AQA A Geography - Revision booklet
Exam dates
Unit 1 Physical Geography
Restless Earth, Water on land (Rivers), Coastal processes.
24th May 2016 - PM 1hr 30mins
Unit 2 Human Geography
Population Change, Changing Urban Environments, Tourism
8th June 2016 - PM 1hr 30mins (SPAG is included)
Unit 1 - 37.5% or 75 marks
Unit 2 - 37.5% or 75 marks + 9 SPAG
Unit - 3- 25% or 60 marks
Overall marks
C = 115 marks
B = 135 marks
A = 155 marks
A* = 175 marks
In my coursework I got __________ so I now need ______
marks to get my target of a ________
General tips
 1, 2 and 3 mark questions - Make the same number of
points as the question marks, use statistics and figures
provided.
 4, 6 and 8 - Levelled
 You must use case studies and point, evidence, explain or
expand
 Read the question carefully
 Answer all questions even if you have to guess
 Include case studies where possible
Physical paper
 You must focus on primary and secondary effects and long
term and short responses
 You should include the impact on social, economic and
environmental
 A landform is a natural feature of the earth’s surface that
can been created from tectonic activity, a river or the
coastline!
Human paper
 You must focus on the social, economic and environmental
effects
 Use common sense and use what you have seen in the news
GEOGRAPHY GCSE
Unit 1: Restless Earth (1)
Case studies
 Fold mountains - Alps or Himalayas
 Shield volcano - Iceland
 Composite volcano (including effects and response) - Montserrat
 Super volcano - Yellowstone national park
 Earthquakes - (Comparison of rich and poor)- Haiti (poor) or Kobe, Japan (rich)

Tsunami - (Boxing Day disaster, South East Asia)
RESTLESS EARTH LEARNING OBJECTIVES
I can name several large plates forming the Earth’s crust and the difference between oceanic and continental crust`
I can explain how convection currents more the Earth’s crust
I explain the differences between destructive, constructive and conservative plate margins.
I can name two landforms at destructive margins and explain their formation.
I can describe the main features of the world distribution of fold mountains, active volcanoes and earthquakes.
Fold mountains – I can….(1) name one mountain range, (2) explain its formation, (3) describe some of the physical
problems for people, (4)Describe four human activities found there.
I can describe the two main types of volcanoes and explain where they are found using examples.
I can give the effects and response of volcanoes on people using these headings – primary, secondary, positive, negative,
long term and short term.
Volcanic eruption case study….(1) name an example, (2) explain how it was caused, (3) state its effects (good and bad)
on people, (4) describe the responses).
I can describe two differences between supervolcanoes and other volcanoes.
I know the main features of an earthquake and two different ways of measuring earthquakes.
Earthquakes in both rich and poor countries – I can ….(1) explain why the earthquake happened there, (2) write about
the damage and destruction (effects) that resulted, (3) describe what was done after the quake (responses). YOU MUST
COMPARE!
I can explain why earthquakes cause more loss of life in poor than in rich countries.
Tsunami – I can explain the cause of the Asian tsunami, I can name some of the places affected and the damage it did
(the effects), and describe how people responded to the disaster.
RAG
Key Words
I can define or explain what these terms mean:
Oceanic / continental plates

plate margins (constructive, conservative and destructive)

collision zones

oceanic crust

continental crust

subduction

fold mountains

ocean trenches

composite volcanoes

shield volcanoes

pyroclastic flows

supervolcano

caldera

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)

shock waves

focus

epicentre

Richter Scale

Mercalli Scale

Tsunami

Assessment Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Draw a sketch diagram of a subduction plate margin, label the types of crust and the main features of this type of margin (4
marks)
Describe the ways in which a fold mountain area you have studied is used (8 marks)
Contrast the characteristics of shield volcanoes and composite volcanoes (4 marks)
For named volcanic eruption, describe the immediate and long term responses to the eruption. (8 marks)
Compare the characteristics of a volcano with those of a super volcano. (6 marks)
Explain how earthquakes are formed at destructive plate margins (4 marks)
Describe and compare the preparation / immediate responses to earthquakes between rich and poor parts of the world. (8
marks)
Describe the responses to a tsunami you have studied (8 marks)
Unit 1: Water on the Land (5)
Case studies
Waterfall - High Force
Flooding (rich) - Cumbrian
Flooding (poor) - Pakistan
Managing water supplies (Dam) – Kielder Water
‘WATER ON THE LAND’ LEARNING OBJECTIVES
I can describe how a rivers long profile and cross profile varies over its course- Upper, middle, lower
I can explain how vertical and lateral erosion changes the cross profile of a river
I can explain the four process of erosion
I can describe the four processes of transportation in a river
I can explain the reasons why a river deposits its eroded material
I can explain how waterfalls & gorges are formed
I can explain that meanders are formed by erosion & deposition
I can describe an Ox Bow lake and explain how they form from meanders
I can explain how a flood plain is formed and can draw the formation of a levee
I can identify on an OS map all of the river landforms (underlined above) and use 4 & 6 fig grid references to locate them on a map
I can explain what river discharge means & how it is shown on a hydrograph
I can explain at least 4 factors (things!) that will either increase or decrease river discharge
I can explain the four main physical causes of river flooding
I can describe a couple of examples of how human actions make flooding happen more frequently or more severe
I can explain how engineering can reduce the risk of flooding or the effects of flooding- Hard and soft using examples
I apply my understanding of flooding to a case study in a poor country

