Geography Syllabus

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CONTENTS

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 AimsofH3GeographyEducation 31.2 DesiredOutcomesofEducationand21stCenturyCompetencies 51.3 ThinkingGeographically 7

2. CONTENT

2.1 Overview 9 2.2 TaughtComponent–16Hours 102.3 IndependentResearch–88Hours 112.4 PossibleResearchQuestions 12

3. PEDAGOGY – GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY 13

4. ASSESSMENT 14

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 AIMS OF H3 GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

Geography isapopular subjectamongstudents inSingaporeandotherpartsof theworld.WhiletheAssociationofAmericanGeographersdescribesGeographyasasciencethatdeploysgeospatialtechnologies,theRoyalGeographicalSociety(withtheInstituteofBritishGeographers)putsgreateremphasisonGeography’sendeavourtounderstandourworldinitsentirety.Thissyllabuscombinesbothperspectivesofthediscipline.

Geography is the science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the earth... Geography is unique in linking the social sciences and natural sciences... Geographers use many tools and techniques... [including] Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS)... and others.

Association of American Geographers

Geography is the study of Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments... bridging the social sciences with the natural sciences... and [putting the] understanding of social and physical processes within the context of places and regions... [Geography] helps us all to be more socially and environmentally sensitive, informed and responsible citizens...

Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)

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VALUESThe syllabus seeks to encourage students to:1. beinspiredbythesplendourofnaturalenvironmentsandhumaningenuity;2. carefordelicateecosystemsandunderstandtheimportanceofenvironmentally

sustainablelifestyles;3. developasglobalcitizens,seekharmonyandrespectothersinaculturallydiverseworld;4. contributeresponsiblytowardsthebuildingofarobustandinclusivesociety;and5. havetheintegritytoupholdethicalprinciplesandberesilientintheirpursuitofabetterworld.

SKILLSThe syllabus seeks to equip students with the ability to:1. considerevidenceanddifferentviewpointsto

developlogicalargumentsandexplanations;2. analyse,evaluateandreflectoninformationfrom

ageographicalperspectivetomakeinformedandsounddecisions;

3. constructunderstandingthroughinquiryusingdifferentdatacollectionandanalysismethods;and

4. useandevaluatemapsandotherdatarepresentationtointegrateinformationandcommunicatetoaspecificaudience.

KNOWLEDGEThe syllabus requires students to develop an understanding of:1. differentframeworksinunderstandingsustainabledevelopment;2. thesubjectivenatureofmapsandusingmapsasatooltopersuadeandanalyse;3. theuniquenessofdifferenttypesofnaturalenvironmentsandplaces;4. theinteractionsandinterdependencebetweennaturalenvironments,urbanandrural

areas,societiesandculturesatvariousscales;5. theprocessesthatshapenaturalenvironments,societiesandculturesatvariousscales;6. theconnections,trendsandpatternsindifferentpartsoftheworld;7. differentapproachestosolvereal-worldproblemsandachievesustainable

development.

Aims of H3 Geography

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1.2 DESIRED OUTCOMES OF EDUCATION AND 21ST CENTURY COMPETENCIES

TheaimsofH3Geographyexpresstheaspirationtodevelopinstudentsthefollowingattributesuponthecompletionoftheirformaleducation.

Geographysupports thedevelopmentof importantcompetenciesnecessary forstudentstothriveinthe21stcentury.Inaddition,studentswill learnarangeof lifeskillsanddevelopkeysocialandemotional competencies thatwill enable them to achieve personalmastery and relate to others.Mostimportantly,alllearningmustbeanchoredincorevalues(i.e.,Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Care, ResilienceandHarmony).Thesevaluesdefineaperson’scharacterandshapehis/herbeliefs,attitudesandactions.

SocialandEmotionalCompetencies(i.e.,Self-Awareness, Self-Management, etc.)areskillsnecessaryforstudents to recogniseandmanagetheiremotions,developcareandconcern forothers,makeresponsibledecisions,establishpositiverelationshipsandhandlechallengingsituationseffectively.Emerging 21st Century Competencies (21CC) necessary for the globalised world we live in areCivic Literacy, Global Awareness and Cross-Cultural Skills; Critical and Inventive Thinking; and Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills. Thesecompetencieswillenableourstudentstotapintorichopportunitiesinthenewdigitalage,whilekeepingastrongSingaporeheartbeat.

