Advanced Higher Geography

Day 1 Morning Arrive Midday Students greeted by staff. Welcome talk and Centre tour. Pre-course meeting with staff and teachers. Allocation of wellies/waterproofs. Afternoon Soil Catena Investigation

Investigate the relationship between soil characteristics down a slope and vegetation, collecting biotic and abiotic primary data including soil pH and % moisture. Sampling strategies will be discussed and implemented.

Evening Follow-up Session

Analysis of soil samples, data presentation, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and evaluation

Day 2 Morning and Afternoon Coasts: Physical and Human Gathering and Processing Techniques

We will visit the coastline of Cumbrae to carry out a variety of human and physical gathering techniques. The context of the investigation is ‘How Millport’s coastline is changing over space and time’. Fieldwork techniques include beach profile analysis, pebble analysis, environmental quality survey, questionnaire and interview.

Evening Follow-up Session

Data presentation, analysis, and evaluation.

Day 3 Morning and Afternoon Follow Up: Coasts

Students will be guided through a wide range of data presentation and analysis techniques appropriate to the data collected on the previous day.

Hydrological Cycle Investigations

Around the centre grounds, students will investigate aspects of the hydrological cycle including interception rates in different vegetation types- woodland and scrub land, with an uncovered collection as a control. Infiltration rates will be measured in grassland and woodland. Storm hydrographs on land uses including concrete, bare soil and grassland.

Evening Follow-up Session

Students will graph their data and draw conclusions about how land use impacts the hydrological cycle and flood risk.

Day 4 Morning and Afternoon Urban Investigation: Tourism in Largs (transport required)

An introductory session introduces students to the maps, stakeholders, land uses and conflicts that are found in the local area. We then travel to Largs to investigate how tourism has shaped this west coast town, covering human gathering and processing techniques. The impact of tourism will be assessed using pedestrian surveys, environmental quality surveys, questionnaire/interview, land use mapping, and traffic survey.

Evening Follow-up Session

Students will write up their methodology, display and analyse their data to make valid conclusions on Largs’ regeneration.

Day 5 Morning Depart After Breakfast. Review of the course. Signposting further actions and opportunities with the FSC and beyond. Final farewell from FSC staff.

Please note: to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for students, the timetable may alter depending on weather conditions and local factors at centres.

Develop skills Communication | Resilience | Independent thinking | Leadership Numeracy | Literacy | Investigative skills | Observation Enhance Knowledge Ask questions. Apply knowledge in the real world and make links. Make sense of new places and understand our place and role within this. Enjoy Have fun | Make friendships | Connect with nature