Locations / places affected…..causes of the flooding…..effects of the flooding……responses to the flooding.
I apply my understanding of flooding to a case study in a rich country

Locations / places affected…..causes of the flooding…..effects of the flooding……responses to the flooding.
I can explain why demand for water supply is different across the UK
I can explain how we can manage this demand for water by (a) reducing demand OR (b) managing the supply better
I apply my understanding of managing water supply to a case study in the UK
RAG
Key Words
I can define or explain what these terms mean:
Tributary

v-shaped valley

interlocking spur

river channel

erosion (abrasion, attrition, hydraulic action, solution)

transport (saltation, solution, traction, suspension)

load / bedload

waterfall

gorge

plunge pool

flood plain

meander (helical flow, thalweg, point bar, oxbow lake)

sediment

levées

bankfull

long profile & Cross profile

discharge

hydrograph

rising limb

lag time

confluence

hard engineering & Soft engineering

Assessment Question
Assessment 1: Explain why the upper course of a river valley has a different cross profile from the lower course (4 marks)
Assessment 2: Describe the four processes of erosion that take place in a river (4 marks)
Assessment 3:Explain how an ox-bow lake could form on a rivers course (6 marks)
Assessment 4: Describe how waterfalls are formed (4 marks)
Assessment 5: Explain how flood plains are built up (3 marks)
Assessment 6: Suggest reasons why some storm hydrographs have different shapes (6 marks)
Assessment 7: Describe and compare the primary & secondary effects of flooding in rich and poor parts of the world that you have
studied (8 marks)
Assessment 8: State and explain the engineering strategy of channel straightening that can be used to reduce flooding (3 marks)
Assessment 9: Describe the economic, social and environmental impacts of s reservoir you have studied (8 marks)
Unit 1: The Coastal Zone (7)
Case studies
Stacks and stumps - Old Harry
Spits - Hurst Castle Spit
Cliff collapse - Christchurch Bay or Holderness coastline
Rising Sea levels - Maldives
Coastal defences (hard and soft management) - Walton or Clacton
Coastal habitats - Studland Bay
‘The Coastal Zone’ LEARNING OBJECTIVES
I can explain why some waves are bigger than others
I can describe the difference between constructive and destructive waves
I can explain the four process of erosion
I can describe the four processes of transportation along the coast
I can explain the reasons why a material is deposited along a coastline
I can explain how erosion landforms are formed: Headlands and Bays, Caves arches and stacks and wave cut platforms.
I can explain the process of long shore drift and describe the effects and management of long shore drift
I can explain how depositional landforms are formed: Beaches, Spits and Bars
I can explain why cliff collapse takes place- Human and Physical causes
I can describe the impact of cliff collapse using a case study. (Positive and negative/then social, economic or environmental)
I can provide reasons why sea levels are rising.
I can describe the economic, social and environmental impact of sea levels rising using a case study.
I can describe different coastal management strategies and discuss the costs and benefits of hard and soft engineering using a case
study
I can explain the need for a shoreline management plan which includes both hard and soft engineering because of the human activity
that may be at threat.
I can describe the unique environments and habitats that coastal areas provide and explain why they exist there.
Using a case study I can explain the issues and the strategies to manage these issues to allow sustainable use of the area.
RAG
Key Words
I can define or explain what these terms mean:
Swash

Backwash

Fetch

Detructive waves

Constructive waves

Erosion (Hydraulic power, Abrasion, Attrition and Solution)

Transport (saltation, solution, traction, suspension)

Wave cut notch/platform

Headlands & Bays

Cave, stacks and arches

Longshore drift

Beaches

Spits

Bars

Sand dunes

Marine processes

Sub aerial processes

Weathering (mechanical- Freeze thaw and chemical- solution)

Mass movement

Sliding &Slumping

Environmental refugees

Hard engineering & Soft engineering

Assessment Question
Assessment 1: Explain the formation of a sea stack (4 marks)
Assessment 2: Describe the four processes of erosion that take place along the coast (4 marks)
Assessment 3:Describe the possible economic and environmental effects of rising sea levels (6 marks)
Assessment 4: Explain the formation of a spit (4 marks)
Assessment 5: Describe how vegetation changes from near to the sea to further inland (4 marks)
Assessment 6: Using a case study, explain why a coastal habitat has distinct characteristics(6 marks)
Assessment 7: Explain the formation how headlands and bays (4 marks)
Assessment 8: Using a case study, discuss the effects of cliff collapse on people’s lives and the environment (8 marks)
Assessment 9: Choose either hard or soft engineering and explain why it is the better strategy? (8 marks)