Desired Outcomes of Education

confident person whohasastrongsenseofrightandwrong,isadaptableandresilient,knowshim/herself,isdiscerninginjudgement,thinksindependentlyandcritically,andcommunicateseffectively

self-directed learner who questions,reflects,perseveres,takesresponsibilityforhis/herownlearning

concerned citizen who is rooted to Singapore,hasstrongcivicconsciousness,isinformedaboutSingaporeandtheworld,andtakesanactivepartinbetteringthelivesofothersaroundhim/her

active contributor whoisabletoworkeffectivelyinteams,isinnovative,exercisesinitiative,takescalculatedrisksandstrivesforexcellence

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The domains of the emerging 21CC are defined below.

Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and Cross-cultural SkillsOursocietyisbecomingincreasinglycosmopolitanandmoreSingaporeansliveandworkabroad.Ouryoungwillthereforeneedabroaderworldview,andtheabilitytoworkwithpeoplefromdiverseculturalbackgrounds,withdifferentideasandperspectives.Atthesametime,theyshouldbeinformedaboutnationalissues,takeprideinbeingSingaporeanandcontributeactivelytothecommunity.

Critical and Inventive ThinkingTobefuture-ready,ouryoungneedtobeabletothinkcritically,assessoptionsandmakesounddecisions.Theyshouldhaveadesiretolearn,exploreandbepreparedtothinkoutofthebox.Theyshouldnotbeafraidtomakemistakesandfacechallengesthatmayatfirstappeardaunting.

Communication, Collaboration and Information SkillsWiththeInternetRevolution,informationisoftenliterallyjustaclickaway.Itisimportantthatouryoungknowwhatquestionstoask,howtosieveinformationandextractwhatisrelevantanduseful.Atthesametime,theyneedtobediscerningsothattheycanprotectthemselves,whileadoptingethicalpracticesincyberspace.Theworkplaceofthe21stCenturyrequiresouryoungtobeabletoworktogetherinarespectfulmannertoshareresponsibilitiesandmakedecisionswithoneanothertomeetgroupgoals.Importantly,theyshouldalsobeabletocommunicatetheirideasclearlyandeffectively.

1 MoreinformationonMOE’s21stCenturyCompetenciescanbeobtainedfromhttp://www.moe.gov.sg/education/21cc/.

Framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes1

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Students’abilitytoaskgeographicalquestionsisasimportantastheacquisitionofgeographicalknowledge.Thisabilitywillenable themtogainunique insights into real-world issuesandphenomena, toextractvaluefromtheinformationthattheycomeacrossandbeawareofwhatadditionalinformationtheywillrequireinordertodeepentheirunderstanding.Thissyllabusidentifiessixgeographicalconcepts(listedinalphabeticalorder),thatunderlinethemotivationsbehindthedifferentquestionsgeographersask.

EnvironmentGeographers are interested in the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Thenatural environmentmay be seen as being designed for human purposes, thus legitimising humandomination over the non-human world. The natural environment may also be understood as themajor influenceonhumanactivities,which imposes limitsonhumangrowthanddevelopment.Therelationshipbetweenhumansandthenaturalenvironmentisrecognisedtobedynamicandcomplex,withchangesintheformerinvolvingchangesinthelatterandviceversa.Somequestionsgeographersaskabouttheenvironmentthatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• How do environmental change and hazards affect our quality of life? • How do socio-economic and political changes alter our perception of the environment? • How do technological advancements alter our view of the environment and our ability to manage it?

PlaceGeographersinvestigaterealplaces.Placesacquiremeaningasaresultofanindividual’soragroup’sexperiences that include sensory perception and memories. Places can also represent particularidentitiesandexpressspecificideasindifferentways,forexampleviasignage,maps,officialdocumentsandpopularmedia.Placesevolveconstantlyandcanbecontestedbydifferentsocialforces.Placesareshapedbothbywhatisintrinsictothemandbyexternalforces.Somequestionsgeographersaskaboutplacesthatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• In what ways do sensory perceptions and memories affect a community’s vulnerability or resilience to natural hazards?

• How do socio-economic and political forces produce different kinds of places in the space economy?• How different are the experiences of various groups of people in the city?

ProcessGeographersexaminethefloworactionsthatproduceortransformasystemorstructure.Processescanoccursequentiallyovertimeoracrossspace.Processesarealsounderstoodasmechanismsbywhichparticular outcomes are achieved. Processes are controlled by variables, and the knowledgeof thesevariablesenablessomedegreeofpredictionoffuturevalues.However,theexactpredictionofphysicalandhumanphenomenaisimpossiblebecauseofourincompleteunderstandingorinaccuratemeasurements.Somequestionsgeographersaskaboutprocessesthatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• How do different physical and human activities interact to influence development? • What is the impact on people and the environment as industrialisation spreads to more locations in

developing parts of the world? • How significantly would the switch to alternative energy sources contribute to our efforts to mitigate

climate change?

