Geography

Aims of the Geography Department

To stimulate student curiosity, interest in and enjoyment of Geography.
To cultivate a sense of location, a knowledge of places and respect for differing cultures.
To develop an understanding and appreciation of the human and physical dimensions of the environment and recognition of environmental links at varying scales from local to global.
To enable students to perceive Geography in the context of a wider body of knowledge, vocabulary and skills.
To encourage open, enquiring minds that are aware of contemporary issues, to encourage the development of informed opinions and support of such opinions with reasoned arguments.
To enable students to develop a range of desirable personal qualities such as politeness, perseverance, initiative and independence.

In First Year, pupils will have the opportunity to study and take part in a huge variety of topics whilst looking at Scotland & the Local Area and Scotland & the Wider World including;

Finding out about Scotland
Applying your Knowledge & Skills Mapping the Local Area
Scotland’s location in the Wider World
How does the landscape affect what people do?

In Second Year the range of topics studied in Weather & Climate and Earth Forces include;

What is Weather & Climate?
Case Study of Equatorial Climate
The Consequences of Global Warming
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes
How is the Earth’s Surface Shaped?
The Work of Ice.

In Third and fourth year pupils study topics such as;

Weather and climate
Farming
Physical landscapes
Trade and Aid

At “Higher” level we study a wide range of topics ranging from Development and Health to Land use in the English Lake District.

In the Advanced Higher class pupils learn about statistics and how to interpret them, advanced level mapping skills and they undertake an essay style study of their choice along with a large field work based exercise.

The Geography department is very heavily involved in the wider life of the school and you will probably meet some or all of the staff during walks with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, climbing Ben A’an with the Geog Soc, playing chess in the chess club, during visits to Stirling, Edinburgh, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales or the Ardeche Gorge on a water sports trip. Pupils are pictured below enjoying some of the varied activities offered by the Geography department.

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