Geography
“Geography explains the past, illuminates the present and prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?” Michael Palin.
"The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together." Barack Obama.
Geography is the study of the world in which we live – that is the earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. Geography bridges the gap between natural sciences (physical geography) and social sciences (human geography). The subject is therefore very wide ranging.
Schemes of work and lesson planning keep track of current geographical issues and students are encouraged to be aware of the world around them. This makes the subject highly topical and relevant. Students learn in a wide variety of ways such as by using ICT, maps, data analysis, photos, videos, GIS skills, independent research and fieldwork.
Fieldwork is an important part of geography at Appleby and is integrated across all key stages. At Key Stage 3, students study the Appleby area and conduct school-based microclimates fieldwork. At GCSE, students undertake physical fieldwork at Easedale, where they investigate how rivers change downstream and study the effects of glaciation. Human fieldwork involves an investigation into the impacts of tourism in Grasmere. At A-Level, students participate in a week-long residential in the Lake District, investigating glacial processes in Coniston and regeneration/place studies in Morecambe and Grange-Over-Sands. In addition, we offer have offered a fieldtrip to Iceland for GCSE and A-level students.
Geography is highly valued by employers and universities due to the wide range of skills which are acquired, such as written and spoken communication, numeracy, problem solving, decision-making/planning, interpretation of data and graphicacy.