GCSE Fieldwork and Adventure: AQA, GCSE Geography

Day 1

Morning

Arrive Midday

• Students greeted by FSC staff.
• Welcome talk and Centre tour.
• Pre-course meeting with FSC staff and teachers.
• Allocation of wellies/waterproofs.

Afternoon

Adventure Session

This action-packed session will energize students ready for their field course, providing an opportunity to get active, work together and have some fun. Exciting adventure activities and challenges will stimulate and motivate students, build teams and friendships, and offer a thrilling and exhilarating start to studying geography fieldwork. Choose one from:

• Team Challenges
• Low Ropes

Evening

Adventure Session

The evening session follows on from this afternoon’s introduction to adventure. Students will complete and collaborate in some exciting trail finding activities, building those spatial and map based skills in a fun way. Choose one from:

• Orienteering
• Geocaching

Day 2

Morning and Afternoon

Physical Landscapes in the UK

Students will visit one of the UK’s most inspiring fieldwork examples of a physical landscape. FSC field teachers will carefully facilitate students’ investigations of the processes and systems that play a part in this iconic scenery, including their part in the system. Students will be enthused and
develop confidence in exploring new surroundings. Choose one from the below geographical enquiries:

• Coastal Landforms and Management
• River Landscapes, including an example of a river valley to identify its major landforms.
• Glacial Landscapes, including an example of an upland area affected by glaciation.
• UK Ecosystems, including an example of a small scale UK ecosystem.
• River Flooding, including an example of a flood management scheme.

Evening

Geographical Enquiry Process: Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6

Students will process and present their data and start to understand it within the context of the study location and global setting. This will deepen their understanding of the physical landscape and prepare them for the fieldwork exam.

Day 3

Morning and Afternoon

Adventure Session

This adventure session offers an inspiring real world geography experience, by immersing students within a physical landscape. Lakes, rivers, coasts and mountains offer the setting for students to scramble, climb and canoe, getting up close and personal with the physical processes that form our landscape, providing a different perspective to motivate and engage students. Choose two from:

• Canoeing
• Ghyll Scrambling
• Trekking
• Coasteering
• Climbing
• Wilderness Bushcraft
• Active Conservation

Evening

Adventure Session: Hidden Worlds

This evening session offers an exploration of the natural environment and a chance for students to explore active wildlife habitats. Activities could
include surveying small mammals, detecting bats, monitoring moths and dissecting owl pellets.

Day 4

Morning and Afternoon

Challenges in a Human Environment

Students will be immersed in a diverse and dynamic urban environment. FSC field teachers will bring the rich complexities of the human environment into focus, engaging students’ curiosity and revealing towns and cities to be the diverse and interconnected systems that they are. Choose one from the below geographical enquiries:

• Urban Challenges
• Urban Planning and Regeneration
• Urban Transport and Sustainability
• Urban Sustainable Living

Evening

Geographical Enquiry Process: Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6

Students will complete the enquiry process, placing their field data into a social, economic and environmental context and exploring the interplay between these elements at a local and global scale. This will deepen their understanding of the human environment and prepare them for the fieldwork exam.

Day 5

Morning

Adventure Session

See day 3 description but choose one session

Afternoon

Depart at Midday

• 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.

Specification Links

3.1 Living with the physical environment

3.1.2 Section B: The living world

3.1.2.1 Ecosystems
Ecosystems exist at a range of scales and involve the interaction between living and non-living components.

3.1.3 Section C: Physical landscapes in the UK

3.1.3.2 Coastal landscapes in the UK.
The coast is shaped by a number of physical processes. Distinctive coastal landforms are the result of rock type, structure and physical processes. Different management strategies can be used to protect coastlines from the effects of physical processes.
3.1.3.3 River landscapes in the UK.
The shape of river valleys change as rivers flow downstream. Distinctive fluvial landforms result from different physical processes.
Different management strategies can be used to protect river landscapes from the effects of flooding
3.1.3.4 Glacial landscapes in the UK.
Ice is a powerful force in shaping the land. Distinctive glacial landforms result from different physical processes. Glacial landscapes provide opportunities for different economic activities, and management strategies can be used to reduce land use conflicts.

