What is Geography?

‘Geography is the study of physical and human forces of change affecting the earth. It is the relationship between people and the environment.’

‘Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future.’ –
Michael Palin.

An education for adult life must concern itself with the future, and the aim of our department is to deliver, through geography, the scope for pupils to acquire knowledge, understanding, empathy and gathering and processing skills to equip them to be citizens that can make responsible and critical decisions.

Geography consists of:

• Physical Geography
  As predominantly urban people we need to be reminded that all the world’s citizens, whether desert nomads, or city stockbrokers, depend absolutely upon the atmosphere, soils, water, landscape and the ‘web of life’ for all economic activities and for their very existence. Studies in natural geography are an essential foundation for learning and teaching about people and science.
• Human Geography
  This area of the subject explores the ways humans occupy and use the earth’s surface – population, agriculture, socio-economic activities, politics and planning. It offers many opportunities for debating and arguing cases, preparing reports, evaluating evidence, and inevitably raises ethical questions about what is being done.
• Environmental Geography
  This is the study of how we affect our surroundings. Humans intervene in natural systems for their own purpose. Merely by eating, drinking, requiring clothes and shelter, producing wastes, even one family, or small village, makes demands on the natural world. How much greater is the impact of a growing megalopolis such as Mexico city, predicted to reach a population of 25 million by 2020! And how can we ignore the debate about ‘Global warming’ and its consequences?
• Skills
  Uniquely, Geography is a marriage of Science and Social Science; it therefore covers a wide range of skills (ICT, numeracy, literacy, map skills and graphicacy) to analyse, evaluate, solve problems, make decisions, explore values and beliefs, respect evidence and concern for others, and develop social and moral responsibility.
• Fieldwork
  A variety of fieldwork experiences are enjoyed by our pupils, and are a valuable way of applying class work to the outside world. In S2 The Raasay experience exposes our pupils to the nature of island life. Pupils may also have the possibility of visiting Iceland, residential fieldwork in Lochranza and Kindrogan, and not least our annual City Centre Survey in Glasgow.

Geography is studied by all pupils in S1 and S2 at The Glasgow Academy. Beyond that, the department offers Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher. Depending on pupil numbers, we may also offer S6 Intermediate courses in Travel and Tourism and Geology. You can find out more about our courses, and other aspects of the Geography department by clicking on the links in the menu on the left.