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Geography
Geography Field Trip to Flamborough Head
"Geography is not a narrow academic subject for the few. It is fundamental for everyone,
as a subject it can nourish and enrich a whole lifetime of learning." Geographical Association
  • Introduction
  • News
  • Lower School (Years I-III)
  • GCSE (Years IV-V)
  • Sixth Form
  • Beyond the classroom
Here at QM we believe that Geography can excite our curiosity and strengthen our understanding of many contemporary issues. Through the study of global challenges such as climate change, water conflicts, food security and biodiversity we can become more knowledgeable and this knowledge then empowers us to be able to think through problems and make decisions, maybe even find solutions.
 
Geography has always been a subject steeped in discovery and in the 21st Century we continue to encourage enquiry and exploration, not only out in the field, but also by embracing the digital revolution. Through the media and technology students are able to become active participants and investigators in their own learning.
 
Year I Visit Flamborough Head

Year I at Flamborough Head
‘My favourite part of the day was Mrs Cameron doing Kung Fu Geography lying on the beach.’ Not, perhaps, exactly what you would expect from a Geography Field Trip but at QM we like to do things differently and on 5th May 2011 ‘Year I went to Flamborough Head to go and study cliffs, sea erosion and rocks.’  ‘It was a very windy day but we had lots of fun and learnt a lot’ At the coast the girls saw ‘lots of massive rocks [showing] evidence that they had been worn away’ and explored ‘the fastest eroding coast in Europe!’ All the girls agreed that the ‘trip was very interesting’ and ‘it was fun and educational.’ There were many high points of the trip including going ‘down onto the beach where we looked at the cliffs and went in some caves which was fun.’ Year I not only had a great time but also ‘learnt some very fascinating facts’, ‘what fascinated me the most was the chalk which we touched was 90 million years old.’ In conclusion ‘we had a fantastic time going to beaches to see what our teachers were really talking about in our Geography lessons.’
 
Many thanks go to Year I who helped compile the above report which was taken from their individual reports of the day.

Sixth Form Debate
On Wednesday 2nd March teams of LVI geography and politics students went head-to-head in a heated debate over the a local issue and the effects it would have in the area. The motion was “This house believes that the proposed development of North Selby mine poses a threat to the environment”. 
Proposing the motion were politicians Octavia Cobb, Violet Manners and Sarah Good, and opposing were geographers Molly Kinnaird, Chloe Dodson and Louise Crosby. All the speakers had done thorough research and had composed strong and compelling speeches. The audience was entertained and informed with shocking pollution figures, detailed chemical analysis and a variety of highly emotive facts. 
The proposition emphasised the potential problems for local residents and wildlife, including congestion of the A19 and the potential loss of endangered species. On the other hand, the opposition focussed on the benefits that the centre would have for research and how it could contribute towards the fight against global warming. 
After all six girls had spoken there was a chance for the audience to get involved and ask the speakers questions, which the girls handled well. After tough competition from each side and persuasive arguments from all speakers, the audience voted in favour of the opposition. This was a great evening that was entertaining, informative and thought-provoking.
 
Throughout years I-III we aim to offer a range of topics which are both stimulating and relevant to the girls’ experiences. Topic areas include settlement, agriculture, weather and climate, coasts, rivers, population, ecosystems, aid and development, hazards, tourism and global manufacturing.

We cover a range of scales from local examples such as York’s land use to global case studies such as Myanmar and cyclone Nargis. We recognise that girls often have a wealth of geographical experience through travel both overseas and at home and we encourage them to bring their wider knowledge into their classroom and share it with others. The dynamic nature of Geography means we approach some elements of the course with a degree of flexibility, always open to using new examples that appear in the news so we can be as up to date as possible.  
 
 
At GCSE level since September 2009 we have been following the EDEXCEL specification A. This is an issues based syllabus which also looks ahead to changes that are likely to happen in the future. The content of the course encourages a variety of teaching styles and the contemporary nature of the subject is reflected in our choice of case study materials, from water conflicts in California to the ageing population and pension crisis in the UK to avalanche management in the Alps. Girls should develop not only a good knowledge of the world in which they live and the many challenges we face in the future, but also they should acquire a number of transferable learning skills.
 
Geography, post 16, is not only a firm basis for life long learning in its own right but it is also an excellent subject to bridge the Arts and Sciences (a number of universities accept a Geography A level as a science subject). We follow the Edexcel specification which aims to develop an understanding and knowledge of physical, human and environmental processes and how these change over time. Both at AS and A2 Level students explore the meaning, causes and impacts of a number of headline global issues. Through the study of topics such as hazards, globalisation, migration, development and superpowers Geography helps girls to understand issues across the physical and human world, the importance of scale and connectedness and to appreciate variety and difference. 
 
Within the department we are committed to the ideals of fieldwork and providing the opportunity of learning beyond the classroom. We currently undertake trips to study urban morphology in York, coastal processes along Holderness, flood defences along the River Ouse, glaciation in the Lake District, rebranding in Manchester and conflict issues in Dalby Forest.
 
The Sixth Form also attend outside conferences and lectures.