Geography is the study of the Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places, and environments. The study of geography empowers students to explore and understand the world around them. Engagement with the subject promotes a deep understanding of people and place. Students develop the skills to read their environment, enabling them to interpret the physical landscape, observe climatic events with an informed eye and discuss world events in a knowledgeable manner.

Geography Department

Mrs. Clare Sherry

Mrs. Marie Donoghue

Mrs. Tanya McCaffery

Mr. Ciaran Curran

Subject Overview

The study of geography empowers the person to explore and understand the world around them. Engagement with the subject promotes a deep understanding of people and place. Students develop the skills to read their environment, enabling them to interpret the physical landscape, observe climatic events with an informed eye and discuss world events in a knowledgeable manner. Through the study of geography, people are encouraged to appreciate the processes that shape their world and view global issues as ethical citizens. Geography provides a platform to analyse world events, empowering young people as informed, active citizens. Studying geography enhances students’ ability to engage with issues such as sustainable development, economic systems, hazard management and climate change. The topics experienced help develop students’ awareness and understanding of cultural variations fostering a respect of difference. Students are growing up in a globalised, dynamic world. Geography provides a medium to explore current events in our world.

What is Geography?

Junior Cycle

The study of Junior Cycle Geography enables students to become geographically literate. It stimulates curiosity, creating opportunities for students to read, analyse, synthesise and communicate about their immediate environment and wider world. It develops knowledge, skills, values and behaviours that allow students to explore the physical world, human activities, how we interact with our world and to recognise the interconnections between systems.

This is achieved through the three interconnected strands:

• Exploring the physical world;
• Exploring how we interact with the physical world;
• Exploring people, place, and change, with one overarching concept entitled Geoliteracy.

The course has been designed for a minimum of 200 hours timetabled student engagement across the three years of junior cycle.

Geoliteracy is one of the main concepts of Junior Cycle Geography. This refers to students’ ability to develop far-reaching decisions through geographical thinking and reasoning. Geoliteracy provides the framework for understanding in geography and is threaded throughout learning and teaching of geography.

The core components of Geoliteracy are as follows:

• interactions
• interconnections
• implications.

There are a number of elements on this course which inform how students will experience the learning outcomes within the 3 strands of exploring the physical world, how we interact with the physical world and exploring people, place and change. Students will approach the learning outcomes through the lens of the elements which include:

1. Processes, patterns, systems and scale
2. Geographical skills
3. Sustainability.

Throughout the Junior cycle Geography course students study the physical world examining how volcanoes, earthquakes, fold mountains, rivers, the sea, glaciers, and the weather help shape our landscape. Students also examine how people interact with the human world through three economic activities including primary (farming, fishing, forestry), secondary (industry) and tertiary (teachers, firemen, gardi and all other services). Students then use this information to further investigate how people move around the planet, looking at the history and future of cities paying attention to sustainability.

Ordnance survey maps and aerial photographs of a number of different towns and cities all around Ireland are examined and cross curricular skills are developed using these maps and photos.

The skills developed through the subject are transferrable and will benefit students in study and life. Learning in geography supports students in making informed decisions, giving the ability to make valuable contributions to the economic, social, and cultural life of their communities, localities and countries.

Leaving Certificate 

Leaving Certificate geography will help students develop an understanding of the changing relationships between the physical and human worlds. Through their study of geography, students will develop geographical skills that will help them to make informed judgements about issues at local, national and international levels.

Leaving Certificate Geography is split into 3 separate areas of study. All students study Core units 1,2,3 and one Elective unit. Higher level students will the study one optional unit.

Section 1.

• Core Unit 1 Patterns and processes in the physical environment - In this students study the Earth, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Fold Mountains, Rivers, The Sea, Glaciers, Weathering and Erosion, Rocks and Soil.
• Core Unit 2 Regional geography - In this Students study a number of regions worldwide examining why these regions are located in the area they are and what is unique about the area.
• Core Unit 3 Geographical Investigation and Skills - In the Leaving Certificate, similar to junior cycle, students use the information they have learned to examine maps and photographs.

Section 2.

Elective Unit 4 Patterns and processes in economic activities

Or

Elective Unit 5 Patterns and processes in the human environment

Section 3

One of the following four optional areas of study (This is Higher Level only)
Optional Unit 6 Global interdependence
Optional Unit 7 Geoecology
Optional Unit 8 Culture and identity
Optional Unit 9 The atmosphere—ocean Environment

Geography is assessed at Ordinary and Higher level. Students are expected to complete a report on a geographical investigation (fieldstudy) and to sit a written examination.

Fieldstudy

When studying Geography, students undertake a number of fieldstudies. This can be done in areas around the school, around the local region as well as going further during their leaving certificate year to undertake their Geographical Investigation. The Geographical Investigation is worth 20% of the students Leaving certificate result. 

Career opportunities in Geography

The close link between the subject and the world around us makes for a long list of varied careers. Some of these careers use Geography directly and in others, you will use the skills which you have developed in Geography. Examples of careers paths include Law, Teaching, Pharmacy, working with Development or Aid Agencies, Town and Country Planning, Civil Service, Travel and Tourism, Weather Forecasting, presenting weather forecasts/travel programmes, Marketing, Social Work, Marketing, Estate Agent, Environmental Consultant, Pollution Analyst, Conservation Officer and Cartographer.

Useful websites for Geography