Geography

Group 3

Course Description

COURSE STRUCTURE

SL and HL

Prerequisites:

Nil

Exclusions:

Nil

Geography is a dynamic subject that is firmly grounded in the real world and focuses on the interactions between individuals, societies and the physical environment in both time and space. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions and examines the processes behind them.

Geography presents a distinction within the IB course as it represents the middle ground between science and humanities. The DP course represents a healthy balance between physical and human geography and explores an extremely wide variety of topics and case studies within those topics. Included in the study are such issues as resource use, climate change, population growth, urban environments, Freshwater, Food and health, Power, places and networks, Human development and diversity and Global risks and resilience.

The goal of the IB course is to create a well-rounded, individual and critical learner who forms educated opinions about some of the larger issues facing the planet in the 21st century and the solutions to them.

Coursework

Group 3:	Geography Standard Level	Geography Higher Level
*Components*
*Part 1: Core theme*	Population distribution— changing population Global climate— vulnerability and resilience Global resource consumption and security	Population distribution— changing population Global climate— vulnerability and resilience Global resource consumption and security
*Part 2: Optional theme – two optional themes are required for SL and three for HL*	Freshwater—issues and conflicts Oceans and their coastal margins Extreme environments Hazards and disasters—risk assessment and response Leisure, sport and tourism The geography of food and health Urban environments	Freshwater—issues and conflicts Oceans and their coastal margins Extreme environments Hazards and disasters—risk assessment and response Leisure, sport and tourism The geography of food and health Urban environments
Part 3: Global Interactions		Power, places and networks Human development and diversity Global risks and resilience
Fieldwork	Fieldwork, leading to one written report based on a fieldwork question, information collection and analysis with evaluation.	Fieldwork, leading to one written report based on a fieldwork question, information collection and analysis with evaluation.

Assessment

Group 3:	Geography Standard Level			Geography Higher Level
*Type of Assessment*	*Format of assessment*	*Time (hours)*	*Weighting of final grade (%)*	*Format of assessment*	*Time (hours)*	*Weighting of final grade (%)*
External			75		5.5	80
Paper 1	Short answer and two extended responses	1.5	35	Short answer and three extended responses	2.5	35
Paper 2	Short answer and one extended response	1.15	40	Short answer and one extended response	2	25
Paper 3				Choice of three questions, with two essays per question	1	20
Internal		20	25		20	20
Written report	Written report based on fieldwork (2,500 words maximum)			Written report based on fieldwork (2,500 words maximum)

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