3.2 Challenges in the human environment

3.2.1 Section A: Urban issues and challenges

Urban change in the cities in the UK leads to variety of social economic and environmental challenges and opportunities
An urban regeneration project to show why the area needed regeneration and how the project improved social, economic and environmental conditions.
Urban sustainability requires management of resources and transport. How urban transport strategies are being used to reduce traffic congestion in one urban area.

3.4 Geographical skills

3.4.1 Cartographic skills

Ordnance Survey maps: Infer human activity from map evidence, including tourism.
Ordnance Survey maps: Describe the physical features as they are shown on large-scale maps of two of the following landscapes – coastlines, fluvial and glacial landscape.
Ordnance Survey maps: Interpret cross sections and transects of physical and human landscapes.
Ordnance Survey maps: Identify major relief features on maps and relate cross-sectional drawings to relief features.
Ordnance Survey Maps: Draw inferences about the physical and human landscape by interpretation of map evidence, including patterns of relief, drainage, settlement, communication and land-use.

Maps in association with photographs: Photographs: use and interpret ground, aerial and satellite photographs.
Maps in association with photographs: Label and annotate diagrams, maps, graphs, sketches and photographs.

Sketch Maps: Draw, label, understand and interpret.

Atlas Maps: Recognise and describe distributions and patterns of both human and physical features.

Photographical related maps: sketch maps - draw, label, understand and interpret.

3.4.2 Graphical skills

Select and construct appropriate graphs and charts to present data, using appropriate scales, for example beach profiles and bar graphs, scattergraphs, rose diagrams, line charts, choropleth maps.
Plot information on graphs when axes and scales are provided.
Interpret and extract information from different types of graphs and charts.
Interpret population pyramids, choropleth maps, flow-line maps.
Suggest an appropriate form of graphical representation for the data provided.
Select and construct appropriate graphs and chart to present data: including the use of GIS.
Interpret and extract information from different types of graphs and charts. For example census data for LLSOAs within a locality.
Suggest an appropriate form of graphical representation for the data provided.

3.4.3 Numerical skills

Demonstrate an understanding of number, area and scales and the quantitative relationships between units.
Design fieldwork data collection sheets and collect data with an understanding of accuracy, sample size and procedures, control groups and reliability.
Understand and correctly use proportion and ratio, magnitude and frequency.
Draw informed conclusions from numerical data.
Demonstrate an understanding of number, area and scales and the quantitative relationships between units.
Understand and correctly use magnitude and frequency in relation to flood risk areas.
Understand and correctly identify flood frequency, ‘flood return period’.

3.4.4 Statistical skills

Describe relationships in bivariate data: make predictions, interpolate and extrapolate trends, sketch trend lines through scatter plots, draw estimated lines of best fit.
Use appropriate measures of central tendency, spread and cumulative frequency e.g. median, mean mode and modal class.
Calculate percentage increase or decrease in variables between sample sites and understand the use of percentile.
Use appropriate measures of central tendency, spread and cumulative frequency.

3.4.5 Use of qualitative and quantitative data

Use of qualitative and quantitative data from both primary and secondary sources including GIS to obtain, illustrate, communicate, interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information.
Use GIS to locate areas vulnerable to flooding.
Use GIS to investigate how precipitation, geology, relief and land use lead to increased flood risk.

3.4.6 Formulate enquiry and argument

Identify questions and sequences of enquiry.
Write descriptively, analytically and critically.
Communicate their ideas effectively.
Develop an extended written argument.
Draw well-evidenced and informed conclusions about geographical questions and issues.

3.4.7 Literacy

This enquiry will help students develop a range of specialist and technical terminology associated with the topic under investigation. This will support not only learning linked to fieldwork, but also develop written skills and competencies useful for unit 3.1. Living with the physical environment.

• Develop personal skills
• Have fun
• Be inspired by a passion for the subject
• Build friendships