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A‑Level Geography (UK) tutor

Unit 1: Water and carbon cycles

The compulsory physical core, and Section A of Component 1. Topics: Systems in physical geography, The water cycle, The carbon cycle, Water, carbon, climate and life on Earth, Quantitative skills and case studies.

Unit 2: Hot desert systems and landscapes (Component 1 Section B option)

One of the three landscape systems a student may take for Section B of Component 1. Topics: Deserts as natural systems, Systems and processes, Arid landscape development in contrasting settings, Desertification, Skills and case studies.

Unit 3: Coastal systems and landscapes (Component 1 Section B option)

One of the three landscape systems a student may take for Section B of Component 1. Topics: Coasts as natural systems, Systems and processes, Coastal landscape development, Coastal management, Skills and case studies.

Unit 4: Glacial systems and landscapes (Component 1 Section B option)

One of the three landscape systems a student may take for Section B of Component 1. Topics: Glaciers as natural systems, The nature and distribution of cold environments, Systems and processes, Glaciated landscape development, Human impacts on cold environments, Skills and case studies.

Unit 5: Hazards (Component 1 Section C option)

One of the two options for Section C of Component 1, worth 48 marks. Topics: The concept of hazard in a geographical context, Plate tectonics, Volcanic hazards, Seismic hazards, Storm hazards, Fires in nature, Case studies.

Unit 6: Ecosystems under stress (Component 1 Section C option)

One of the two options for Section C of Component 1, worth 48 marks. Topics: Ecosystems and sustainability, Ecosystems and processes, Biomes, Ecosystems in the British Isles over time, Marine ecosystems, Local ecosystems, Case studies.

Unit 7: Global systems and global governance

Compulsory, and Section A of Component 2. Topics: Globalisation, Global systems, International trade and access to markets, Global governance, The 'global commons', Antarctica as a global common, Globalisation critique and skills.

Unit 8: Changing places

Compulsory, and Section B of Component 2. Topics: The nature and importance of places, Relationships and connections, Meaning and representation, Quantitative and qualitative skills in place study, Place studies.

Unit 9: Contemporary urban environments (Component 2 Section C option)

One of the three options for Section C of Component 2, worth 48 marks. Topics: Urbanisation, Urban forms, Social and economic issues associated with urbanisation, Urban climate, Urban drainage, Urban waste and its disposal, Other contemporary urban environmental issues, Sustainable urban development, Case studies.

Unit 10: Population and the environment (Component 2 Section C option)

One of the three options for Section C of Component 2, worth 48 marks. Topics: Introduction, Environment and population, Environment, health and well-being, Population change, Principles of population ecology applied to human populations, Global population futures, Case studies.

Unit 11: Resource security (Component 2 Section C option)

One of the three options for Section C of Component 2, worth 48 marks. Topics: Resource development, Natural resource issues, Water security, Energy security, Mineral security, Resource futures and case studies.

Unit 12: Fieldwork and the independent investigation (Component 3)

The individual investigation is 3,000-4,000 words, 60 marks and 20% of the A-level, marked by teachers and moderated by AQA. Topics: Fieldwork and independence requirements, Designing the investigation, Collecting and presenting data, Analysis and conclusions, Writing up and evaluation.

Unit 13: Geographical skills

The specification's skills checklist, which every A-level student must demonstrate. Topics: Types of geographical information and critical use, Qualitative skills, Quantitative approaches, Core skills, Cartographic skills, Graphical skills, Statistical skills, ICT skills.

Unit 14: Answering AQA Geography questions

Exam craft for Components 1 and 2, written generally so it works whichever options the student takes. Topics: Working with resource material, Building extended responses, Paper strategy.