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Scheme
of Work
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT MODULE
The module is examined in June of the Lower Sixth
with resits in January of the Upper Sixth.
UNIT 1 - EARTH SYSTEMS
This unit is taught over the course of the majority
of the Autumn term. Fieldwork to support the unit is undertaken on a day's visit
to the Peak District during October. Assessment is carried out on a fortnightly
or three-week cycle using extended worksheets covering the main themes. The unit
is tested under examination conditions at the end of the term.
- Tectonic Processes (3 weeks)
Evidence for continental drift and plate tectonics to
include geology/structure, fossils, climate change, palaeomagnetism, and age of
basalt. Global pattern of plates, their direction and rate of movement; possible
mechanisms of movement including convection currents. Processes at constructive,
destructive and conservative plate margins, including subduction, convergence,
divergence and earthquake & volcanic activity, and at hot spots. Resulting
global patterns of landforms, to include fold mountains, ocean trenches, island
arcs, ocean ridges. Students should be introduced to some of the evidence of
past tectonic activity in the British Isles, namely events from the Cambrian to
the Ordovician/Silurian including processes on the margins of
Iapetus.
Characteristics and formation of extrusive landforms,
to include lava plateaux and cones of different types (acid, basic, composite,
caldera and fissure) and their impact on the landscape. Characteristics and
formation of intrusive landforms, to include dykes, sills and batholiths, and
their impact on the landscape. These ideas should be studied in the context of
the Isle of Arran using geological maps and slides. Economic benefits of igneous
activity
- Weathering Processes (2
weeks)
Chemical, physical and biological weathering, to
include oxidation, carbonation, solution; freeze-thaw, pressure release, thermal
expansion; the action of tree roots and organic acids. Physical, human and
temporal factors influencing the rate of weathering. The impact of weathering on
the landscape: the formation of regolith, to include scree and soil. The impact
of weathering on human activity.
- Limestone and Granite Landscapes (2
weeks)
The nature and formation of limestone pavements
(including the influence of soil and rates of solution), shake holes, swallow
holes and pot-holes, resurgences and subterranean features. The formation of
tors including arguments for and against the theories of Linton and
Palmer.
Positive and negative impacts of earthquakes and
volcanoes on human activity, both short term and long term
The importance of risk assessment, prediction and
monitoring, and their limitations.
UNIT 2 - FLUVIAL ENVIRONMENTS
This unit is taught over the course of the remainder
of the Autumn term and completed before the end of the first half of the Spring
term. Fieldwork to support the unit, together with unit 3, is undertaken on the
residential visit to the Isle of Arran in April.
- The Hydrological Cycle and Rainfall-Discharge
Relationships (4 weeks)
The global hydrological cycle (inputs, stores and
flows) and the drainage basin cycle to include evapotranspiration, condensation,
precipitation, surface run-off, groundwater flow, evaporation, transpiration,
infiltration, percolation. The causes of rainfall, to include orographic,
frontal and convectional processes.
The concepts of discharge and regime and the
characteristics of hydrographs (to include elements such as lag time, peak,
rising limb, recession limb and base flow division) and the physical and human
factors influencing them, such as weather, climate, rock type, soil, relief,
vegetation, antecedent conditions and human activity. Comparisons of flashy and
attenuated hydrograph responses. The management of river processes to include
flood prevention and flood control methods. Case studies of (a) river management
on the Colorado River, US (OHP slides, videos and student notes available) and
(b) the Northampton floods of 1998 which could include visits to study local
flood defences.
- Downstream Hydrology (2
weeks)
Downstream changes in velocity, discharge, efficiency
(hydraulic radius) channel shape, and the factors that influence these changes.
The Hjulstrom curve. Appreciate the significance of the work of Leopold and
Maddock in understanding hydraulic geometry, particularly in relation to
downstream velocity changes. The nature of the long profile including
explanations of concavity and polycyclicity.
- Fluvial Processes (2 weeks)
The channel processes of erosion (abrasion,
attrition, corrosion and cavitation), transportation (suspension, solution,
saltation and traction).and deposition, and the resulting landforms such as
V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, rapids, meanders, braids, levees, ox-bow lakes,
deltas (bird's foot and arcuate), flood plains.
The reasons for and methods of groundwater and river
management in countries at different states of development
Decision-making issues related to management of the
hydrological cycle.
UNIT 3 - COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS
This unit is taught during the remainder of the
Spring term with completion within the first two weeks of the Summer term.
Again, fieldwork to support this unit forms part of the residential visit to the
Isle of Arran.
- The Coastal System (3 weeks)
The coastal environment as a system with inputs
(tidal and wave energy), processes (erosion, transport) and outputs (landforms
of erosion and deposition). Waves (formation, type and environment) and tides
(understanding spring and neap tides, amphidromal points, and tidal bores).
Processes of marine erosion (corrasion, wave quarrying and corrosion),
transportation (longshore drift) and deposition. The factors influencing the
rate and location of these processes, to include marine (including refraction),
atmospheric, geological and human factors.
- Coastal Landforms (4 weeks)
Landforms of coastal erosion, to include cliff,
wave-cut platform, headland, bay, cave, arch, stack, stump - studied in the
context of the Isle of Purbeck. Landforms of coastal deposition, to include
beach, spit, on-shore and off-shore bars, tombolo and cuspate foreland - studied
in the context of the North Norfolk coast.
The possible physical and human causes of long-term
sea level change, to include both isostatic and eustatic change. Landforms of
submergence and emergence, to include ria and fjord, raised beach and abandoned
cliff - studied in the context of the Isle of Arran. The impact of rising sea
levels on human use of the coastline.
