IB+DP+Geography

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**COURSE OVERVIEW** Geography is a dynamic subject that is firmly grounded in the real world and focuses on the interactions between individuals, societies and the physical environment in both //time and space//. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions and examines the processes behind them. It also investigates the way that people adapt and respond to change and evaluates management strategies associated with such change. Geography describes and helps to explain the similarities and differences between spaces and places. These may be defined on a variety of scales and from a range of perspectives.

Within Group III subjects, geography is distinctive in that it occupies the middle ground between social sciences and natural sciences. The Diploma Program geography course integrates both //physical// and //human geography//, and ensures that students acquire elements of both scientific and socio‑economic methodologies. Geography takes advantage of its position between both these groups of subjects to examine relevant concepts and ideas from a wide variety of disciplines. This helps students develop an appreciation of, and a respect for, alternative approaches, viewpoints and ideas.

The geography course embodies global and international awareness in several distinct ways. It examines key global issues, such as poverty, sustainability and climate change. It considers examples and detailed case studies at a variety of scales, from local to regional, national and international. Throughout the course, teachers have considerable flexibility in their choice of examples and case studies to ensure that Diploma Program geography is a highly appropriate way to meet the needs of all students, regardless of their precise geographical location. Inherent in the syllabus is a consideration of different perspectives, economic circumstances and social and cultural diversity.

Geography seeks to develop international understanding and foster a concern for global issues as well as to raise students’ awareness of their own responsibility at a local level. Geography also aims to develop values and attitudes that will help students reach a degree of personal commitment in trying to resolve these issues, appreciating our shared responsibility as citizens of an increasingly interconnected world.

**A SRI LANKAN SETTING** OSC’s geography courses take advantage of OSC’s location in Sri Lanka. Whenever possible, examples and case studies will be drawn from our local situations and many of the case studies and field trips will focus on local issues that have larger global relevance. We are also in a unique position to train students in Global Information Systems (GIS). Although this is not part of the IB syllabus it is a critical geographic tool and you will benefit from skills learned in this segment of the class. = =



**MAIN TEXT** Nagel, Garett and Briony Cooke. //Geography Course Companion//. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.  Companion Website.

**SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS** Christopherson, Rober W. //Elemental Geosystems//. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. Codrington, Stephen. //Planet Geography//. Sydney: Solid Star Press, 2007. Print. Guinness, Paul. //Geography for the IB Diploma (Patterns and Change and Global Interactions)//. Cambridge: Cambridge  University Press, 2011. Print. Waugh, David. //Geography: An Integrated Approach.// Walton-On-Thames Surrey: Thomas Nelson &Sons, 2009. Print.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Companion Site.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Geoscience Personal Study Portal

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**WEBSITES & INTERESTING GEOGRAPHY BLOGS**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">[|**Digital Explorer**]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">ChartsBin: This has all sorts of interesting interactive graphics on a wide variety of geographic (and other topic) issues. Check out Calorie Intake for example.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Ecumene IB Core** A site designed for IB DP Geography teachers and students. Has links to case studies and other Geography related topics in each component of the syllabus.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Guardian Global Development: An excellent portal for stories on a vast array of geography topics.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geographical Association (UK)**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geocube**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geog-On2IB** A class IB DP Geography Wikisite created by Martin Hughes. There are many useful documents, power points and links that are attached to this site.
 * <span style="background-color: #efefef; color: #525252; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Geographer At Large Blog **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">A visually rich blog on geographic themes with a focus on maps.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geography 2009-17** A very useful Wikisite created by IB Geography teachers and examiners with links to all aspects of the Syllabus, IAs etc.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geography For 2013 and Beyond** This site has numerous useful links including video etc.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Greenfield Geography Wiki**: A great Wikipage designed by Daniel Greenfield for student revision int he IB and GCSE. The **Case Studies Page** is particularly useful.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**IB Geography Wiki Blog** Companion blog to the Geography 2009-17 Wikisite
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">iStudy IB Geography **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Useful site with links and videos for students.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**ISMIBGEO.** Geography Department at xxx. Has IBDP Geography links and materials.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Geography Jim** MYP and DP Geography site from the International School of Geneva
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**New Geography**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**The British Geographer.** A useful site with good resources on the geography of health**.**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Triple A Learning DP Geography Site**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**COURSE COMPONENTS** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**PART I: GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS (p.16-18 in //Geography Guide 2011//)**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Locate and differentiate elements of the earth’s surface
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Interpret, analyze and when appropriate construct tables, graphs, diagrams, cartographic material and images
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Read, Interpret, analyze and produce maps
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Undertake statistical calculations to show patterns and summarize information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Research, process and interpret data and information.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Collect and select relevant geographic information.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Evaluate sources of geographic information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Produce written material (including essays, reports and investigations)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**PART II: CORE THEME: POPULATION, RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**1. Populations in Transition**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Population change (5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Responses to high & low fertility (4 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Movement responses-migration (6 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Gender and change (4 hours)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**2. Disparities in Wealth and Development**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Measurements of regional and global disparities (3 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Origin of disparities (3 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Disparities and change (5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Reducing disparities (5 hours)


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**3. Patterns in environmental quality & sustainability** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Atmosphere and change (4 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Soil and change (4 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Water and change (5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Biodiversity and change (3 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Sustainability and the environment (3 hours)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**4. Patterns in resource consumption**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Patterns of resource consumption (4 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Changing patterns in energy consumption (2+6 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conservation strategies (4 hours)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**PART III: OPTIONAL THEMES (total of 120 Hours for HL/ 60 hours for SL)** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Section A**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**A Freshwater-issues and conflicts**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">B. Oceans and their coastal margins <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">C. Extreme environments (cold, high-altitude and hot etc.) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**D.** Hazards and disasters-risk assessment and response <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**E.** **Leisure, sport and tourism** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">F. Geography of food and health <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**G. Urban environments**

=<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Higher Level Extension: Global Interactions (60 hours) =
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">1. Measuring global interactions (4 hours)
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">2. Changing space – the shrinking world (12 hours)
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">3. Economic interactions and flows (8 hours)
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">4. Environmental change (8 hours)
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">5. Sociocultural exchanges (8 hours)
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">6. Political outcomes (10 hours)
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> 7. Global interactions at the local level (10 hours)