National 4 Geography

National 4 and National 5 Geography

The National 4/5 Geography course presents learners with the opportunity to learn more about the world they live in and to study issues which affect their lives and those of others. Learners will acquire learning and social skills through the study of 4 underlying themes: 

The Physical Environment 

The British Isles;                 

• Erosional and depositional features such as sea caves, arches, stacks, spits, sandbars and tombolos, land uses including conflicts and solutions.
• Erosional features such as corries, arêtes and pyramidal peaks, land uses including conflict and solutions.
• Weather in the British Isles.

The Human Environment 

The Developed and the Developing World:

• World population, factors affecting birth and death rates, population distribution and change.
• Contrasts in Development, social and economic indicators.
• Characteristics and issues in changing urban and rural landscapes.

Global Issues 

• Climate change: - Focusing on the causes, effects, management and sustainability.
• Health Geography – Looking at the distribution, cause, impacts and solutions to diseases such as Heart Disease, HIV/AIDS and Cholera.

Skills

• Mapping using Ordnance Survey
• Research skills including Fieldwork
• Extracting, interpreting and presenting numerical information and graphical information.

Assessment for National 4 Geography

National 4 courses are not graded, and to achieve a pass in Geography learners must successfully complete assessments in the following 4 units: 

• Physical Environments
• Human Environments
• Global Issues
• Added Value Unit

At National 4, the Added Value Unit focuses on challenge and application. The learner will draw on and extend the geographical knowledge and skills they have learned during the course. This will be assessed by a project (based on a topic of their choice).