1.3 THINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY

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ScaleGeographerstakecaretomatchtheresolutionofdatacollectedtothescaleoftheresearchquestion(s)theyhaveinmind.Issuesandphenomenamanifestatdifferentscales,rangingfromthepersonaltotheglobal.Processesalsooperateatdifferentscales,withsomeoperatingatmultiplescalesatthesametime.Understandingofhowprocessesatonescalecanbeamplifiedordiminishedthroughinteractingwithotherprocessesofanotherscaleisimportant.Somequestionsgeographersaskaboutscalethatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• How do multi-lateral agreements affect local economies? • How do the different levels of government influence one another to achieve their development agendas? • How are sustainability and liveability understood differently by individuals, communities, companies

and governments?

Space and TimeGeographersareparticularly concernedabout the spatialand temporalaspectsofwhat they study.Muchattention isplacedon theorganisingphysical andhumanphenomenaacross spaceand theirevolutionovertime.Locationanddistanceareoftenunderstoodinrelativeratherthanabsolutetermsin this context. An examination of spatial and temporal relations and patterns can yield significantinsightsandenrichourunderstandingoftheenvironmentandofhumans.Somequestionsgeographersaskaboutspaceandtimethatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• How have different conceptions of sustainable development over time affected environmental practices? • How does wealth spread from one location to another over time? • In what ways do countries in different parts of the world experience the effects of climate change differently?

SystemGeographersaresensitivetotheinterrelationshipsandinterdependenceofdifferentelementsintheworld.Systemsarehierarchical;thewholesystematonelevelformsacomponentofahigherordersetandtheelementsofonesystemareineffectsmaller-scalesystems.Positivefeedbackresultsinanetchangeinthesystemwhilenegativefeedbackresultsinnochange.Theconceptofsystemsallowsustostudyaportionofrealitywhilebeingawarethatwhatisbeingstudiedispartofalargerwhole.Somequestionsgeographersaskaboutsystemsthatarerelevanttothissyllabusinclude:

• How does climate change affect the interplay of environmental and economic practices? • How does the interdependence of environmental conservation and economic growth influence

human development? • What is the effect of global warming on agricultural production and vice versa?

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2. CONTENT

TherearetwocomponentsinH3Geography–theTaught and Independent Research Components. TheTaughtComponentexploresresearchframeworksonsustainabledevelopment.Itisconductedbyteachersupervisorsover16hours.FortheIndependentResearchComponent,studentsbuildon what they have learned in the Taught Component and undertake a research related to anaspectofsustainabledevelopment.

Attheendofthecourse,studentssubmitaresearchessayofnolongerthan3,500words.

Taught Component (16 Hours)• Examiningsustainabledevelopmentusingdifferentframeworks• Mappingsustainabledevelopment• Scalesofactionandinteractioninsustainabledevelopment

Independent Research (88 Hours)

• IdentifyaProblemorIssue• CraftResearchQuestionorHypothesis• DevelopaPlanfortheInvestigation• CollectData• PresentandAnalyseData• EvaluateandCommunicateFindings

2.1 OVERVIEW

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2.2 TAUGHT COMPONENT – 16 HOURS

Mapping sustainable developmenta)Thematicmapsb)Processingandsymbolisingmapfeaturesc)Mapprojections

Scales of action and interaction in sustainable developmenta)Nestedhierarchiesofboundedspacesb)Operatingatdifferentlevelsofthespatialhierarchyc)Constraintsimposedonnationsbyinternationalagreementsd)Impactoflocalcommunitiesatthenational/globalstage

Examining sustainable development using differentframeworksa)Ecocentrismversusanthropocentrismb)Environmentaljusticec)Politicalecologyd)Culturalheritage

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2.3 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH – 88 HOURS

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Identify a Problem or IssueStudentsshouldbeabletoidentifyaresearchtopicthatis:•relatedtoanaspectofsustainabledevelopment.

Craft Research Question or HypothesisStudentsshouldbeabletocraftgeographicalquestions/hypothesesthatare:•atasuitablescale;•capableofresearch;and•areclearlydefined.

