Download OCR - Geographical Association

Getting to grips with OCR Geography
qualifications
Subject Specialists:
Abi Carter
Mark Smith
Shelley Monk
Geography Subject Specialists
Abi Carter
Mark Smith
Shelley Monk
Former Head of
Geography, Birchwood
High School
Over 6 years at OCR in
various roles
Former Head of
Geography at a UK and
British International
School
Studied Geography at
University of
Hertfordshire
Studied Physical
Geography at
Portsmouth University
Studied Geography at
Royal Holloway ,
London
OCR Geography Vision
Engaging and
topical
Genuine choice
of exciting
qualifications
Independent
learners
Critical
thinkers
KS3
Team
Confident in
players
the use of
practical skills
KS4
Comprehensive
package of
quality support
materials
Decision
makers
KS5
Clear route of progression
Developed by teachers for teachers
•
•
•
•
Teacher consultation
Student consultation
Dynamic developers
Consultation with the Geographic community
including employers, Subject Associations and
Higher Education
• Cambridge Assessment research
A Level Geography
Component
Physical Systems
Human Interactions
Geographical Debates
Weighting
Time
Marks
Key areas of
Content
24%
1 hour 45 mins
72
Landscape
Systems
(optionality)
24%
1 hour 45 mins
72
Changing Spaces;
Making Places,

32%
2 hours 30 mins
96
Climate Change

Disease Dilemmas


Earth’s Life
Support Systems


Global Connections

(optionality)


Question
styles
Skills/In content
optionality
Short answer,
extended response,
essay questions
Investigative
Geography
20%
35 hours
60
From any unit
Exploring Oceans
Future of Food
Hazardous Earth
Skills/In content
Choose any 2 of 5
optionality
Short answer, extended
Extended response,
response, essay
synoptic questions, essay
questions
questions
300 marks
6 hours /360 minutes
Project
Specification snippets; the Core
Earths Life support: Impacts of oil and
gas industry on water and carbon cycles
Migration patterns and how
conflict and persecution have
increased the number of
refugees
Carbon and water cycles,
how they operate, globally
over time and space. Arctic
tundra and tropical
rainforest case studies
Global connections: How the
geography of gender inequality is
complex and contested
Landscape systems: How
landscapes can be viewed
as a system and how they
evolve over time
How and why places are rebranded
and the relative success of this
Changing spaces making
places: How representations of
place differ through contrasting
media
•
•
•
•
Factors affecting landscapes
Landform development
Influence of climate change
Impact of human activity
LANDSCAPE
SYSTEMS
• Importance of water and
carbon to life on earth
• Case studies of Tropical
Rainforest and Arctic Tundra
• Change over time
• Links and interdependence
between the cycles
EARTH’S LIFE
SUPPORT
SYSTEMS
CHANGING
SPACES;
MAKING
PLACES
• Two contrasting places at a
local scale
• How place is understood and
represented
• Economic change and social
inequality, with players
involved
• Place making processes in
creating places
GLOBAL
• An increasingly
CONNECTIONS
interconnected world with
patterns, unequal flows,
challenges and geopolitics
• Trade in the contemporary
world or Global Migration
• Human rights or Power and
Borders
AS Geography
Component
Weighting
Time
Marks
Key areas of
Content



Landscape and Place
Geographical Debates
60%
40%
2 hours
90
Landscape Systems
(optionality)

