Sacred Heart Secondary School

Geography is a compulsory subject at Junior Cycle and is a very popular option at Senior Cycle

Geography is defined as the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth's surface and the human societies spread across it.

Junior Certificate Curriculum

1^st - 3^rd Year

The Junior Certificate classes consist of a maximum of 30 students per class and are mixed ability.

The timetable consists of three single class periods per week.

Core Syllabus:

The syllabus is presented in three sections, each based on a broad theme:

A. The Human Habitat – Processes and Change

1. The Earth’s Surface: Shaping the Crust

2. The Restless Atmosphere: The Heat Engine

3. The Workings of our Life Support System

B. Population, Settlement Patterns and Urbanisation

1. Population - Distribution Diversity and Change

2. People on the Move

3. Settlement: Changing Patterns in Where We Live – Villages and Towns

4. Urbanisation: Changing Patterns in Where we Live – Cities

C. Patterns in Economic Activity

1. Primary Economic Activities: The Earth as a Resource

2. Secondary Economic Activities: Building Resources into Products

3. Tertiary Economic Activities: Facilitating Our Use of Resources

4. Economic Inequality: The Earth’s Resources – Who Benefits?

PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR GEOGRAPHY AT JUNIOR CYCLE

Map Interpretation (Being able to work with small scale and Ordnance Survey maps)

Figure Interpretation (Being able to comprehend and analyse information provided in the form of figures)

Photograph Analysis (Being able to interpret photographs including aerial (vertical & oblique) and satellite photographs)

Numerical Skills and calculation (Being able to understand information in numerical form and carry out simple calculations based on such information)

Picture Interpretation (Being able to understand information provided in the form of pictures and cartoons)

Figure Drawing (Being able to depict written or statistical information in the form of figures) –

Map Drawing (Being able to draw and sketch detailed maps)

Fieldwork/Street work (Being able to collect record and evaluate information gained out of the classroom)

Junior Certificate Examination

The students are examined at both Higher and Ordinary level.

This paper is 2 hours long and consists of two parts

Section 1 consists of 20 short questions

Section 2 consists of 5 long questions; students are expected to answer 3

Material Used

New Geo Textbook by Edco

New Geo Supplementary Workbook by Edco

All students are asked to have a hardback notebook which they will use for the 3 years

1 class copy

Folders & Polly pockets will also be needed

Aerial Photographs and Ordnance Survey Maps are provided

Colours and rulers are expected.

Leaving Certificate Curriculum

5^th and 6th Year

The Leaving Certificate classes consist of maximum 30 students per class and are mixed ability.

The timetable consists of 5 class periods per week.

Core Syllabus:

The syllabus is presented in the form of core, elective, and optional areas of study

There is a compulsory practical field study at leaving certificate level.

The structure of the syllabus has a clear differentiation between Higher and Ordinary levels.

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

Elective Unit 5 Patterns and processes in the human environment

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

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

THE APPLICATION OF SKILLS AT ORDINARY LEVEL

Map and aerial photograph interpretation
Satellite imagery
Figure interpretation
Census of population data
Weather maps and weather data
Textual sources
THE APPLICATION OF SKILLS AT HIGHER LEVEL
Map and aerial photograph interpretation
Satellite imagery
Figure interpretation
Census of population data
Weather maps and weather data
Textual sources
Geographical information systems (GIS)

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.

The report on the geographical investigation will be assessed outside of the terminal written examination and is submitted during the final year (April)

Material Used

Horizons Textbook by Folens

Elective and Option Books (Class Teacher)

All students are asked to have a hardback notebook which they will use for the 2 years

1 class copy

Folders & Polly pockets will also be needed

Aerial Photographs and Ordnance Survey Maps are provided

Colours and rulers are expected.

For the Future

Some Careers in geography

Cartographer.

Environmental consultant.