
- Label a cliff cross section with the location of weathering, mass movement and erosion processes.
BBC Bitesize coasts:
Coasts
2 / Key idea 2.2
Coastal landforms: erosional and depositional /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Describe a range of erosion coastal landforms (headlands and bays, cliffs, wave cut platforms/notches, caves, arches, stacks and stumps).
- Describe depositional landforms (beaches, spits, bars).
- Explain how these landforms are formed by physical processes.
Assessment: Edexcel IGCSE June 2011 Q2a
Assessment:Edexcel IGCSE June 2011 Q2d
- ActiveBook CD animations of the formation of a wave cut platform and spit.
- Use OS maps to identify coastal landforms.
University of Wisconsin coastal processes and landforms:
UWSP Coasts
3 / Key ideas 2.3
Factors affecting coasts and coastal change /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Outline the impacts of geology, vegetation, people and sea level change (submergent/ emergent) on coasts.
- Key ideas 2.1–2.3should be studied with respect to two geologically contrasting coastlines (CS).
- Use free internet map websites to view contrasting coastlines (emergent/submergent).
European Environment Agency coasts pages:
EEA coasts
4 / Key idea 2.4/2.5
Coastal ecosystems: physical aspects /
- Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- Define the terms ‘ecosystem’ and ‘biodiversity’.
- Describe the characteristics, distribution and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems (coral reefs, mangroves, sand dunes, salt marshes).
- Explain the physical factors that affect the distribution of coastal ecosystems.
- Use an outline world map to show the distribution of coral reefs and mangroves; label to explain the distribution.
- Use a table format to compare coastal ecosystems in terms of vegetation types, position, threats, value to humans (also 2.6, below).
‘Your climate your life’ coastal ecosystems:
Intro to coastal ecosystems
5 / Key idea 2.6
Coastal ecosystems: value and threats / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
●Outline the value of coastal ecosystems to humans.
●Explain the threats to the survival of coastal ecosystems from tourism and other factors (industrialisation, agriculture, deforestation).
●Use a CS of one coastal ecosystem. / Assessment: SAMs Question 2d
- Consider Figure 2.27 on page 51 of the student book in terms of ‘who’s to blame’ for Mangrove destruction.
- Use websites to research the CS in more depth.
Reefbase– detailed info on reef threats:
Reefbase
National Geographic mangroves:
NG mangroves
Natural England sand dunes:
NatEng Ainsdale
6 / Key idea 2.7
Coastal conflicts between users / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
●Outline a range of conflicts between different users of the coast.
●Examine the conflict between development on the coast and the need for conservation. /
- Use the St Lucia CS on pages 49–50 of the student book to draw up a conflict matrix – a similar matrix could be used for Southampton Water on pages 54–55.
- Role play based on the group in Figure 2.35 to find ways of minimising conflicts.
USGS coastal conflicts:
USA coastal conflicts
BBC Bitesize coastal conflicts:
Coastal conflicts
7 / Key idea 2.8
Coastal retreat / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
●Outline the reasons for coastal retreat and the need for management.
●With respect to a CS of retreating coastline – causes, impacts and management. /
- Use Google Earth/Google Maps satellite images to view the coastlines mentioned in the student book.
- This works especially well for the Holderness Coast (Fig 2.36).
- Explain the choice of actions for the Isle of Wight coastline on Figure 2.40 page 61.
East Yorkshire Coastal Observatory (Holderness):
Coastal Obs
Royal Geographical Society Jurassic Coast:
Jurassic Coast
8 / Key idea 2.8
Coastal protection and management / Students will be assessed on their ability to:
●Describe a range of coastal protection measures both hard and soft engineering.
●Explain how these protect the coast and evaluate their costs and benefits. / Assessment: SAMs Question 2c
Assessment: Edexcel IGCSE June 2011 Q2c
- Use a table format to evaluate the costs and benefits of different types of coastal protection.
Coastal portal with many pages on coastal management :
Coastal Wiki
9 / Fieldwork investigations / Pre–fieldwork planning – designing a fieldwork investigation, as per the qualification content. / (1) Measuring beach profiles and sedimentcharacteristics
(2) Investigating the conflicts between development and conservation on a stretch of coastline
●Location (maps/GIS) and site choice
●Question and aims linked to theory
●Background research
●Equipment, recording sheets
●Health and safety. / See pages 20 and 21 of the Edexcel Teachers Guide for further details.
See pages 20–23 in the specification.
10 / Fieldwork investigations / Primary field skills – undertaking a field investigation; the need for sampling, data collection and recording techniques. / (1) Transects up the beach (slope gradient), changes in sediment size and shape.
(2)Views of different stakeholders, questionnaires, conflict matrices, photographic evidence. /
- FSC coastal fieldwork website – particularly useful forfieldwork in relation to coasts
- Environment Agency shoreline management plans–agency.gov.uk/research/planning/104939.aspx
- BBC Bitesize – coastal management
11 / Fieldwork investigations / Presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation skills – using the range of data presentation techniques; analysis of data and drawing conclusions; evaluating the techniques used and the conclusions drawn. / (1)
(2) / Controlled Assessment exemplars from Edexcel GCSE Geography specification A or B (see Edexcel website) are a good source of ideas for presentation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation techniques and ideas.
12 / Assessment week / Consolidation and assessment
Examination skills Focus 2:
Focus on answering shorter 3 or 4 mark questions and drawing / labelling diagrams. /
- Use some of the Examination questions indicated in the table above.
- There are consolidation questions at the end of each chapter in the student book (also in the ActiveBook CD)
Section A: The Natural Environment, Topic 3 Hazardous environments