1 hour 30 mins
60
Climate Change

Disease Dilemmas
Changing Spaces; Making
Places

Exploring Oceans

Future of Food
Geographical skills

Hazardous Earth

Question
styles
Fieldwork questions
In content optionality
Short answer, extended response,
essay questions
Optionality: choose any 1 of 5
Short answer, extended response,
synoptic questions, essay questions
150 marks
3.5 hours /210 minutes
What are my choices?
Landscape Systems
Global systems
Geographical Debates
Trade in the contemporary world
Coastal landscapes
OR
OR
Global Migration
Glacial landscapes
OR
Climate Change
Disease Dilemmas
AND
Dryland landscapes
Exploring Oceans
Global Governance
Human Rights
Future of Food
OR
Power and Borders
Hazardous Earth
Specification snippets: Geographical
Debates
Climate change: How
should humans respond to
climate change?
Hazardous Earth: What
measures are available to
help people living in
tectonically active zones?
Exploring Oceans: How do
oceans present hazardous
obstacles to human activity ?
Disease dilemmas: Can disease
ever be fully eradicated?
The future of food: How & why
patterns of food security vary
within and between countries.
Geographical Debates
• Five topics to choose from
• Dynamic and contemporary issues to engage
students
• Deep understanding of chosen topics
• Enquiry approach
• Concepts of inequality, mitigation, adaptation,
sustainability, risk, resilience and threshold.
Investigative Geography (NEA)
•
•
•
•
20% of A Level assessment weighting
Total of 60 marks
Recommended length 3,000 - 4,000
Independent investigation linked to any area of the
specification
• The fieldwork which forms the focus and context of the
individual investigation may be either human, physical
or integrated physical-human
• Student defines a question or issue for investigation.
• Primary and secondary data collection
New AOs and fieldwork - reflection
Sample Assessment Materials
Design & structure of papers
• Marks increase through questions
• Careful choice of command terms AS V A Level
• Clear content links
• Fieldwork questions at AS, logical route
through fieldwork and opportunities for
candidates to show their subject knowledge
Sample Assessment Materials
Mark scheme
• Clarity of AO wording across all level marked
questions.
• Examples of where marks can be awarded
• Detailed indicative content – broken down by
question style highlighting knowledge and
understanding or analysis and evaluation
Geographical skills
4.2 Geo-located data:
With respect to geo-located data, learners should:
a)
demonstrate an ability to collect and to use digital data through the use of geospatial technologies, such as smart
phones and tablet devices
b)
understand the opportunities and benefits of presenting and analysing geographical data through the use of
Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
4.3 Qualitative skills:
With respect to qualitative skills, learners should:
a)
use and understand a mixture of methodological approaches, including using interviews
b)
interpret, analyse and evaluate a range of source material including textual and visual sources
c)
understand the opportunities and limitations of qualitative techniques such as coding and sampling.
4.4 Quantitative skills:
With respect to quantitative skills, learners should understand the purposes and difference between the following
and be able to use them in appropriate contexts:
a)
mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range and standard deviation
b)
significance tests, such as Chi-squared, Spearman’s rank, Mann-Whitney U test and T-test
c)
lines of best fit and correlation on graphical representations
d)
measurement, measurement errors, and sampling.
Fieldwork skills
AS level (H081)
• Fieldwork skills will be assessed within Landscape
and Place
• Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 2
days including both human and physical geography
A Level (H481)
• Assessment of fieldwork skills will be within
Investigative geography component
• Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 4
days including both human and physical geography
What’s staying the same and what’s changing?
Staying the same
AS
Assessment
A Level
Assessment
Content
Changing
•
•
•
•
2 examined components
Optionality
Total marks 150
Range of question styles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Optionality
Fieldwork component
Total marks 300
Range of question styles
•
•
•
Coastal, cold and semi-arid
environments
Social and economic issues in
urban and rural areas
Earth hazards
Globalisation
Development inequalities
• Content from DFE
• IMF classifications – AC, EDC & LIDC
New content:
• Earth’s Life Support Systems
• Changing Spaces; Making Places
• Climate Change
• Disease Dilemmas
• Exploring Oceans
• Future of Food
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stand alone qualification
Fieldwork and geographical skills
assessed through exam
Increased by 30 minutes
More equal spread of marks
3 examined components
Fieldwork assessed through NEA
(20%)
Assessment time decreased by 1hour
More equal spread of marks
How are we supporting you?
[email protected]
Mark Smith
Abi Carter
@OCR_Geography
School visits
Geography Journey
Teaching and
learning resources
Shelley Monk
Free first teach
events available to
book on the OCR CPD
hub now
A range of CPD
events
available to
book on the
OCR CPD hub
now.
Editable and flexible resources
Already on the website:.
• UK in the 21st Centaury delivery guide
• Does sea ice matter? Activity
• Why is development uneven?
• Environmental threats to our planet
delivery guide
• What is the UK’s Geographic diversity?
• Who are the UK’s trading partners?
More to follow
Constantly updated for the lifetime of the
specification
A comprehensive package of support
Publishing Partners - Hodder
Type
Available –
estimate
Student text book – hard
April/May
copy
2016
Student text book e copy
E book for whiteboard
Revision guides
Dynamic learning –
online, interactive
quizzes, additional
activities, answers to the
questions in the book,
power points etc.
June/July
2016
June/July
2016
September
2017 (first
assessment is
2018)
April/May
2016
Estimated costs
GCSE £22.99
A LEVEL £35.99
1/3 of cost of
print price
£150
£300-350
In summary
• New qualifications developed by teachers for teachers,
with learners at the centre
• Clear, explicit content allowing for flexible delivery
• Fewer case studies, clearly outlined and contemporary
• Wide range of CPD opportunities
• Teaching and learning materials available and in
development
• Subject Specialists to support you and your schools
• Collaboration and partnership with Hodder
Please send your feedback or any queries to our team of
Geography Subject Specialists:
[email protected]
Follow us on twitter:
@OCR_Geography