Geography
Mission Statement
The Geography Department at Scariff Community College seeks to allow students to develop an understanding and appreciation of their physical and human surroundings. The interrelationships between the physical and human environments will be explored. Students will develop geographical skills necessary to analyse issues at local, national and international levels. Learning through experience is encouraged and the goals of self-esteem, self-discipline and self-fulfilment are promoted.
Subject Aims
The Geography Department in Scariff Community College aims;
• To promote awareness of the spatial patterns of environmental phenomena, both natural and cultural.
• To develop an understanding of natural, social and economic processes.
• To develop an understanding of complex interactions in the world and their constant changes.
• To encourage to be sensitive to awareness of their own country and elsewhere.
• To contribute to students understanding of current issues.
• To encourage students to develop their natural curiosity.
• To develop organised thinking and cognitive abilities.
• To improve numeracy and literacy in all students.
Subject Objectives
KNOWLEDGE
Students should be encouraged to develop understanding of the:
• Physical environment
• Social and cultural phenomena
• Interactions and effects of the interactions of physical, cultural, social and economic phenomena.
• The nature and diversity of physical and cultural environments in Ireland and elsewhere.
SKILLS
Students should develop the following skills:
• Figure Drawing/Interpretation
• Map Drawing/Interpretation
• Photograph Analysis
• Investigative Skills
• Presentation skills
• Communication skills
• Social Skills – e.g. team work
• Information Technology Skills
The Leaving Certificate geography course follows on from Junior Cycle geography, covering similar topics as well as new topics in more detail. Leaving Certificate geography will help students develop an understanding of the changing relationships between the physical and human worlds. Through their study of geography, students will develop geographical skills that will help them to make informed judgements about issues at local, national and international levels.
Higher level students are required to study:
Core Unit 1 Patterns and processes in the physical environment
Core Unit 2 Regional geography
Core Unit 3 Geographical Investigation and Skills
Elective Unit 4 Patterns and processes in economic activities
Or
Elective Unit 5 Patterns and processes in the human environment
One of the following four optional areas of study
Optional Unit 6 Global interdependence
Optional Unit 7 Geoecology
Optional Unit 8 Culture and identity
Optional Unit 9 The atmosphere—ocean Environment
Ordinary level students are required to study:
Core Unit 1 Patterns and processes in the physical environment
Core Unit 2 Regional geography
Core Unit 3 Geographical Investigation and Skills
Elective Unit 4 Patterns and processes in economic activities
Or
Elective Unit 5 Patterns and processes in the human environment
Geographical Investigation
In Scariff Community College, we place a focus active learning. As part of the geographical investigation of the course, 5th year students travel to The Burren Outdoor Education Centre, Turlough, Bell Harbour, Co. Clare and actively participate and interact in groups and teams to investigate sea processes of erosion, transportation and deposition. All students gain first-hand experience in conducting such an investigation and acquire the skills to analyse, interpret and represent the data and findings they collected. The geographical investigation is a core area of study and as such is compulsory for all students. Field studies and investigations using primary and secondary sources are central to the geographical education and experience of all students. The investigation will allow the student to experience the practical application of the core geographical skills that are central to all units of the syllabus. The geographical investigation will allow the student to experience the key aims of the syllabus in the context of their own environment. This is done by our students at the end of Fifth Year and is worth 20% of their Leaving Cert exam. This is done in the local environment and works on both Practical skills as well as social skills such as team building.
Leaving Certificate Examination
Assessment will take the form of a written examination and a report on the geographical investigation.
There will be a separate written examination for Higher and for Ordinary level students.
The terminal written examination will have an assessment weighting of 80%.
The report on the geographical investigation will have an assessment weighting of 20%.
The Paper is 2 hours and 50 minutes
The written examination will consist of questions requiring short answers and multi-part questions requiring more developed answers.
Longer essay-style discursive answers will be required only in the optional units at Higher Level.
Career Opportunities
There are many career opportunities available to students who study geography for their leaving certificate. Some of which include;
• Marketing
• Tourism
• Agriculture
• Outdoor leisure
• Oceanography
• Environmental science
• Anthropology
• Development studies
• International aid / NGO work
• Community development
• Local government planning
• Weather and climate analyst
• Land surveyor
• Teaching (Primary/ Post-primary / TEFL)
• Urban planning
• GIS specialist
• Landscape architect
Textbooks
Planet and People Sue Honan & Sue Mulholland
Link to curriculum
https://curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/Senior-Cycle-Subjects/Geography/
Department members:
Mary Kelleher
Alan Deegan
Anna Moroney
Kollette O’Driscoll
Darina Sheridan
