Geography

Geography is the study of the natural and cultural environment, and how they interact.  It considers where things are and why they are there.  It explores the environment and how it changes in the past, present and future.

The Geography programme across Year 11 - 13 aims to develop citizens who have an understanding of natural and cultural environments; how they function, change and interact, and the issues they influence and how these can be sustainably managed.

Field trips across all year levels allow students to experience the environments, and further understand the topics, studied.

Year 11 Geography    (11GEO)        

 The course is based on:

• Extreme natural events: their formation, their effects on the natural and cultural environment, and people’s responses
• Population patterns, processes, change and sustainability
• Geographic concepts and skills
• Geographic information science (GIS)
• Geographic research
• Geographic issues and solutions

Assessment activities occur at the end of units and at the end of the year in the form of an exam.

Year 12 Geography    (12GEO)

The course is based on:

• Natural environments - Tongariro Volcanic Centre
• Differences in development - Tanzania and the United States of America
• Contemporary geographic issue
• Urban patterns
• Geographic research, concepts and skills

Students study six topics (standards) that count for 23 credits towards Level 2 NCEA.

Internal Standards

• AS91241 (2.2)  Demonstrate Geographic Understanding of an Urban Pattern  (3 credits)
• AS91244 (2.5)  Conduct geographic research with guidance  (5 credits)
• AS91245 (2.6)  Explain aspects of a contemporary geographic issue  (3 credits)

External Standards

• AS91240 (2.1)  Demonstrate geographic understanding of a large natural environment  (4 credits)
• AS91242 (2.3)  Demonstrate geographic understanding of differences in development  (4 credits)
• AS91243 (2.4)  Apply concepts and geographic skills to demonstrate understanding in a given environment  (4 credits)     

Year 13 Geography    (13GEO)

The course is based on:

• Natural processes - fluvial processes in the Piha River Drainage Basin
• Cultural processes - tourism development in Rotorua
• Contemporary and global geographic issues
• Geographic research, concepts and skills

Students study six topics (standards) that count for 23 credits towards Level 3 NCEA:

Internal Standards:

• AS91430 (3.5)  Conduct geographic research with consultation  (5 credits)
• AS91431 (3.6)  Analyse aspects of a contemporary geographic issue  (3 credits)
• AS91432 (3.7)  Analyse aspects of a geographic topic at a global scale  (3 credits)

External Standards:

• AS91426 (3.1)  Demonstrate understanding of how interacting natural processes shape a New Zealand geographic environment  (4 credits)
• AS91427 (3.2)  Demonstrate understanding of how a cultural process shapes geographic environment(s)  (4 credits)
• AS91429 (3.4)  Demonstrate understanding of a given environment(s) through the selection and application of geographic concepts and skills  (4 credits)