Geography at Oaklands Community College aims to:

To increase student knowledge and understanding of:

a)

the physical environment and the processes involved

b)

the social, cultural and economic phenomena and processes

c)

the interaction of these phenomena

d)

the effects

e)

the nature and diversity of physical and cultural landscapes

f)

the relationships between all of the above and the local,

national and international environments and communities

To develop students understanding of key geographical concepts and the ability to use
and apply these concepts

To develop and practice key geographical skills relating to maps, figures, statistics,
photos, pictures, text and electronic sources

To use first-hand enquiry in the form of fieldwork

To develop social and evaluation skills

To encourage the development of positive attitudes towards themselves, others and their
environment

In first year the students learn:

A. The Human Habitat-Processes and Change
Unit: 1
The earths surface, shaping the crust:
The restless earth
Rocks- formation, location, use
Weathering and erosion-explain definitions
Mechanical weathering- freeze-thaw action- effects
Chemical weathering- carbonation*** effects on limestone i.e. The Burren
Mass movement- explanation of types

 Rivers at work
Ice at work
Work of the sea
Introduction to OS maps

In 2nd Year the topics studied are:

B. Patterns in Economic Activity
Unit: 1 Primary Economic Activities: The Earth as a resource

Explanation of the term economic, primary, secondary and tertiary

Water as a vital resource (renewable)
Oil-as a non-renewable resource
Peat bogs
Over-fishing
Farming-as a system

Unit: 2 Secondary Economic Activities

Systems
Heavy and light Manufacturing
Industry change in location over time
Women at work
Acid rain (problems with industry)

Unit :3 Tertiary Economic Activities

Tourism
Case study e.g. Spain
Unit: 4 Economic Inequality:
The Earths resources

Rich and poor countries

Exploitation- past and present
aid- types of aid
Factors that hinder development i.e. Ethiopia (climate etc)
Economic division in developed countries
Reducing economic inequality
A. The Human Habitat-Processes and Change (contd).

Unit: 2 The Restless Atmosphere:

Sun, wind and ocean currents

Effects of ascending and descending air
Water in the atmosphere
Measuring and forecasting weather
Factors effecting climate
Different climate types- Temperate climates (Irelands climate)
Hot climates i.e. Deserts- effects of hot climates e.g. Desertification, Drought
Irrigation schemes in desert regions
Cold climates- Boreal Lands

Unit: 3
The workings of our life support system:
Soil-characteristics and composition
Vegetation and climate
Vegetation and soil

***Map work

Ordnance survey maps introduced- directions, national grid, symbols

Scale and Measuring distance
Calculating area
Grid references (FOUR AND SIX FIGURE)
Types of slopes/Cross sections
Focus on sketch maps
Relief, drainage, communications

Finally, in 3rd Year the students focus on:

B. Population, settlement, patterns and urbanisation
Unit: 1 Population- distribution, diversity and change

Population growth/change
Factors that influence the rate of change- health, war, food supply, education,
technology, women in society.

Population density and distribution in Italy, Ireland, Brazil

Population structure-pyramids
Effects of high and low population densities (case studies)
Unequal world- rich and poor countries- life expectancy
Migration-push and pull factors
Individual and organised migration
Settlements- factors associated with their development
Settlement patterns view on maps ( identification)
Factors effecting settlement e.g. physical factors
Settlement functions- market, defence etc.
Change in urban functions over time
Growth of settlements- communication links and growth
Land values- affect land use in cities
Traffic congestion in cities
Urban problems- zones of decline and urban sprawl, crime
Urban solutions- urban renewal and redevelopment e.g. Calcutta

Mapwork and Aerial photographs:

Settlement identifiable on maps
City street maps and town maps
Aerial photographs:
o Types of aerial photo-vertical and oblique
o Distance on a photo
o Directions
o Colour and photographs
o Sketch maps
o Settlement, problems etc.
Test maps and photographs-using past papers and geography book