Develop a Plan for the Investigation Studentsshouldbeableto:•establishthedataneededtoexaminethequestion/hypothesisposed;•identifyappropriatemethodsforcollectingprimaryandsecondarydata(includingsamplingwhenrequired);•considerresearchethicsandunderstandlimitationsimposedbyresources;and•minimisepotentialrisksinundertakinginvestigation.

Collect DataStudentsshouldbeableto:•makeuseofdatathatisappropriatetothequestion/hypothesisposed;and•considerissuesofaccuracyandreliabilityinrelationtothedatabeingcollected.

Present and Analyse DataStudentsshouldbeableto:•organiseandrepresentdatausingappropriatemethods;•analyseandinterpretthedatausingappropriatequalitativeandquantitativemethods;and•interprettheresultsinrelationtothequestion/hypothesisposed.

Evaluate and Communicate FindingsStudentsshouldbeableto:•presentasummaryofthefindings,relatingbackspecificallytothequestion/hypothesisposed;and•presentanevaluationoftheinvestigation,includingthemethodsused,datacollectedandpossiblelimitationsandimprovementsthatcouldbemade.

Identify a Problemor Issue

Craft ResearchQuestion or Hypothesis

Develop a Plan for the Investigation

Collect DataPresent and Analyse Data

6Evaluate and Communicate Findings

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Possible ResearchQuestions

What form(s) of environmental

conservation is/are feasible for a

neighbourhood (or precinct) in Singapore?

To what extent are social (or

environmental) outcomes in Singapore influenced by its free trade agreement with

the United States?

Why do people take part in environmental efforts in Singapore?

To what extent do maps influence

people’s perception of global poverty?

What is the potential of maps in raising awareness of social development in different parts of

Southeast Asia?

How does the Mangrove Forest

Recovery Project at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park affect

local communities?

What do energy labels and rating systems

really achieve?

Should the use of clean diesel be promoted

in Singapore to lower carbon emissions from

motor vehicles?

What forms of cultural heritage in

Queenstown should be protected?

2.4 POSSIBLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS

AB

CD E

FG

HERITAGE

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3. PEDAGOGY – GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY

Learning through inquiry is commonplace in Geography classroomswhere the purposeful use ofreal-world data is prevalent. The continuedemphasis onmapandother data-interpretation skillsaswellasfieldwork inthissyllabusencouragestheuseof inquiryamongstudents.Fourelementsof geographical inquiry are presented below. Teachers will likely include an element or combineelementsappropriatelytofacilitatestudents’inquiryintowhattheyarelearning.Withguidancefromtheirteachers,studentswillbeconstantlyencouragedtoaskgeographicalquestionsastheylearntheprescribedsetofknowledgeandskillsinthesyllabus.

Elements of Geographical Inquiry

SPARKING CURIOSITYTheteachercreatesaneedtoknow.Studentsaskquestions,speculateanswers,hypothesise,imaginepossibilitiesandgenerateideas.

REFLECTIVE THINKINGTheteacherandstudentsreflectonandcritiquesourcesofinformation,skillsused,criteriaforjudgingandthevalueofhowandwhattheyhavelearnt.

EXERCISING REASONINGTheteachercreatesopportunitiestomakesenseof

information.Studentsinterpret,compareandanalyse,relatingnewknowledgetoexistingknowledge.

GATHERING DATATheteacherhelpsstudentsuse

sourcesofgeographicalinformationasevidence.Studentssearch,sort,selectandclassifygeographicalinformation.

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4. ASSESSMENT

Students will submit a Research Essaywith nomore than 3,500words based on a topic relatedto sustainable development which had been approved in advance by Cambridge InternationalExaminations.Thepurposeofageographicalinvestigationassessedintheformofaresearchessayistoamplify,reinforceandextendtheprincipalconceptsandskillsrelevanttothestudyofsustainabledevelopmentwhichaddstotheirknowledge,understandingandawareness.

ResearchshouldcommenceinNovemberofthefirstacademicyearandtheResearchEssayshouldbereadyforsubmissiontoCambridgebySeptemberofthesecondacademicyear.

Theresearchessaywillbeevaluatedbasedontheassessmentobjectivesshownbelow.

Students will be expected to:AO1 demonstrategeographicalunderstandingthroughselectionandsynthesisofknowledge;

AO2 applygeographicalconceptsinexaminingthechosenresearchtopicrelatedtosustainabledevelopment;

AO3 collect,analyseandevaluateprimaryand/orsecondarydata;

AO4 coherentlypresentwell-substantiatedargumentsbasedonareasonedconsiderationofevidenceand/ordifferentviewpoints;and

AO5 evaluatechosenresearchstrategy.