- Coastal Ecosystems (2 weeks)
How and why plant succession develops from a pioneer
community in (a) a sand dune ecosystem (psammosere) and (b) a salt marsh
ecosystem (halosere) - studied in the context of Studland (psammosere) and
Burnham-Overy-Staithe (North Norfolk). The influence of human activity on these
two ecosystems.
The need for coastal management schemes.
Issues of management, including methods and
strategies used, and their possible impact.
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT MODULE
The module is examined in June of the Lower Sixth
with resits in January of the Upper Sixth.
UNIT 1 – POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
This unit is taught alongside the Earth Systems unit
during the first half of the Autumn term. No fieldwork is undertaken to support
the unit, although maximum use should be made of ICT to consult census records
and collect and process demographic data.
- Population Distribution and Density (3
weeks)
Physical and human factors affecting distribution of
population, including a study of population distribution in the UK (including
references to patterns established by industrial growth and development from the
19th century). Reasons for variations in density in rural and urban
areas. Classification of urban and rural (include village and town). Study of
rural areas in Northamptonshire with the Isle of Arran to examine the effects of
urban areas on surrounding rural districts. The concept of core and periphery
compared between Britain and an LEDC (Brazil).
- Population Change (2 weeks)
The components of population change, both natural
(crude birth rate and crude death rate) and migration. Reasons for variations in
fertility and mortality patterns and rates. The demographic transition model –
its application and limitations. Using the IDB database or other suitable
web-sites, students should download data on birth rates and death rates in order
to evaluate the demographic transition model. The model should be studied in the
context of the UK, India, Sweden and Brazil.
- Population Structure (2
weeks)
Characteristics of structure and population pyramids
of both LEDCs and MEDCs (UK, India, Sweden and Brazil), at national scale and
local scale – rural and urban areas. Changes to population structure – the
characteristics of ageing and youthful populations.
The socio-economic implications of youthful and
ageing population structures, to include dependency ratios. Students should
compare and contrast demographic data between LEDCs and MEDCs using the IDB
database (www.census.gov.uk).
- Population and Resources (2
weeks)
Population growth in relation to resources – the
views of commentators like Malthus and Boserup. Concepts of over-population,
under-population and optimum population. These concepts should be studied in the
context of the UK, Bangladesh, Canada and Brazil. Population policies in China
and Singapore.
Data collection (eg census) and its role in planning
and providing services for a changing population
Government policies to increase and reduce birth
rates – reasons, effects and relative success.
UNIT 2: SETTLEMENT PATTERNS
This unit is taught in the second half of the Autumn
term. Local fieldwork forms a significant component
- Site and Situation (2 weeks)
Physical, human and political reasons for the site
and situation of settlements, and distributional patterns. Students should be
aware of the importance of riparian sites, particularly for early civilisations,
e.g. Indus. Compare the sites of settlement in Northamptonshire (Nene valley)
with the Isle of Arran. Calculation of the nearest neighbour statistic for
settlements in Northamptonshire and the Isle of Arran. Impact of physical site
on settlement growth and expansion. New towns - Milton Keynes.
- Settlement Hierarchy (3
weeks)
Variations in settlement size, primacy, and the
theoretical rank-size relationships at the national scale.
Settlement hierarchies – central place theory, range
and threshold. Theoretical and practical ways of determining spheres of
influence. These concepts should be studied in the context of Northampton, East
Anglia (central place theory), USA/Brazil (rank-size) and UK/Ghana
(primacy).
Spatial variations in land use patterns in urban
settlements – retail, commercial, industrial, recreational and residential.
Economic, political and physical reasons for variations in land use –
accessibility, bid rent curves and peak land value. Models of urban growth and
structure (Burgess, Hoyt, Harris and Ullman, Robson and Mann) – their
application and limitations.
The nature of changes in urban areas to include
function, land use, street patterns, building age and height, population
characteristics. Students should undertake a detailed investigation of
Northampton to illustrate these changes using appropriate resources from the web
(e.g. www.old-maps.co.uk).
Reasons for changes in urban areas, including zones
of transition and suburbanisation
Reasons for and issues associated with edge-of-town
development and city centre redevelopment (Glasgow, London,
Newcastle).
Policies for managing changing urban and rural
settlement.
Issues, rationales and outcomes of
policies.
UNIT 3: POPULATION MOVEMENTS
This unit is taught during the remainder of the
Spring term, extending into the Summer term if necessary.
- Types of Movement (3 weeks)
Population movements, to include a range from
short-term circulations through to permanent migration, and from voluntary to
forced. Migrations can be classified by motive, composition, distance, duration,
frequency and direction. The influence on migration flows of push and pull
mechanisms.
Application and limitations of gravity models in
predicting migration flows. Ravenstein's Laws of Migration. Ideas of Lee, Huff
and Stoufer.
- Causes of Migration (2
weeks)
Economic, social, political and physical motives for
migration over different distances and time scales. Specific studies should be
made of a case of (a) international migration, (b) transmigration in the UK, (c)
refugee movements and (d) the family life cycle model in the context of an urban
area. The degree to which migration may be selective – the effects of economic,
social and political ‘opportunity’ and ‘constraints’. Cultural or social reasons
for migration should be discussed, but dismissed as fundamental
causes.
- The Impact of Migration (2
weeks)
Economic, environmental, social and demographic
impacts of migration in countries of origin and destination. This should be
studied in a particular context, e.g. migration of Mexicans to the border
regions (or other example). Social and cultural opportunities and challenges at
local and national scale. The impact of migration on the physical
environment.
Reasons for, effects of and issues associated with
government policies to influence migration into, out of and within a
country.
The causes and consequences of recent migrations and
refugee movements.
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